Ideally, we would have wanted to do 3 tests as a minimum for a single thermal paste and show the average of these three runs. I am recovering from a total hip replacement surgery and slowly resuming the testing hence only one test result is used You may have heard of thermal pads being used by many as a replacement for thermal paste. That's entirely normal because thermal pads are also highly efficient. Thermal pads are primarily used on M.2 SSD modules. As such the heatsink or the motherboard shroud covering the M.2 SSD module holds thermal pads to dissipate the heat produced by the modules. It works the same way as thermal paste, except these are solid pads as opposed to pasting or liquid solutions. We think the Thermal Grizzly's Carbonaut is one of the best options on the market. This can be used on both processors and GPUs too. The application of thermal pads involves placing the pad on top of the CPU IHS, thereby filling the gap between the IHS and the heatsink.

The wipe is made of 100% Limonene extracted from citrus essential oil. This would mean that these wipes don’t have alcohol or benzenes as this substance is used in industrial applications for cleaning as it is effective and gentle on metals and alloys.Even though a dizzying array of different thermal pastes is available — some blends have been around for over a decade — new formulations still come to market at a surprising pace. Long-time PC cooler maker NZXT recently entered the market with its first paste, the not-very-excitingly named NZXT High-Performance Thermal Paste. Cooler Master introduced a new purple CryoFuze, and Alphacool unveiled its Apex thermal paste. Cooling mainstay Corsair also has a new XTM70 blend that will be heading to our test bench soon, and Gelid has recently released its GC-4 Thermal Paste, showing that the TIM market is still thriving.

The Silver 5 is also one of the best thermal pastes and fits a wide range of systems, no matter the coverage area. That is because it has a more extensive fan base than some other thermal options. – Materials: Effective and Safe to Use On top of that, liquid metals can't be used with aluminum heat sinks since the Gallium in them reacts with aluminum. That's not really an issue since most heat sinks (remember, not all) are made of copper which is nonreactive with the liquid metal. That being said, the high risk pays off in meaningful ways the liquid metal provides up to 73 W/(mK) thermal conductivity. It's much higher than the 0.5-12.5 W/(mK) thermal conductivity provided by conventional thermal pastes. Going by our Arctic Silver 5 review, we can say that it’s the perfect thermal paste for users who perform CPU-intensive tasks and functions. It’s the ideal choice to keep your system cool and running. 2. ARCTIC MX-4 (incl. Spatula, 4 Grams) – Thermal Compound Paste ProsIt’s no surprise that the liquid metal compounds once again sit atop the thermal comparison. Still, a 6C difference between all 15 thermal compounds tested shows there isn’t a lot of variation, even with a 360 all-in-one cooler with a push+pull fan setup for performance. As a result, heat is dissipated through their connection. An MX-4 thermal paste and the Silver 5 reviewed here are good examples of quality pastes. Conclusion The Arctic Silver 5 thermal conductivity is one of the key reasons why it’s in demand. It’s a good choice for users who want to paste it to multiple devices.

You also get effective cooling for an enormous number of surfaces before the tube is exhausted. Also, it’s an oil-based paste that is better than what you’ll find in less expensive thermal pastes. Here is a statement from ARCTIC about MX-6. “With its improved composition, the ARCTIC MX-6 has a measurably lower thermal resistance than the MX-4. The basis for calculation is the temperature difference between the cooler base and the heat source (in C) in relation to the applied heat load (in W), which also results in the unit C/W. The higher the thermal resistance, the worse the heat can be transferred through the TIM layer. Thermal insulators, as an example, therefore always have a particularly high thermal resistance, while thermal interface materials usually have a particularly low one.” What’s more, it’s designed to last for eight years. Your CPU will probably need changing before it wears out. It’s not as capable for multiple CPUs, but it will complete two processors and still have leftovers. Along with its better performance, it’s relatively inexpensive and reliable. Thermal Paste: Mini Buying Guide However, most pastes make it to the shelf and don’t last as long after that. The fact is thermal pastes don’t age well, so it’s best to apply it fast before it gets worse. Frequently Asked Questions 1. What Is a Thermal Paste? Absolutely, high-quality thermal paste can ensure effective heat dissipation from a processor towards your CPU cooler. Yes, you can use any paste you like but they’re not all created equal. Ultimately, ensuring effective cooling will help ensure longevity at the heart of your PC. And so paying a bit more for recommended, proven and the best thermal paste makes sense. Is it OK to put a lot of thermal paste?If you apply Arctic Silver 5, you’ll notice that it has a high-density filling of micronized silver and enhanced thermally conductive ceramic particles. As such, it provides a new level of performance and stability for your CPU.