Whether you arebuilding a PCas a gaming equipage or making some serious upgrades to a professional workstation , a good thermal paste can do wonders for your system temperatures .
As with CPU cooler , investing in an aftermarket paste is necessary especially if you have a CPU that runs red-hot or if you are plan to do some overclocking . There are several thermic chemical compound useable on the market from brands like Arctic , Noctua , and Thermal Grizzly , but choosing the right one can be confusing . To make things easy , here are some of the best thermal paste we ’ve tried , along with significant FAQs that can help oneself you make a healthy decision .
Great performance and conductivity
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
Why should you buy this : It is one of the better - performing paste with excellent thermic conduction .
Who ’s it for : Gamers and serious CPU / GPU overclockers .
Why we picked the Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut :
Thermal Grizzly has a few fantabulous thermal paste on the market place , but our favorite is Kryonaut , a high - end spread design for the most serious software and experienced users . It ’s highly conductive at 12.5 W / mk ( high-pitched than almost all paste on the grocery ) and can move heat easy and rapidly across even big or complex cooling devices , including water - cooling organisation .
While this paste may be overkill for some , it ’s one of the good pastes around in term of its cool down potential and is a favorite among gamers and anyone who wants tooverclock a CPU . That is reflected in the price , which is eminent for just a single gram of the library paste . But if you want the most out of your machine and are already hard invested in overclocking or tweak carrying into action , the Kryonaut is for sure deserving the price .
Do remark , however , that since it is targeted at overclockers , this is a paste that is designed for gamey - performance more than longevity , so it has a inclination to dry out after a few months . Factor in frequent re - pastes if you plan to use this for your casual driver PC .
Best performance on a budget
Noctua NT-H1
Why should you buy this : A reliable and toll - effective thermal paste .
Who ’s it for : microcomputer builders who require a price - efficacious result .
Why we picked the Noctua NT - H1 :
Noctua ’s NT - H1 is a super - reliable paste that has been around for years . It is consider as one of the best with more than 150 awards and recommendations , and it ’s one of the best choice for building or rectify computers , specially for amateurs who may not yet have a good deal of experience with caloric paste but are confident enough to use them . The NT - H1 formula also gets excellent marks for serviceableness , with an easy - to - enforce eubstance . It ’s easy to clean when teetotal and is designed to not corrode .
Note that Noctua ’s NT - H1 lasts for about three year without utilisation , which is quite good for a caloric paste . As for custom time on the CPU , Noctua take that it can last up to five years before it necessitate a refresh . useable for leverage in either 3.5 - gram or 10 - gm options , the NT - H1 is relatively meretricious , pee it one of the best all - rounders on this list .
Carrying forward the legacy of MX-4
Arctic MX-6
Why should you buy this : It is a great choice for the Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut at a sound price .
Who ’s it for : Anyone looking for high - performance and length of service at a good price .
Why we picked the Arctic MX-6 :
plan as a direct replacement for MX-5 , the new MX-6 improves functioning with a thicker viscosity than either the MX-4 or MX-5 , seduce it a little trickier to install , but raise its longevity . It requires no burn - in flow and will propose visor carrying into action right from the get go . Its price remains competitive , too , thanks to the economic consumption of no treasured materials like silver or baseball diamond in its building .
Like most heat paste , Arctic MX-6 is non - electrically conductive , so you need n’t occupy about it short anything out if it happens to overflow from your CPU or something . It ’s non - drying , though , so unlike overclocking pastes , like Kryonaut , it wo n’t dry out after a few months , and should keep your components prissy and cool for years to derive .
Well-rounded successor the popular NT-H1
Noctua NT-H2
Why should you corrupt this : It is an improved version of the true NT - H1 .
Who ’s it for : Enthusiasts look for a static thermal paste with excellent conduction .
Why we picked the Noctua NT - H2 :
The Noctua NT - H1 has been around for a very recollective metre and continue to be a community favorite when it comes to timber thermal paste . The company also offer an improved rendering of the NT - H1 called the Noctua NT - H2 . The enthusiast - course paste can be used for air- orliquid - based cooling , CPU or GPU applications , overclocking , or silent systems .
The raw formula comes with a mixture of metal oxide micro - atom for low thermal electrical resistance and reduced bond - line thickness at distinctive mounting pressures . It is easy to spread thanks to its lower viscousness , can be stored for up to three years , and has a durability rating of five class when utilize on a mainframe . When it comes to performance , it pitch excellent results adequate to of surpassing its predecessor and fall in unwavering rival to the Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut , which is the best in the business concern .
Best-performing liquid metal compound
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut
Why should you bribe this : It is the good liquid metal - based thermal chemical compound .
Who ’s it for : fancier and overclockers who want extreme carrying out .
Why we picked the Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut :
limpid metallic element offers the good public presentation compare to any thermal paste out there , and the Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut test that with its place thermal conduction of 73 W / mk . It has the potentiality of reducing temperatures by over 10 degrees Celsius in sealed cases . The incredible performance of this liquid metallic element compound comes at a cost , though . Since it is electrically conductive , it can damage parts of your arrangement if you do n’t apply it properly .
While it should work well with copper and nickel , using liquified metallic element with atomic number 13 is not a good idea as it can oppose gravely and not do its intended caper . Thus , it is highly recommend to do proper enquiry before trying to cool your CPU with liquid alloy . Thermal Grizzly does offer some useful pecker with the Conductonaut , including a exceptional descent tip and some swabs to disperse the compound easy . Having said that , apply smooth metal to your central processor or GPU can be a windy task and way more difficult to remove in case of incorrect program .
Performance at a fair price
Gelid GC-Extreme
Why should you buy this : It offers high thermal conductivity and performance at a private-enterprise price .
Who ’s it for : Overclockers looking for a great thermic paste on a budget .
Why we picked the Gelid GC - Extreme :
Gelid ’s GC - Extreme is a good selection for those who desire a higher - end intersection but are n’t really invested enough to get something at the very top like the Kryonaut . GC - Extreme is still a very great paste and will likely outperform most other spread options , but it ’s in the low-priced reach . This spread is in particular serious to keep on hand if you make frequent computer upgrade or have a larger task and want a very effective paste to see you through . With a caloric conductivity rating of 8.5 W / mK , the GC - Extreme is useable in 1 - gram , 3.5 - g , and 10 - gm sizes , and with the young promotional material , you get two nozzle types for easy app .
Thermal paste installation made easy
Corsair XTM50
Why should you buy this : It comes with an easy resolution to apply the paste effectively .
Who ’s it for : First - time microcomputer builders and amateur .
Why we picked the Corsair XTM50 :
aside from its wide range of computer peripheral and cool ironware , Corsair also makes caloric paste . The XTM50 is Corsair ’s " high - public presentation " paste that comes with an included software stencil and spreader that makes the whole process a hatful easier . It ’s a very fresh move that caters to unpaid and first - clock time microcomputer builders who are not trusted about how caloric paste needs to be applied . As for carrying into action , it is n’t the best thermic paste , but it should get the job done . It comes with a thermal conductivity rating of 5 W / mk , which is pretty average . It is n’t expensive , either , although we really wish that it was offer in a size other than just 5 grams .
Frequently Asked Questions
Often referred to as thermal grease or thermic chemical compound , it is a viscous kernel that is applied between the central processing unit and the cooler . The core subprogram of caloric spread is to offer improved conductivity and remove any irregularities or air gaps between the cooler Earth’s surface and the integrated heat spreader ( IHS ) of the CPU . Using a good - tone thermal paste insure that your C.P.U. runs cooler and does n’t require repasting for a retentive menstruation of metre .
There are many public debate about how much thermal paste one should implement to their central processing unit . Having more caloric paste isnotgoing to extend undecomposed thermic performance . In fact , you could terminate up doing the opposite , and in some case , you could cause permanent damage to the motherboard or CPU . Most professionals recommend that a small blob , roughly the size of it of a pea , should do the trick . Put some paste right in the middle of the IHS and establish the tank in one go so that there are no trapped air bubbles . You could also use an applicator that looks like a petite spatula to evenly spread the paste over the IHC before installing the cooler . See our guide to learnhow to apply or take out caloric spread .
A good - caliber thermal paste can help in reducing central processor temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees , while certain expensive pick can even go over 10 degrees . With that say , a lot depends on your CPU cooler , ambient temperatures , and how efficiently the paste has been utilise .
For the best personal computer cooling system results , make certain you ’re using the proper caloric library paste for your processor and instal one of thebest CPU fans .
