best paste for 5900x with h100i elite cooler

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dhodson66

Weaksauce
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Nov 26, 2016
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My msi x570 tomahawk motherboard failed and is being repaired/replace. When i get it back. how necessary beneficial would it be to clean off all the old thermal paste and apply new paste?

ive kept the cpu and the cooler protected and they have the paste in place. im assuming i should remove the old and apply new. i previously used the built on paste from the cooler. what is the best tools and methods for removal and which brand to apply?
 
It's best to wipe with a tissue (or wet tissue) roughly and then later with alcohol, that's how I do it.
For hard-to-reach places, take a toothpick.
From the paste recommendation for ARCTIC MX-5 if you have it.
That's what I'm using right now.
The older MX is also good. Now I see that there is also an MX-6, they obviously go forward or backward, I don't know how much better the MX-6 is than the MX-5.
Given that the processors have a much larger area than the old processors, the grain of rice rule no longer applies, put it a little more in the middle of the processor.
The paste only serves to fill the holes if the cooler and the surface of the processor are not well treated. The rest will leak from the side, but mx pastes are not conductive, so there will be no problem.
It is logical to completely clean the old paste both on the processor and on the processor cooler.
 
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clean off the old paste and re apply with some thermalright TFX, I prefer to use 99% Isopropyl to clean with, use a lint free cloth, or q-tips those are my go to.
 
How much of a problem is counterfeit of these products on Amazon?

I’ll get either
 
dhodson66 said:
How much of a problem is counterfeit of these products on Amazon?

I’ll get either
Click to expand...

Thermal paste is pretty straight forward. Just grab a tube of something cheap like MX-5 for $5. The 1 or 2 C you might gain or lose with really premium stuff is useless for the average user.

I only use graphite pads myself these days, they're reusable and have no mess and since I then to be taking things apart all the time its more convenient for me.
 
I’m not too worried about a degree but just one if the better that lasts

They actually discontinued artic 5. Possibly had some issues making a consistent product.
 
I been using these liquids to remove old thermal paste and clean the surface for new thermal paste application for years: https://www.amazon.com/ArctiClean-Thermal-Compound-Remover-Purifier/dp/B001JYQ9TM/ref=sr_1_4

I've also been using this for years when cleaning PC components: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SPJP5O?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

Along with this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075L9ZTPB?tag=pcpapi-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

As for thermal paste, I spent years using Arctic Silver 5, but in 2019 I moved to Arctic MX-4 (https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-2019-Performance-Durability/dp/B07LF66ZSV/ref=sr_1_4) because AS5 doesn't hold up in storage over time. MX-4 doesn't require a cure time, and it won't dry out or lose consistency while in storage. Also it's not electrically-conductive like AS5 is. I know there's Arctic MX-6 now (https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-6-...ctive-Non-capacitive/dp/B09VDLH5M6/ref=sr_1_8), but I know nothing about it. I recall there was an MX-5 for a while, but I think it got recalled:
- https://www.arctic.de/us/blog/arctic-press-information-on-mx-5-thermal-compound
- https://www.techpowerup.com/291072/...-5-tim-in-the-market-offers-free-replacements
- https://en.overclocking.com/mx-5-arctic-recalls-batches-of-defective-paste/
- https://www.guru3d.com/story/arctic...ssor-spotted-at-almost-three-times-the-price/

I heard good things about Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut: https://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Grizzly-Kryonaut-Grease-Paste/dp/B00ZJSF5LM/ref=sr_1_3?th=1
I've yet to try it for myself though. It's kind of expensive.

I've also heard good things about other premium thermal pastes, but as was already stated:
LigTasm said:
The 1 or 2 C you might gain or lose with really premium stuff is useless for the average user.
Click to expand...

As for applying thermal paste, I've had good luck with the X method in recent years. Also can't go wrong with the tried-and-true even spread across the whole heatspreader surface. There are of course other methods that work just as well, like putting more in the center, as stated by Strange bird. Also don't forget to rub a light hazy cloud of thermal paste into the mating surface of the heatsink/waterblock prior to installation.

LigTasm said:
I only use graphite pads myself these days, they're reusable and have no mess and since I then to be taking things apart all the time its more convenient for me.
Click to expand...
Been wondering about these myself.
 
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dhodson66 said:
I’m not too worried about a degree but just one if the better that lasts

They actually discontinued artic 5. Possibly had some issues making a consistent product.
Click to expand...

Its been replaced by MX6 now I think, but there really isn't much difference. Unless you're lapping/delidding and doing a custom loop, you're not likely to ever know what kind of paste you used. The outlier to this in some cases is liquid metal for obvious reasons, but that is a real hassle to work with. I still have a tube of it but god knows what I'd ever use it for now.
 
LigTasm said:
Its been replaced by MX6 now I think, but there really isn't much difference. Unless you're lapping/delidding and doing a custom loop, you're not likely to ever know what kind of paste you used. The outlier to this in some cases is liquid metal for obvious reasons, but that is a real hassle to work with. I still have a tube of it but god knows what I'd ever use it for now.
Click to expand...
6 is better than 5 by ~4c
dhodson66 said:
They actually discontinued artic 5. Possibly had some issues making a consistent product.
Click to expand...
yeah my tube doesnt look right now.




op, grab some mx-6 and youll be gtg without breaking the bank. put a decent sized x and dots in the quarters. dont skimp out, other than making a mess you cant really have too much.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VDL3CW6
 
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When you clean your block and CPU, use an old T-shirt or wash cloth corner wetted down with isopropyl alcohol. After removing the old paste, dry off your block/CPU quickly with a clean dry corner of the same cloth to avoid leaving any residue behind.
 
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