Top TIMs are so close to each other that major question is which has best long-term stability. Kryonaut would be finest but its stability is not known yet.
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I agree, but for most part, PC enthusiasts tend to swap/upgrade hardware every few years anyway, making this issue somewhat of a low end of the spectrum concern. I've been building rigs for over 30 years now and have yet to see a paste I have applied/used "fail" or dry out to the point of causing any real issues. I simply don't feel there is a big concern over thermal paste longevity issues when using and working with top quality/brand products like those at the top of the heap. I think most of these "longevity issues" stem from the fact that they were poor applications to begin with - either from a prior user or one poorly executed by a manufacturer/vendor using a no-name/generic product to begin with.
Just going to leave this here, since no conversation of thermal paste is complete with out it: Mayonnaise
Are there oils which do not degrade with time? Are there TIMs not containing degradable oils?
I think it would be safe to say that, since all accepted theories suggest all oils are organic, and organics break down under heat, the likelihood of a TIM that does not degrade is slim. NOTE: I can't hedge that claim any further than I already have.
When I researched the topic recently I found that Gelid's GC-Extreme was consistently rated at the top of the bunch of 'normal' thermal compounds. 'Normal' meaning excluding fancy liquid metal or diamond compounds...
well according to them IndigoXtreme it is better then all their other formulations.What about Indigo Xtreme and their new Indigo XS?
I just switched from MX4 to IC7 and saw huge gains. The MX4 only lasted 1 month on GPU before temps started to rise.
General: Ceramique 2
High Performance: IC Diamond/Shen Etsu
Me too. The tried and true AS5 has never let me down. Its on all my pcsSo many TIMs are within 1-2C of each other, it actually matters more how you apply the TIM than which TIM you use. I still have some AS5 from over 10 years ago (have yet to run out) and it still does a good enough job for me.
See Thermal Paste Roundup 2015 - 47 products tested with air-cooling and liquid nitrogen (LN2) - Page 11 of 12 - Overclocking.Guide
Kryonaut is expensive.
I'm another happy AS5 user (or MX2 or MX4 would be fine by me)
well according to them IndigoXtreme it is better then all their other formulations.
probably expensive as well, but, if it truly is a no muss no fuss application if one is looking for "the best" this would probably be it, thing I read awhile back is with their other "2" options one was best for on heat spreader, other was best for de-lid use. I just find it funny in Intel's case, they sell these things at such a high cost(probably cost them little to produce in comparison considering how many they sell annually) you figure they would have the creme of the crop for thermal interface/solder or whatever from the factory, having to de-lid or whatever would be for the realm of "the other guy" sort of speak.