Thermal Paste

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xCWolf

[H]ard|Gawd
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Aug 12, 2011
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Whats the best Thermal paste/grease? is there a huge difference between the brands?
 
My personal favorite is Shin-Etsu X23, though good old Arctic Silver still does just fine (and I use it for most things because I have a gigantic tube).
 
Arctic MX-4 is also available in a big tube that'll last forever. That said, I haven't even used one quarter of my 4g ZT-100 tube.
 
Top of the line:Indigo Extreme,IC Diamond,Shin-Etsu X23.

Another good candidates would be Thermalright Chill Factor 3,Noctua NT-H1 etc.
 
i'd take the arctic mx-4 over the thermalright chillfactor.

the arctic is a wetter, easier to apply graese. the thermalright froze instantly when it touched anything i put it on (metal tends to be cold) and it was hell to apply.
 
I'll be trying out the Shin Etsu in a week or two. Heard some good things about it.
 
Still using AS5 have done for years it's well priced and one of the best. But the poster above is right the top ones are all pretty close to each other.
 
Mr Spocko said:
Still using AS5 have done for years it's well priced and one of the best. But the poster above is right the top ones are all pretty close to each other.
Click to expand...

when i cleaned my system up i removed my h50. when i put it all back together again i used as5 on the h50. temps went up 2-3c.
 
Shin Etsu - $5 shipped at newegg... I've done a lot of research and that seems to come out on top when you factor in ease-of-use. It's not the "top" performer (arguably the IC Diamond stuff) but it's WAY easier to use, by all accounts I've read.
 
I like Arctic Silver Ceramique myself. It performs slightly better than AS5 and lasts longer. Haven't tried anything else since 1 tube of the stuff lasts me 8 lifetimes.
 
i like IC Diamond. temps dropped 3-4 degrees (h50). before i was using AS5. just request some from Falcon CMH. he was cool enough to send me a tube for free .(pay for postage though)
 
tricky0502 said:
when i cleaned my system up i removed my h50. when i put it all back together again i used as5 on the h50. temps went up 2-3c.
Click to expand...

AS5 requires at least 200 hours burn in time to reach optimal temperatures and stability.
It's still ranked right up there with the best you have to let it cure though to get the best performance.
 
Now you tell me...what a mess! Is there a preferred spreader to use with the thermalright that would make it easier? It's very hard to get it evenly spread
 
Shin Etsu x23 7783d. I love the stuff. The only thing is that it is really tough to spread. If you get some, put it in a sealed bag and then let it sit in some hot water for a minute before applying. Haha, the first time I tried applying it I didn't know about the hot water technique and I ended up with more of it on me than on my heat sink.
 
I got myself 25 grams of Arctic Ceramique 2 for $7 on ebay. For the price, you can't beat its value, and 25 grams will last you forever unless you're constantly switching out parts in a watercooling loop (both CPU and GPU).

I use an old credit card to spread thermal paste.
 
Shin Etsu x23 7783d for me as well. I don't spread it either. One small dab right in the center is plenty good. And you don't have to heat this stuff up!
 
Ow... this thread gave the OP a bunch of suggestions, but needs a little more detail:

http://skinneelabs.com/tim/ - TIM reviews, very well done
http://skinneelabs.com/2011-tim-results/ - The older 2011 roundup
http://skinneelabs.com/2011-tim-results/2/ - results presentation...but it'd be better to look at the raw data of temperature vs mounting quality for each TIM. This page's summary method is a bit oversimplified.

Summary: Prolimatech PK-1 is excellent, MX-2 is very good, Indigo Xtreme is the best, however it's prohibitively expensive.

My experience:

X23-7783D and IC Diamond: X23 is better, but both are too thick (viscous) and difficult to apply. I prefer thinner pastes.

MX-2: I use this because I have a bunch of it. It works great.

PK-1: Because of Skinnee's test results, I'd probably be using this if I didn't already have MX-2.

AS5: Still works well...

MX-4: also good.

Other pastes: meh...look at the review...




Application method: It seems as if an "X" or modified X shape application works well (to keep air bubbles out) for conventional flat-based heatsinks and waterblocks.
 
Mr Spocko said:
AS5 requires at least 200 hours burn in time to reach optimal temperatures and stability.
It's still ranked right up there with the best you have to let it cure though to get the best performance.
Click to expand...


But that is also its downfall. AS5 is great, but it is just outdated. It has rivals that are equally good, even better, with no curing time and which last longer too without a need of reapplying. And cheaper too. AS5's price/performance/practicality ratio is just not that hot anymore.
 
tricky0502 said:
when i cleaned my system up i removed my h50. when i put it all back together again i used as5 on the h50. temps went up 2-3c.
Click to expand...

ArticSilver unlike MX-4 and Noctura NT-H1 takes about 24-48 hours of use to cure.
After the material cures it will most likely be right where you want it.

I like Noctura NT-H1 for just that reason; easy to use and no cure time.....what you see is what you got.:D

Noctura and MX-4 also have no conductivity, so are excellent on small heatsinks and GPUs.
 
I use whatever is cheapest which is usually AS5 or OCZ Freeze although that Zalman stuff you paint on with a brush looks convenient. I might buy some of that next time I need thermal grease.
 
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The ultimate best is Indigo Extreme but its not meant for re-application purposes and thus is pricey if you plan on taking off your cooler a lot. Also has a 'set-up' time but after that, its untouchable

largetimcompare.jpg
 
Good application vs poor application will cause more tempreture difference than "good" vs "bad" TIM. Get one that you can apply well.
 
The indigo stuff is pretty idiot proof as it comes in a square that is the size of the die of whatever socket you have.
 
Is there any website that gives out free samples of thermal paste?
 
Prolimatech Pk-1 gets my vote.

Picked up going by Skinneelabs roundup and have no regrets.

You get alot for $11.00. Ive done about 5 gpus and 10 or so cpu seatings on one tube, have a little over 1/3rd less. The stuff is wicked easy to use, with glob method havent had a bad contact yet.Next in line as far as value/ease of use goes to mx-4 imho. Available everywhere, great stuff. But i definetly recommend using pk-1 if you can get it. Oh and pki-1 has no cure or burn in time afaik, so slap it on and good to go.

Indigo is head and shoulders above the rest in terms of performance. Problem is that its $4 a try. Its idiot proof, and "safe" but if you like to tear down your system a lot, or don't feel comfortable with the fusion process(essentially you run the system with no cooling for 3 minutes while stressing the cpu to melt the metal onto your block+cpu). Oh and you obviously cant use it on a gpu block(selling point for me).
 
I'm an IC Diamond fan now, having used AS for years and tried other various high-end TIM. It's thick and more time consuming to take off, but well worth the temp drop.
 
silent-circuit said:
My personal favorite is Shin-Etsu X23, though good old Arctic Silver still does just fine (and I use it for most things because I have a gigantic tube).
Click to expand...

What he said. I have a tube of AS5 that's lasted 5+ years (CPUs, GPUs, one specialized heatpipe GPU cooler).
 
First time using Shin-Etsu and must say it was easy to apply & temps are much cooler than what i had before =)
 
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