What is the best paste for a video card?

D

deathhorse

[H]ard|Gawd
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Gonna re apply paste to my htpc video card what should i use? I have mx2 and some of that cremaqui stuff the white one.
 
This may be helpful

I've had good results with the Gelid stuff

I'd suggest picking one of the top performers off the list I linked too.

Applying the thermal paste properly is arguably more important than the brand you choose.

*Related thread

It's worth noting that the best paste on the table I linked is not really a paste. It's a thermal pad made of metalish stuff that you cut to fit and stick to your CPU/GPU
 
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Judging from that table, there isn't that much of a difference between the MX-2 you already have and the rest with the liquid metal pad being the one exception. I'd just use the MX-2 and call it a day.
 
smithkt said:
Judging from that table, there isn't that much of a difference between the MX-2 you already have and the rest with the liquid metal pad being the one exception. I'd just use the MX-2 and call it a day.
Click to expand...

Solid advice.

If you feel like spending money (~$20) the liquid metal pads are the best choice. While 4.5C is a decent temp drop unless you are having thermal issues I wouldn't worry about it.
 
yes, there isnt a huge diffirence and i looked at those other pastes i think i got a good deal cause my paste was under $5 from ebay
 
I use Phobya HeGrease Extreme High-Permormance Thermal Compound (3.5g) on my CPU. When I apply it to my Sapphire 7950 I can't run stock voltage and clocks without thermal shutdowns. The old paste on the thing crumbled to dust when I opened it to see why it was overheating in the first place. What should I be using?

Also the heatsink is pitted like an acid burn victim. What caused that? Was like that when I looked inside so it's nothing that an outside source did. I'm figuring that's the reason that I can't keep the temps down. Or could there be another reason? The GPU core is a mirror finish so I assume that it's not warped in some manner like the heatsink.

I did buy an Accelero but a family member tossed the shims, heatsinks, and epoxy in the trash because he didn't know what it was. If violent crimes weren't punishable....
 
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cageymaru said:
I use Phobya HeGrease Extreme High-Permormance Thermal Compound (3.5g) on my CPU. When I apply it to my Sapphire 7950 I can't run stock voltage and clocks without thermal shutdowns. The old paste on the thing crumbled to dust when I opened it to see why it was overheating in the first place. What should I be using?

Also the heatsink is pitted like an acid burn victim. What caused that? Was like that when I looked inside so it's nothing that an outside source did. I'm figuring that's the reason that I can't keep the temps down. Or could there be another reason? The GPU core is a mirror finish so I assume that it's not warped in some manner like the heatsink.

I did buy an Accelero but a family member tossed the shims, heatsinks, and epoxy in the trash because he didn't know what it was. If violent crimes weren't punishable....
Click to expand...



Are you overclocking?

Are you applying it correctly?

I always used arctic silver.


I am almost tempted to say the fan on your card is broke or the graphics card is almost kaput. Poor cooling in your case?
 
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Not overclocking it as it won't run stock speeds in intensive games like BF4. Games that aren't intensive it works fine in.

Yes, I've installed it using the pea method, CC method, X method, etc. I assume that a GPU and CPU aren't different when it comes to thermal application correct?

Can order some Arctic Silver.

Fans are spinning fine. The heatsink is jacked up like I mentioned before. Like someone took a knife and carved into it. Maybe it's on it's last legs.
 
There's really not a huge difference between most TIM. I prefer MX-4 for it's price/perf ratio but have used nearly everything in the past.
 
Slap a little mayo on there, maybe some toothpaste, call it day :p

It's not the best, but I just use Arctic Silver 5 on everything 'cause it's cheap and easy to apply.
 
cortexodus said:
Slap a little mayo on there, maybe some toothpaste, call it day :p

It's not the best, but I just use Arctic Silver 5 on everything 'cause it's cheap and easy to apply.
Click to expand...

It's conductive though, isn't it? I'd rather play it safer with one of the non-conductive pastes. I have some MX-2 around somewhere.
 
Don't take the cooler off of a galaxy card as this voids the warranty, even though there are no stickers on the screws and the warranty states "Any modification made to the Product must be reversed prior to shipment back to GXM for warranty service."
Just a heads up.
 
cheese. it may not be the best, but it's by far the most utilitarian. get in a bind and need some food? eat your thermal compound.
 
smithkt said:
It's conductive though, isn't it? I'd rather play it safer with one of the non-conductive pastes. I have some MX-2 around somewhere.
Click to expand...

Not that I'm aware of, no. I've encountered users that literally slathered AS5 all over everything under the damn sink and, aside from being a stupid approach and really messy, it worked ok.
 
Ok I figured it out. Three days ago my Corsair H100 started sounding like a drill and it died. So I had an extra Corsair H80 laying around so I installed that. Temps on my video cards were hitting 105c! So today the Corsair H80 started sounding like a Dremel tool and it died also. Worst week for computing ever!

After searching my computer part boxes for hours, I was able to cobble together a Corsair A50 air cooler that I paid $12 for back in June 2011. After Frankensteining it, my temps on my video cards are now around 45c idling and peak in BF4 at 70c. So very happy now! Could jump for joy if my arthritic bones allowed me to do so. I can only surmise that the heat from the CPU was sitting around the water pump instead of circulating. Thus the motherboard became the heatsink and whatever components close to it.

:)
 
I was thinking of doing that to my XFX 290... to see if I would get a little more OC headroom. I have the MX-2.
 
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