


Is it worth spending an extra £3.50 on another brand/mixture to save one ☌? We will leave that decision up to you.Ĭorsair TM30 – Test Bed and Thermal Paste PerformanceĬPU: Intel Core i7-9700K (3.6GHz Base, 4.There are hundreds and hundreds of different types of thermal pastes in the market. You can purchase (for a reasonable price and usually the cheapest) most of the thermal pastes that have been tested by clicking the links below not only is thermal paste vital, as we’ve gone over in the beginning but finding the right blend of price to performance is very important to consider. We have had many requests for pastes such as Arctic MX-2 and MX-5 over the last two years, and the Arctic kindly sent us samples this time around. Thermal Paste Testing Line-upīelow is a list of all the thermal pastes tested in our 2020 round-up, with some new additions, including more from the Arctic. sdasdThat is why I spent around 30 days (in total) comparing and testing 26 of the top thermal pastes on the market with the Intel Core i7-7700K processor to see which reigned supreme…and which failed to deliver on their marketing.


Those questions have been answered now, you may understand why thermal paste is vital in ensuring adequate and suitable thermal transfer between your CPU cooler and, of course, your processor. There is no shame in that, and liquid metal is selected for people looking to delid their chips for better cooling performance to unlock more potential overclocking headroom. However, the drawback to liquid metal paste is that the application can be messy, the paste is more expensive, and overall, some people just prefer to go with the easier route. The liquid metal plugs the gaps between the IHS and the CPU cooler better, but it also features a better conductivity rating, meaning more heat can be transferred per application than other types used. A good example is a liquid metal against ceramic-based pastes. Those with high thermal conductivity ratings, such as liquid metal, will typically perform better, but these are harder to apply and cost more.ĭifferent types of thermal paste consist of different materials some are better than others in terms of thermal conductivity. I will say that for air and water cooling, most of the ‘decent’ aftermarket thermal pastes will generally differ by a couple of degrees Celsius between them. My recommendations are different based on using conventional cooling methods such as air, water, and even sub-zero liquid nitrogen and dry ice. It depends on the type of cooling you are using. If you don’t use thermal paste, will your system overheat? Probably! Will it pack up and die? Probably not right away, but heat and extreme build-up of heat can hurt the longevity of most electronic products CPUs are not unique in this case and require the capability of dissipating heat effectively and efficiently. Thermal paste bridges the gap and fills in all those tiny imperfections creating a tight seal, meaning that the thermal conduction is optimized efficiently. Another problem is that different types of metal, such as aluminum, copper, and brass, all have other expansion properties when heated up and cooled down. First of all, that super-smooth heat spreader on your CPU has loads of micro imperfections that allow air pockets to build, thus ruining the efficiency of your cooling. This isn’t such a straightforward answer but more of explaining why thermal paste is so essential. What will happen if I don’t use thermal paste? Thermal paste essentially plugs the gaps, which allows for better heat transfer. The short answer is that physical contact is needed to transfer heat efficiently between the heat spreader and the heat sink. Let’s just recap the importance of thermal paste and why it is mandatory for any system… Why is thermal paste needed? We looked at things in 2020, and we saw some exciting results. The main question is, which is the best as there are vast amounts of compounds to choose from on the market at present. So what’s the best thermal paste or compound to use in 2022? We have made a few thermal paste comparisons over the years at Pla圓r, with the last happening in 2017, with the one before that back in 2015. Thermal paste is an essential ‘component’ for ensuring efficient and optimal thermal heat transfer between a heat sink and a processor.
