Thermal paste is also known as thermal grease or thermal compound which is used to create better conductivity between the microprocessor like the CPU and the heatsink.
A heatsink basically takes the excess energy from the processor and dissolves it away from the unit. From here the heat is picked up by a fan or other cooling apparatus which is swept away and your system maintains a healthy temperature.
This is the simple fact that coolers already come with thermal paste pre-applied. The pre-applied thermal paste will work but it is often very old and has been sitting in a box for months on end. With this in mind, it is always a better idea to buy and apply your own thermal paste when installing your CPU for better temps at stock speeds.
Thermal paste should be changed annually as it will eventually dry out and begin to lose its effectiveness. If you leave the thermal paste on too long then you will begin to see performance issues and gradual overheating which can damage your CPU in the long run. Thermal paste is a heat-conductive paste that is placed between a heat sink and the device it is meant to cool. It can also be placed between other components like between a CPU and ac cooler. The thermal paste helps in getting better heat conduction. Thermal paste smoothes out these surfaces and makes them work efficiently. Air isn’t good for conducting heat but conducting heat is what the heatsink is made for. Heat conduction takes heat and transfers it away from the component that is generating the heat.
Computer components heat up when in use. They heat up easily with the processor and the graphics card that’s why they usually have their own dedicated cooling setups. And on those setups, you need thermal paste to help the heat transfer and diffuse otherwise you’ll be rebuilding parts.
But there are a lot of pastes available in the market and not much to differentiate between them but at least on the surface. This will be more difficult to choose when you take into account the different types of thermal pastes like ceramic-based, carbon-based, metal-based and liquid metal thermal paste.
How Much Paste Must Be Used?
When it comes to applying thermal paste even less amount is more. A small pea-sized drop is all you need. Don’t spread it around. The heatsink will spread it all over as you screw it. Thermal paste is called by many names like thermal grease, thermal interface material, or thermal gel. And if you’ve never used it before then it can be tough to know exactly how much you need.
When games are played on a PC then the CPU is the component that will require thermal paste. There are many different ways to apply it. The thermal paste should be applied in the form of a paper-thin layer over your CPU. For this, a dot of the thermal paste should be used on each side of your CPU.
Thermal paste is applied to the top of the CPU but not on the bottom. It should be applied to the smooth metal plate where the manufacturer and model information is printed but not to the hundreds of squares or pins on the underside. Thermal paste cannot be applied to the motherboard’s CPU socket directly. This point might seem obvious to the experienced system builder but it’s a mistake often made by beginners that can, unfortunately, ruin an expensive CPU and motherboard as well.
if you’re using the cooler that was included with your CPU purchase then it might already have thermal paste applied from the factory. Check the copper-colored heat transfer plate under the fan and heatsink assembly. If it has even patches of grey material on it then the paste is already in place and you don’t need to apply any thermal paste yourself. If you’re swapping out for a new CPU then you will need to clean off any old and excess paste with isopropyl alcohol and apply fresh material.
Because the cooler plate and the CPU are so close if we apply too much thermal paste then it will expand out beyond the chip and the plate and it will start going into the space of the CPU socket itself and transferring undesirable heat to the CPU’s electrical contacts or the surrounding PCB. That is very dangerous. If you apply too little paste and your CPU runs too hot it will result in computer crashes. You can clean the thermal paste off and reapply it but cleaning paste out of the socket itself is much more problematic.
Once you have the paste applied then simply set the cooler on top and screw it into place on the motherboard with its included mounting hardware.
How to apply the thermal paste and remove it?
The thermal paste is responsible for controlling the heat from the processor to the heat sink. Reorganizing a computer without applying thermal paste will cause the processor to overheat which results in permanent damage. You should first remove the old thermal paste from both the processor surface and the heat sink before applying a new layer of thermal paste. Use the flat end of a spudger to scrape off as much solidified thermal paste from the copper cores of the heat sink. A residue will be present on the copper cores even after scraping off the solidified thermal paste. Use a coffee filter or a lint-free cloth and a little isopropyl alcohol to clean the thermal paste residue off the thermal contact surface of your heat sink. Instead of IPA, you should use a dedicated cleaning agent such as ArctiClean Thermal Material Remover. Once the surface is clean you should use a fresh piece of a coffee filter or cloth and a little more IPA to remove any oils and prepare the surface.
We should not touch either the chip or the heatsink and also should not allow dust to get on them. Even a fingerprint can be a major problem for thermal transfer on a chip. Allow the heat sink to dry completely. We should use the flat end of a plastic spudger to remove solidified thermal paste from the surface of the processor. Do not use metal objects for this procedure. If you want to know how to remove thermal paste then it is very easy. You just have to wipe it up with a lintless microfiber cloth or with a coffee filter. This will help in avoiding creating even more microscopic holes that reduce head conduction while wiping up thermal grease.
We will study a few different kinds of CPU thermal paste that you can use when building your perfect PC.
1. Noctua NT-H1 | The Best Thermal Paste
NT-H1 is a thermal compound that is easy to use and has long term stability. NT-H1 is a premium paste whether it’s air or water-based cooling, CPU or GPU applications or silent systems. It is very easy to apply because of its excellent spreading properties. We should apply some paste onto the CPU and put it on the heatsink. Noctua’s NT-H1 is easy to clean as well. NT-H1 is one of the easiest thermal paste to clean thermal compounds available in the market. We should simply wipe it off from the CPU and heatsink with a dry tissue or paper towel and then wipe with a clean moist tissue or towel. No cleaning alcohol or solvent required is required. This thermal paste is not electrically conductive and noncorroding as well. While high-end thermal compounds and pads are risky to use due to their electrical conductivity or corroding properties but there’s no risk of short-circuits with NT-H1 and it’s completely safe to use with CPU cooler regardless of whether it’s made from copper or aluminum and whether it’s nickel-plated or not.
NT-H1 performance is good due to its extremely low thermal resistance as well as excellent pliability and spreadability. We should put one drop of NT-H1 onto the center of your CPU and then install the cooler. It provides excellent long term stability. NT-H1 doesn’t contain solvents or other substances with low flashpoints. NT-H1 can be used for several years without problems due to the compound’s exceptional curing, bleeding, dry-out and thermal cycling characteristics. It is not electrically conductive as well as non-corroding. There’s no danger of short circuits in case of direct contact with components or conducting paths. It is fully compatible with all materials which are attached to the PC. NT-H1 is used with aluminum and copper coolers. At the very lowest temperatures, this paste delivers full performance and remains easy to clean off.
2. Arctic MX-4 (Finding The Best Thermal Paste)
This thermal paste gives exceptional performance. The ARCTIC MX-4 is made up of carbon microparticles that lead to high thermal conductivity. It helps in quick and efficient dissipation of heat from the CPU or GPU. It is safe and it can be applied easily. The ARCTIC MX-4 is a metal-free and non electrically conductive compound that provides protection to your computer from a short circuit. Also, its application is easy as the consistency is just ideal for application on chips.
The ARCTIC MX-4 provides optimal thermal conductivity and low thermal resistance. This thermal paste is so thin that you can spread it onto components with your fingers without creating a mess. It is noncapacitive, no electricity conductive and carbon micro particle-based thermal compound. It is nonrecurring, noncorrosive and nonbleeding means it is excellent for CPU, GPU, electronics, lighting and cooling as well. It does not contain metallic particles so electrical conductivity would not be an issue. It ensures that contact with electrical pins would not result in damage. It will not short or damage. The performance of MX-4 does not compromise over time as compared to metal and silicon thermal compounds. Once applied then you will not need to apply it a second time as it will last at least for 8 years. This paste has a high viscosity. It is an easy application syringe which has superb durability.
3. Arctic Silver 5
Arctic Silver 5 provides a new level of performance and stability because of its unique high-density filling of micronized silver and enhanced thermally conductive ceramic particles. This paste is available at Arctic Silver resellers worldwide. Arctic Silver 5 is the premium thermal compound. The Arctic Silver 5 is another thermal paste and thermal grease. The Arctic Silver 5 contains small and suspended silver particles that assist with the thermal conductivity of the paste. Arctic Silver 5 does not contain any silicone. The fluid is a mixture of polysynthetic oils that work together to provide three distinctive functional phases. As it comes from the syringe then Arctic Silver 5’s consistency is engineered for easy application. The compound thins out to enhance the filling of the microscopic valleys and ensure the best physical contact between the heatsink and the CPU core During the CPU’s initial use. Then the compound thickens over the next 50 to 200 hours of use to its final consistency designed for long-term stability. Arctic Silver 5 uses three different shapes and sizes of pure silver particles to maximize particle to the particle contact area and thermal transfer. It will cover up to 16 square inches of heatsink surface. This thermal paste contains a variety of materials including silver, zinc oxide, and boron nitride.
4. Cooler Master MasterGel Maker Nano
The small diamond particles will help the MasterGel Maker to be lightweight and easy to spread or remove. This thermal paste is one of the best premium grade thermal pastes in the market. Cooler Master is best when it comes to PCs, accessories and other technical gadgets.
Before applying thermal paste we should clean dust or thermal compounds from the CPU and then squeeze a small drop of thermal paste. MasterGel Maker should be spread on the center of the CPU without cracking or drying it out. We should use the scraper to spread MasterGel Maker equally on the surface and also ensure that every part is covered with a thin layer of thermal compound.
Features:
- It has ultra-high CPU/GPU conductivity (11 W/m.k)
- It has nanodiamond particles which help in maintaining through a wide range of temperatures.
- Its excellent viscosity makes it easy to spread or remove without cracking or drying out.
5. Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut
This metal-based thermal paste comes with tools that we require for pasting. You should thoroughly clean the CPU before applying the paste for good results. You should not use it on aluminum heatsinks because this liquid metal thermal cooler can leave black stains on it.
The Conductonaut liquid metal thermal compound has been developed for applications that are highly efficient. This paste is a top product for persons who want a solution for heat dissipation in the temperature range of over 8 ° C.
Features:
- Ultra-high thermal conductivity
- Increased indium content
- Optimal application with plastic needle
- Thermal conductivity 73 W / MK
- viscosity 0.0021 Pas
- density 6.24g / cm3
- temperature 10 ° C / +140 ° C
- content 1 g
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut is a liquid thermal grease because it is a mixture of metals. Due to a special mixing ratio of among other things like the metals i.e tin, gallium and indium, a very high thermal conductivity and excellent long term stability are achieved.
6. Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
The Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut is made of nano aluminum particles for good performance and conductivity. Kryonaut is a top product for critical cooling systems in the industrial sector.
Features:
- Especially for overclocking
- Excellent thermal conductivity
- No curing
- High long-term stability
- Not electrically conductive
- Can be used on aluminum radiators
- Especially for overclocking
- Excellent thermal conductivity
- No curing
- High long-term stability
- Not electrically conductive
“Kryo” is the Greek word for “cold” which also includes cryogenics. It suggests that the Kryonaut thermally conductive paste is especially suitable for use in the low-temperature range and it was developed for the true “Kryonauts” among the “Intense computer persons”. Kryonaut uses a special structure which does not start drying out even at 80° C. This structure makes sure that the nano aluminum and zinc oxide portions of the paste optimally connect and so that unevenness of the heat carrier and a heat sink are balanced with excellent thermal conductivity.
It will not have a high thermal conductivity rate but it delivers a completely respectable 12.5 W/mK which is still the second-highest on the list. It’s also the reason why this is so popular for overclockers and extreme gamers.
Choosing the Right Thermal Paste
There are two main types of thermal pastes one is conductive and the other is nonconductive. Conductive pastes are generally metallic-based whereas nonconductive pastes use a variety of all materials.
Conductive pastes contain:
- Silver
- Copper
- Aluminum
- other metals
Non-conductive pastes contain:
- Silicone
- Ceramic
- other synthetic materials
Conductive pastes give better performance as you know that metal conducts electricity but the tubes are a little more expensive and challenging to apply. There are many suitable nonconductive thermal pastes that give better performance.
Thermal paste properties you must know about to find the best Thermal Paste
1. Viscosity
This refers to how thick or thin the thermal paste is. Those with higher viscosity are thicker and they will look like an actual paste. They will hold heatsink better to your processor.
Those thermal paste which has a low viscosity are more liquidy and will tend to dry up over a few days after applied to set in. It is worth noting that a lower viscosity thermal paste can potentially leak onto your motherboard quite easily if too much thermal paste is used.
2. Specific gravity
Specific gravity is how dense and heavy the thermal paste is and generally isn’t listed on most thermal pastes. This paste’s specific gravity is expressed in g/cm³ which stands for grams per cubic centimeter.
3. Thermal Conductivity
This unit of measurement tells you how good the thermal paste is at moving heat from one place to another. This is measured in watts per square meter of surface area.
4. Ambient Temperature
The air around your system plays a huge part in determining how cool or hot your system runs. If you live in an area where the temperature is constantly hot then you might want to look at upgrading your thermal paste.
The air inside of your system that is situated around your processor will affect results as well. If your other components run hot then that ambient air can affect your system as much as the temperature outside can.
5. Quantity
You should always check the amount of thermal paste before making a purchase. Pictures of thermal pastes on computers always look big but in reality, most of them are really small. In fact, they do look big in person but they usually only contain enough for one or two applications. As long as you are buying from a trusted brand it should be enough for at least a one time use.
Pro Tip: If you check the products on Amazon, it should clearly indicate the quantity of each one.
6. Lifespan
Each product has its own protective life and limited life after application. In most cases, these have a protective life of up to 2 years at most. The lifespan after an application is often quite longer though it will remain up to 5 years after it’s been applied to your CPU or GPU. it’s You should check these ahead if you’re planning to store the remaining paste and use it years later.
Types of thermal paste
There are three types of thermal pastes:
- Metal-based
- Ceramic based
- Silicon-based
Metal-based Thermal paste: These pastes consist of little metal particles in the grease that have a high thermal conductivity. This type of paste is electrically conductive which will cause a problem.
Ceramic based Thermal paste: These thermal pastes consist of a special form of thermally conductive material with ceramic particles. Ceramic based thermal pastes are good as they do not conduct electricity.
Silicon-based Thermal paste: These thermal pastes come with cooling kits.
We hope that you found this shopping guide on finding the best thermal paste was helpful.
