# Best and Worst TIM you've worked with?



## silkstone (Nov 3, 2019)

Question as title.

I've been overclocking computers for 25+ years now since the days of the 486 where everything was jumper based and in that time have used TIM from a large number of different companies.

The best for me have been OCZ freeze and MX-4 as they were so easy to work with. The ocz freeze literally just needed a grain of rice and it would spread easily and evenly and give great temps.

The hardest I've worked with is Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. That stuff is like modelling clay and just refuses to stick to anything without using copious amounts (which defeats the purpose).
CLU is really hard to work with as the tolerance for too much vs. too little is so small, but the results when you get it right are worth it.


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## INSTG8R (Nov 3, 2019)

Agree on MX-4 is easy to use and Kryonaut is a PITA. MX-4 has been my go to for a few years now.


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## hat (Nov 3, 2019)

MX-2 and later MX-4 were good for me. I've never used AS5, but I did have a tube of generic silver paste I used for a while until I got MX-2. I remember having _terrible_ results trying to spread it on my 8500GT years ago, and I had much better results on the blob/squish method. I still have a lot of IC Diamond left over from that debacle here years ago, and it works well enough for applications I don't care to get the best temps on and probably won't remove very often.


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## Mussels (Nov 3, 2019)

MX-4 is my go-to as well for most things, its easy to apply and gives top tier results

Liquid metals a total bitch to apply, but gives good temp gains


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## R-T-B (Nov 3, 2019)

I actually have a huge tube of MX-2 I use on bulk jobs, and it's pretty decent too.

Other than that for standard work, MX-4.  If I really care (personal build or something) I generally go liquid metal where possible, with careful shielding of components that could short.

As for application, no idea.  I stopped trying after my arm started a war with the thermal paste (long story).  My brother now does my applications.


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## Jetster (Nov 3, 2019)

From my experience you can take the worst and the best, its only about 5c difference between them

I've always like AS 5 and NT-H1,  and don't like Super Zm-ST1 came with some Zalman cooler

I use to have a big tube of generic paste. Like a tooth paste size someone gave me. I think I tossed it












						ZALMAN - ZM-STG1
					






					www.zalman.com


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## oobymach (Nov 3, 2019)

MX-4 and NT-H1 for ease of use and and thin spreading. Ordered a tube of Thermalright TFX to try, supposed to be better than Kryonaut with the same horrible pita spreading.


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## Space Lynx (Nov 3, 2019)

INSTG8R said:


> Agree on MX-4 is easy to use and Kryonaut is a PITA. MX-4 has been my go to for a few years now.



yep, MX-4 is all I use, just used it on my new PC too.



R-T-B said:


> I actually have a huge tube of MX-2 I use on bulk jobs, and it's pretty decent too.
> 
> Other than that for standard work, MX-4.  If I really care (personal build or something) I generally go liquid metal where possible, with careful shielding of components that could short.
> 
> As for application, no idea.  I stopped trying after my arm started a war with the thermal paste (long story).  My brother now does my applications.



my arm has started shaking a little too, not sure if its just part of getting older or what. doctor told me she can't figure it out.  so much for modern science and $2,000 medical bills doing nothing.


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## Melvis (Nov 3, 2019)

Worst would of been some white intel Thermal paste I used once, it was shit! 

Best stuff I have used is the same stuff I use today and its Duratech Thermal paste (25-30% Silver content) Even after over 10yrs the thermal paste is still soft and good on some of my old PC's (skt 939), love the stuff.


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## candle_86 (Nov 3, 2019)

I use the same stuff Dell does and it works, order it on Amazon, worst was the old white paste that came in a plastic pouch


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## PHaS3 (Nov 3, 2019)

For me, MX-4 is best, like others have said. When I can get I get extra 20g tubes of it to keep, it's not the easiest paste to get in RSA. The worst I've had the displeasure of using is Unick paste. Separates itself into oil and is just generally awful. 

http://www.mantech.co.za/datasheets/products/UNICK.pdf <- that's the stuff :|


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## adulaamin (Nov 3, 2019)

Best would be Tuniq TX-4 and worst would be IC Diamond.


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## Bones (Nov 3, 2019)

I already see a consensus for MX4 being the best overall and I have to agree, it's good stuff. I normally use AS5 Ceramique for two reasons. 

1: It's really cheap and works well for the $$. 
2: See reason #1. 

I've got a few tubes of the stuff and I guess once I'm finally done with those I may or may not change. 
I do use MX4 too, just not as often  and even got the so-called 2019 edition of it with carbon mixed in. It does work well and spreads great too.


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## silkstone (Nov 3, 2019)

Bones said:


> I already see a consensus for MX4 being the best overall and I have to agree, it's good stuff. I normally use AS5 Ceramique for two reasons.
> 
> 1: It's really cheap and works well for the $$.
> 2: See reason #1.
> ...



First time I used mx4 I was a little surprised by how thin it was compared to other pastes I've used, but over time I've grown to love it.

It's so easy to apply an even thin layer and pretty much all application. methods work  equally well.


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## Bones (Nov 3, 2019)

It does apply really well, I've yet to have any issues whenever I use it. 
I too like the stuff, once I finally go through all the tubes of Ceramique I've got I may change over to it exclusively.


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## Khonjel (Nov 3, 2019)

Worst Tim I've worked with is the one at our local hardware buy/sell shop around the corner.

I haven't met any better Tim yet.


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## Space Lynx (Nov 3, 2019)

Bones said:


> I already see a consensus for MX4 being the best overall and I have to agree, it's good stuff. I normally use AS5 Ceramique for two reasons.
> 
> 1: It's really cheap and works well for the $$.
> 2: See reason #1.
> ...



I only stopped using AS5 just cause don't want to ever risk frying my stuff. I got my 20 gram MX-4 tube for $15 on sale one day, probably will last me a long long time. I really don't buy into the whole this stuff expires idea... I mean I will squirt some out in a few years, then use the stuff behind that just to be safe, but yeah.


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## Bones (Nov 3, 2019)

lynx29 said:


> I only stopped using AS5 just cause don't want to ever risk frying my stuff. I got my 20 gram MX-4 tube for $15 on sale one day, probably will last me a long long time. I really don't buy into the whole this stuff expires idea... I mean I will squirt some out in a few years, then use the stuff behind that just to be safe, but yeah.



You did notice I said Ceramique, not the regular AS5 right?
Ceramique isn't conductive at all.


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## Jetster (Nov 3, 2019)

There is no AS5 Ceramique
It's Arctic Silver Ceramique


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## silentbogo (Nov 3, 2019)

I think the best one is MX4, but since I buy it in 20ml syringes, I don't really have a chance to test newer alternatives. 
The worst one is no-doubt our local favorite mixture of crayons and vaseline called КПТ-8. The original stuff was relatively good 10-15 years ago, but now it varies in consistency from dried-up toothpaste to colloidal mixture of baby powder and stray dog saliva. Thermal conductivity is as bad as my assumptions about ingredients.


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## infrared (Nov 3, 2019)

I used to have a large tube of Arctic ceramique that I used for years on non critical stuff, and AS5/MX4 for overclocking. These days I use either Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut or Liquid metal depending on use case.


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## freeagent (Nov 3, 2019)

I really like TF8, and I strongly dislike icd7.


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## Mr.Scott (Nov 3, 2019)

freeagent said:


> I strongly dislike icd7.


Agreed. Horrible to work with. Application or clean up.


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## FreedomEclipse (Nov 3, 2019)

Worst is Cooler Master NANO FUSION. I tried some years ago and that stuff dried out like toothpaste within two weeks.

Best is MX-2, 3, 4 and NT-H1/H2. Just so easy to apply.

PK-3 gets some good temps but it comes out more like icing rather than a wet turd like those mentioned above.


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## Sithaer (Nov 3, 2019)

Best and what I use for years now is MX 4,easy to apply and also good pricing imo.

Worst was some random overpriced conductive 'silver' paste I had to buy in a small local-ish PC store cause of an emergency CPU cooler replacing.

Ever since that I'm keeping a 4g tube of MX around just in case.


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## MrGRiMv25 (Nov 3, 2019)

I went from MX-4 to a tube of MX-2 that was supplied when I bought the Xeon, it keeps the Xeon at the exact same temps as the MX4 did so I'll probably just keep using that for now. 

For general usage most pastes (apart from the liquid metals obviously) seem to be within a degree or two of each other these days anyway, unless it's the proper bottom of the barrel stuff haha.


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## silkstone (Nov 3, 2019)

MrGRiMv25 said:


> I went from MX-4 to a tube of MX-2 that was supplied when I bought the Xeon, it keeps the Xeon at the exact same temps as the MX4 did so I'll probably just keep using that for now.
> 
> For general usage most pastes (apart from the liquid metals obviously) seem to be within a degree or two of each other these days anyway, unless it's the proper bottom of the barrel stuff haha.



I agree. I was asking just as much from an application standpoint as thermals. I was so disappointed with the Kryonaut I got, but glad I only splurged for a 1g tube. Prior to that I've mainly been using MX-4, and some Korean brand stuff for PCs that aren't mine.

I did get the Kryonaut applied properly (I think) but it took 3 applications. First time, felt like too much after I'd managed to spread it, but temps were okay, second time I went back and thinned it out, but temps went up drastically so it was obviouslly too little, the 3rd time I think I got it just right, but damn ... that ate up a good couple of hours of my time! Compared to MX-4 where it's just a matter of placing it on (and spreading if you like) that takes less than a minute, I was wondering why all the reviews say it's so good.

I doubt I'll bother using it again, but I may try it again against the MX-4 when I change case.


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## jsfitz54 (Nov 3, 2019)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Worst is Cooler Master THERMAL FUSION. I tried some years ago and that stuff dried out like toothpaste within two weeks.
> 
> Best is MX-2, 3, 4 and NT-H1/H2. Just so easy to apply.
> 
> PK-3 gets some good temps but it comes out more like icing rather than a wet turd like those mentioned above.



Do you mean this? (I've had good luck with it) :  https://www.newegg.com/cooler-maste...aster_thermal_compound-_-35-103-080-_-Product

I apply it thinly with a cut up plastic credit card used as a spreader.


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## FreedomEclipse (Nov 3, 2019)

jsfitz54 said:


> Do you mean this? (I've had good luck with it) :  https://www.newegg.com/cooler-master-rg-icfn-200g-b1/p/N82E16835103080?Description=cooler master thermal compound&cm_re=cooler_master_thermal_compound-_-35-103-080-_-Product
> 
> I apply it thinly with a cut up plastic credit card used as a spreader.



I made a mistake - it was called NANO FUSION - I think its been relabeled as 'Thermal Fusion 400' now.


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## delshay (Nov 3, 2019)

Phobya Liquid Metal works best for me. Not going back to normal paste.


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## The Egg (Nov 3, 2019)

The worst would be the multitudes of stock-applied TIM which harden into a clay/wax-like brick over time, and then require extreme care to not rip the processor out of socket during removal.  I've gotten tons of packets of cheap white stuff over the years (included with whatever random products), but always immediately tossed them in the trash.  Second mention (for stuff I've actually used) would be whatever was applied to the bottom of my current Arctic Freezer 13.  I originally had an 8700k, and got lazy during the build when I saw (what looked to be half-way decent) pre-applied TIM on the bottom of the heatsink.  I had an opportunity to sell the 8700k a year later and get a 9700k for roughly a wash, and took it.  When I removed the HSF, it was a horrible runny/gooey mess, and excessively difficult to remove.   Proper remounting of the same Freezer 13 with AS5 on the 9700k runs 5-7C cooler, so it was also a lousy performer.

For the best.....I dunno.  I started with Arctic Silver II, and still currently have enough Arctic Silver 5 to last me another 20-25 applications.  I've always been happy with the performance, and never roasted anything.  I know how to apply it well, and also what to expect out of it.  Whatever is the latest and greatest --- the difference isn't by enough to make me toss what I have.  If PC building is still a thing by the time I run out, I'll reassess the TIM landscape.


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## ShrimpBrime (Nov 3, 2019)

IC Diamond is a bit of a pain, But does a nice job if you can get it applied thin enough.
AS5 is ok, does the trick. 
MX-4 is great stuff. not much to say.
XSPC 2 is pretty decent.
Antec Formula 6/7 diamond pastes, much better than IC diamond for spreading, cools similar.
ThermalTake TG4 is kinda like AS5, does the trick, nothing spectacular about it really.
Insignia Paste is not quite as good as AS5, do not recommend. 
Corsair TM30 is like getting TG4 or AS5. About the same consistency and does a job ok.
Cooler Master IceFusion is not good. wouldn't use this on my gaming rigs or OC ever. Mom's rig maybe....
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut works particularly well, also with de-lidded chips. 

IC diamond, TGK and F6/7 are the only ones I've used on naked cores. The others are too poor in heat transfer.


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## Solaris17 (Nov 3, 2019)

AS5 is probably the worst I have used.

I really liked how MX4 spread.


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## ShrimpBrime (Nov 3, 2019)

Solaris17 said:


> AS5 is probably the worst I have used.
> 
> I really liked how MX4 spread.



Ruh Roh, better duck, keyboards just went flying!!

As5 is not the worst paste out there, trust me on this! lol


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## Solaris17 (Nov 3, 2019)

ShrimpBrime said:


> Ruh Roh, better duck, keyboards just went flying!!
> 
> As5 is not the worst paste out there, trust me on this! lol



Sure it is. This thread wasn't about performance from what I can tell. Random members just posted such. I hate how oily it is and I don't like the way it spreads.


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## Tomgang (Nov 3, 2019)

I have not worked with much paste. Only artic silver 5 and thermal grizzly kryonaut. 

I greed that thermal grizzly kryonaut, is not the easiest paste to work with. But I prefer performance over easy any time and kryonaut dit wunders with temp on my old i7 980x and I am planning to use it again on my upcoming ryzen build as well.


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## Jetster (Nov 3, 2019)

Solaris17 said:


> Sure it is. This thread wasn't about performance from what I can tell. Random members just posted such. I hate how oily it is and I don't like the way it spreads.



I don't spread it. but agree if you have too its can get messy. Its a mess to clean up too. But it works


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## ShrimpBrime (Nov 3, 2019)

Solaris17 said:


> Sure it is. This thread wasn't about performance from what I can tell. Random members just posted such. I hate how oily it is and I don't like the way it spreads.


Indeed, everyone's entitled to an opinion. however performance lives matter too.


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## silkstone (Nov 3, 2019)

ShrimpBrime said:


> Indeed, everyone's entitled to an opinion. however performance lives matter too.



That's what this thread is about, people opinion from working with all different TIMs. I wasn't asking from a performance standpoint, but asking about the best/worst when you consider all of the factors,  such as application, as well. It 'seems' like MX-4 is a clear winner here, but it might be because of it's price, more people are likely to try it compared to other types.


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## robot zombie (Nov 3, 2019)

Surprised at the dislike for kryonaut. I didn't find it bad to work with at all... though I've never spread it due to how it behaves. But I've never seen a need to because a proper bead of it spreads for good coverage and performs just fine. Removal seems a bit easier, too... it doesn't have as much suction as MX-4, which I also like a lot. The only reason I dislike kryonaut is the price... that is borderline snake-oil pricing, man!


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## silkstone (Nov 3, 2019)

robot zombie said:


> Surprised at the dislike for kryonaut. I didn't find it bad to work with at all... though I've never spread it due to how it behaves. But I've never seen a need to because a proper bead of it spreads for good coverage and performs just fine. Removal seems a bit easier, too... it doesn't have as much suction as MX-4, which I also like a lot. The only reason I dislike kryonaut is the price... that is borderline snake-oil pricing, man!



Their own instructions say it should be spread. When I was applying it, I put it on GPU die, so I kinda needed to ensure I got good coverage. 
I've used the bead/pea/grain of rice method in the past, it's generally works, but sometimes it misses the corners if you don't have enough. I didn't want this to happen on my GPU and as it's rather thick, It's hard to judge how well it will spread without some testing so I tried the method in their instructions.

I agree on price/performance though. I got a 1g tube for about $5, but a lot of places I found are selling that much for $10!


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## Apocalypsee (Nov 3, 2019)

I've used MX-2, CS5 and currently using Kryonaut. All of them are good, the only reason I use Kryonaut is because I no longer found MX-2 and no MX-4 because locals (from facebook to forums)  love this paste. Previously local Radioshack bought in AS5 but the shop already closes so...

The worst paste I use is Cooler Master IC Essential, its not me who using it it was my friend and ask me to apply for him. After few thermal cycle his laptop begins to overheat, I reapply again and same thing happen. Cleaned it and apply Kryonaut, after that no longer overheating issues.


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## damric (Nov 4, 2019)

Tx4 easy,  and that ic diamond clay crap I got for free on this forum for that test trial, ugh.


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## kapone32 (Nov 4, 2019)

I was using MX4 and then switched to Noctua NTH1. I recently used the new NTH2 and that stuff is about 3 degrees cooler than the NTH1. It is expensive but works. The absolute worst TIM for me was some that came with a GPU cooler I bought. 



			Amazon.ca


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## INSTG8R (Nov 4, 2019)

kapone32 said:


> I was using MX4 and then switched to Noctua NTH1. I recently used the new NTH2 and that stuff is about 3 degrees cooler than the NTH1. It is expensive but works. The absolute worst TIM for me was some that came with a GPU cooler I bought.
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.ca


I had no issues with NHT1, decent paste. I guess when my huge syringe of MX-4 is gone I’ll give NHT2 a spin


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## kapone32 (Nov 4, 2019)

INSTG8R said:


> I had no issues with NHT1, decent paste. I guess when my huge syringe of MX-4 is gone I’ll give NHT2 a spin



Trust me you will like it. As reference my 1920X idles in the low 30s with a 4.1 GHZ OC and does not ever go north of 55 (Of course after the Offset).


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## GlacierNine (Nov 4, 2019)

silkstone said:


> The hardest I've worked with is Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut. That stuff is like modelling clay and just refuses to stick to anything without using copious amounts.


The secret to Kryonaut is to use the included spreader, and to work *slowly*.

If you try and spread it quickly the layer you're creating will tear under the spreader. If you work slowly and let the flex of the silicone applicator apply most of the downward force instead of attempting to thin it out using pressure, you'll get much better results. I've done a bunch of repastes with it and every time, the slower I work, the less times I have to go back over the IHS to get coverage.


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## lmille16 (Nov 4, 2019)

I've used Arctic Silver Ceramique on all 3 of my builds and have had good success with it. Not difficult to apply and solid thermal performance. I don't have any point of comparison and I can't remember the last time I saw a thermal paste shootout review...


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## silkstone (Nov 4, 2019)

GlacierNine said:


> The secret to Kryonaut is to use the included spreader, and to work *slowly*.
> 
> If you try and spread it quickly the layer you're creating will tear under the spreader. If you work slowly and let the flex of the silicone applicator apply most of the downward force instead of attempting to thin it out using pressure, you'll get much better results. I've done a bunch of repastes with it and every time, the slower I work, the less times I have to go back over the IHS to get coverage.



Yeah. There is definitely a technique, but I only got the 1g tube with the separate plastic spreader. The manual says you can get 20 applications from 1.5 g, so I was going by that when trying to judge how much to put on. 
From using it, I don't see how that is even in the realm of possibility. I used over 1/2 of my tube just doing 2 GPU applications. The stuff did have a tendency to get away from me and off the edge of the GPU die, but still, I salvaged as much of that as I could. I'll try using the last of the tube next time I reapply the paste to my CPU and see whether it's worthwhile using over MX-4 for temps.


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## Grog6 (Nov 4, 2019)

I use AS5 or MX4, whichever is closest where I'm working, lol.

I can't really tell much difference.

The worst I ever used was indium solder. 

That was a terrible idea; even tho it melts at 117C, it's almost impossible to remove.

I applied it with a heatgun, and thought I could remove it the same way, but Noooo.

I finally wrapped the heatpipe HS with a washcloth and no fans, and ran a benchmark until it fell off.

Didn't kill the socket775 core2 duo it was on, somehow, lol.

DTTAH, Kids!  Rofl.


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## Vario (Nov 4, 2019)

The Egg said:


> The worst would be the multitudes of stock-applied TIM which harden into a clay/wax-like brick over time, and then require extreme care to not rip the processor out of socket during removal.  I've gotten tons of packets of cheap white stuff over the years (included with whatever random products), but always immediately tossed them in the trash.  Second mention (for stuff I've actually used) would be whatever was applied to the bottom of my current Arctic Freezer 13.  I originally had an 8700k, and got lazy during the build when I saw (what looked to be half-way decent) pre-applied TIM on the bottom of the heatsink.  I had an opportunity to sell the 8700k a year later and get a 9700k for roughly a wash, and took it.  When I removed the HSF, it was a horrible runny/gooey mess, and excessively difficult to remove.   Proper remounting of the same Freezer 13 with AS5 on the 9700k runs 5-7C cooler, so it was also a lousy performer.
> 
> For the best.....I dunno.  I started with Arctic Silver II, and still currently have enough Arctic Silver 5 to last me another 20-25 applications.  I've always been happy with the performance, and never roasted anything.  I know how to apply it well, and also what to expect out of it.  Whatever is the latest and greatest --- the difference isn't by enough to make me toss what I have.  If PC building is still a thing by the time I run out, I'll reassess the TIM landscape.


The Arctic Mono Plus I bought had that terrible pre-applied thermal paste and it made a giant mess.  The mess actually prevented the graphics card from working until I carefully removed it all with a soft toothbrush and isopropyl.  Even trace amounts of it was causing issues, I had to really clean it thoroughly.


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## Grog6 (Nov 5, 2019)

I spent some time looking for the Hardocp review, where they used Cheese as a comparison; I guess they really are dead.


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## eidairaman1 (Nov 5, 2019)

Worst TIM i used, what comes with a heatsink. AS5 and MX4 are good.

Havent used anything else yet.


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## lmille16 (Nov 5, 2019)

Grog6 said:


> I spent some time looking for the Hardocp review, where they used Cheese as a comparison; I guess they really are dead.



I believe the main site has been mothballed at this point. You can still get to the forums though


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## Mussels (Nov 5, 2019)

has anyone here used the thermal pads that linus reviewed a while back?

Even if they're not amazing, they do seem mess free


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## silkstone (Nov 5, 2019)

Mussels said:


> has anyone here used the thermal pads that linus reviewed a while back?
> 
> Even if they're not amazing, they do seem mess free



An ex student of mine bought a set from the US. He raves about them. The reviews all say they are good and I kinda regret not taking him up on his offer of buying his spare one.


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## Mr.Scott (Nov 5, 2019)

Mussels said:


> has anyone here used the thermal pads that linus reviewed a while back?
> 
> Even if they're not amazing, they do seem mess free


They're not amazing......... but they are mess free.


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## Mayclore (Nov 5, 2019)

I honestly just put MX-4 on everything. CPU, GPU, toast, pizza. Delicious.


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## ShrimpBrime (Nov 5, 2019)

Drop of water under the LN2 pot. Paste is overrated.


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## freeagent (Nov 6, 2019)

Messy, greasy, hard to clean.. what? 98-99% isopropyl alcohol and a cloth is all you need. I use a sock lol. No mess no muss no fuss. Nice and clean..

AS5 is great if you know how to use it, I would swear by it still, but I don't have any left.. and have moved on. You guys should check out some Thermalright stuff. It kicks axe. But like all the others, its only as good as the application. Or you can keep using whatever makes you happy.


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## thesmokingman (Nov 6, 2019)

Best and worst = CLU, but it's a pita to use, hardens and is a huge pain to remove and clean. Oh did I mention it can stain the IHS?

I went back to using the large tube of PK-3 I have. PK-3 works well enough, though I haven't really kept on top of what is the hot TIM to use these days.


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## delshay (Nov 6, 2019)

Grog6 said:


> I use AS5 or MX4, whichever is closest where I'm working, lol.
> 
> I can't really tell much difference.
> 
> ...



Indium I have here melts at a higher temperature, somewhere around 160c.



Mussels said:


> has anyone here used the thermal pads that linus reviewed a while back?
> 
> Even if they're not amazing, they do seem mess free



Their very difficult to get working correctly, due-to mounting pressure which is the key to unlocking their performance. You can't have too much or too little, very hard to get right. I dismiss thermal pads due-to idle temperature being too high.


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## Grog6 (Nov 6, 2019)

Indialloy 1E, from Indium Corporation.

They now say 118C, but the roll I have here says 117, IDK why.









						Low-Temperature Soldering | Applications | Indium Corporation
					

Indium Corporation offers low-temperature alloys, solders, sealing materials, and thermal interface materials to solve the problems in electronics assembly.




					www.indium.com
				




I recommend these guys, they're great to work with, professionally.

IIRC, this was $10 a foot for .031" solder, no flux. That was in ~2006, so prices may have changed.

Thermal conductivity IS better than pastes, but; it's hard to use.

At 160C, I'd have never gotten the HS back off. 

There are a bunch of alloys; each suited to a particular application.
When you have a board that has to be assembled in a certain order, and has to be reflowed multiple times, you start with 60/40 lead, and work your way down to this.

We used it mostly to solder heat sensitive optical components for testing; that way we didn't damage them, and we could remove them and send them back.

One of the IR sensors we looked at came with a guard. 
For some reason, they didn't tell us who the other customer was, lol.
IR was the wrong wavelength for us, but we tested it anyway. We were on the UV end of things.

One of the worst weeks I had was finding out this wonderful magnetic shielding material we were going to use couldn't be exported from the US.
It had applications in classified things, so we had to jump around like crazy and find something else; we ended up using material from Russia, lol.


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## Nuckles56 (Nov 6, 2019)

PK-3 is the best I've worked with and CM Essential IC I foolishly bought when I really needed some paste and couldn't wait was the worst.


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## Kissamies (Nov 6, 2019)

Best? MX-4 and Noctua NT-H1 without a doubt. Liquid Ultra for a bare die (GPU or delidded CPU).
Worst? Probably Arctic Silver 5, all that hype and it was nothing special. I can't believe some people like to use it on even this day, it's like 15 years when I used it.


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## Dinnercore (Nov 6, 2019)

I work with MX-4 and Kryonaut. MX-4 is a bit easier to apply, but Kryonaut works well too if you go slow like @GlacierNine mentioned.

Initially I wanted to use the MX-4 on everything I don´t value as much as my main rig to save some money in the long run, but after comparing both in terms of performance I´d say the extra money spend on Kryonaut is not worth it for the performance.
I do think the biggest benefit of Kryonaut will be had under an LN2 pot, as I believe it has a smaller chance of cracking. But that is a different topic which has mainly to do with uneven mounts.

So I ended up using both MX-4 and Kryonaut at random on everything that needed a TIM. Both do the job, Krynonaut seems to perform about 1-3°C (max load temp) better on average from my experience which will not gain any noticable headroom for OC.

Don´t know what conclusion I end up with, my Threadripper 1950X runs at 4.12GHz all cores with 56°C load temp and Kryonaut between the IHS and waterblock, but my 2500k hit 5.3GHz ambient cooled with MX-4 so both are suited for overclocking. I guess I can recommend MX-4 for a nice price/performance ratio.









						AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X @ 4122.56 MHz - CPU-Z VALIDATOR
					

[yvj97p] Validated Dump by Osmium-OC (2019-11-04 10:05:48) - MB: Asus ROG STRIX X399-E GAMING - RAM: 32768 MB




					valid.x86.fr
				












						Intel Core i5 2500K @ 5300.66 MHz - CPU-Z VALIDATOR
					

[9iltcr] Validated Dump by Osmium-OC (2019-10-10 03:19:24) - MB: Gigabyte Z77X-UP7 - RAM: 8192 MB




					valid.x86.fr
				




PS: The worst stuff I found to be the pre-applied paste on GPUs from 2010 and earlier. Even when it was a new card back in the day you could make a decent improvement on your temperatures by replacing it.


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## oobymach (Nov 9, 2019)

TFX came today, worst to apply yet, like trying to spread play dough on wax paper, it just rolls into tubes. Tried pressing it flat, refuses to stick to heatsink and instead clings to applicator. Try to touch up a spot? Remove half of what you've managed to apply. In the end dabbed it with my fingertip to get a uniform coating, no difference in temps from every other paste I've tried including kryonaut, making me sure now that thermal paste means absolutely nothing and I could probably have used 2 sided tape.


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## silkstone (Nov 9, 2019)

oobymach said:


> TFX came today, worst to apply yet, like trying to spread play dough on wax paper, it just rolls into tubes. Tried pressing it flat, refuses to stick to heatsink and instead clings to applicator. Try to touch up a spot? Remove half of what you've managed to apply. In the end dabbed it with my fingertip to get a uniform coating, no difference in temps from every other paste I've tried including kryonaut, making me sure now that thermal paste means absolutely nothing and I could probably have used 2 sided tape.



That's how I felt about the kryonaut. Did you try warming it up in boiling water before application?


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## R-T-B (Nov 13, 2019)

My Kryonaut was ok and easy to work with...  until my arm injury.  Then, the rest of my tube ended up in a CPU socket via a random nerve spasm spraying it everywhere...  but I can't really blame the paste for that.


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## The Egg (Nov 13, 2019)

R-T-B said:


> My Kryonaut was ok and easy to work with...  until my arm injury.  Then, the rest of my tube ended up in a CPU socket via a random nerve spasm spraying it everywhere...  but I can't really blame the paste for that.


Yikes, sorry to hear about your injury.

With that in mind..... If you happen to buy a new pair of underwear and they have loose strings needing to be trimmed off, I highly suggest removing the underwear before attempting to snip the strings with scissors.


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## R-T-B (Nov 13, 2019)

The Egg said:


> Yikes, sorry to hear about your injury.
> 
> With that in mind..... If you happen to buy a new pair of underwear and they have loose strings needing to be trimmed off, I highly suggest removing the underwear before attempting to snip the strings with scissors.



I'm just a lefty in training (esp for sharp objects), but thanks for the advice.  My right arm still works 99% of the time but make no mistake, when it goes crazy, it can and will attempt to kill you and your project.


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## micropage7 (Nov 13, 2019)

i only use deepcool Z9, MX4, coolermaster master gel are close each other so it's pretty fine
the worst is ultra deep cheap paste that looks like chalk + oil


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## Rob94hawk (Dec 27, 2019)

Never ever changed my TIM on my socket 775 build but since I'm upgrading to a Q9650 cpu, SSD & windows 10 I'm going to tear the whole thing down and re apply. Including the North bridge heatpipe. Any validity to this list someone sent me?


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## Mussels (Dec 27, 2019)

you'll notice a 4C difference between denture cream and the best regular paste - so yeah the list is accurate 

MX4 or kryonaut are the most recommended these days


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## Grog6 (Dec 27, 2019)

I remember the list at hard OCP that included Cheese and Mayo; both were withing 5 degrees C, IIRC.

Any good HS compound will be fine; If you're going for lowest possible, lap both surfaces, and use Liquid metal.
If it's not a soldered IHS, you need to delid before you go that far.

I use MX-4 as it's easy to use, works well, and doesn't smell like mayo or cheese. 

Here we go:






(Please don't use Cheese or Mayo)


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## Athlonite (Dec 27, 2019)

Worst I've ever used was some shite Titan Nano Blue which came with an HSF of their's 
middle of the road would have to be Arctic Silver 5 and Cryorig's CP7 (which came with my R1 universal)
Best of so far (for what's actually available in my country) Cooler Master MasterGel Pro (I'd like to try MasterGel Maker but can't get it here and the Kryonaut stuff is just way to expensive here)



Jetster said:


> I don't spread it. but agree if you have too its can get messy. Its a mess to clean up too. But it works



I find it easy to work with and to clean off with an alcohol wipe it's gone in 30 seconds and with just my finger tip I can spread it nice and thin which is what you want with AS5


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## silkstone (Dec 27, 2019)

Rob94hawk said:


> Never ever changed my TIM on my socket 775 build but since I'm upgrading to a Q9650 cpu, SSD & windows 10 I'm going to tear the whole thing down and re apply. Including the North bridge heatpipe. Any validity to this list someone sent me?
> 
> View attachment 140489



The list is valid 'if' you can apply it properly. Some of the pastes on there are really really thick which means you have to make multiple attempts to get the thinnest application. Count in the cost of the paste and it can get very expensive. 
My personal recommendation is to get MX-4 or NT-H1. They are cheap enough and easy to work. It might take a couple of tries to get the right thickness, but it won't break the bank.

I tried Kryonaut. I got 1 single application from a 1g tube on a GPU and that is without repastes.


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## Jetster (Dec 27, 2019)

Someone gave me a tube of this. I have never used it
I just read where its for *Thermistor Assemblys*


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## Rob94hawk (Dec 27, 2019)

silkstone said:


> The list is valid 'if' you can apply it properly. Some of the pastes on there are really really thick which means you have to make multiple attempts to get the thinnest application. Count in the cost of the paste and it can get very expensive.
> My personal recommendation is to get MX-4 or NT-H1. They are cheap enough and easy to work. It might take a couple of tries to get the right thickness, but it won't break the bank.
> 
> I tried Kryonaut. I got 1 single application from a 1g tube on a GPU and that is without repastes.



Know of a good link to demonstrate a proper application? Thanks


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## johnspack (Dec 27, 2019)

Been building computers myself for 20+ years.  Don't remember what paste we used to use back then...  Used AS5 for years,  but now only use MX4.  I like it's non capacitive abilities.
And it just works,  for cpus,  gpus ect.  Worst is probably that silicon gunk they used to give with cheap heatsinks back in the day....


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## silkstone (Dec 27, 2019)

Rob94hawk said:


> Know of a good link to demonstrate a proper application? Thanks



No video, i'm afraid. If you get the bigger tube, just use the applicator to spread it over the area. There is an instruction manual.
You may want to put the tube in a glass of hot water to thin it out before trying as well.


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## freeagent (Dec 27, 2019)

Good ole AS-5


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## Grog6 (Dec 27, 2019)

Jetster said:


> Someone gave me a tube of this. I have never used it
> I just read where its for *Thermistor Assemblys*


That's the old white stuff, which we used for everything WBW.

Any modern HS compound is going to be better than that; but it's better than cheese.

I use that to assemble LED assemblies; silver based stuff is too expensive for a square foot of area.


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## umeng2002 (Jan 2, 2020)

Use to use AS5, then when I got a Noctua cooler, I used up the NT-H1 over a few years.

Now I'm using MX-4.


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## xtreemchaos (Jan 2, 2020)

apart from liquid metal this is the best stuff ive ever used better than mx4, gelid, ect and it only costs £6 for 30 grams from china, it fixed my overheating MacBook pro. give it a try you will not be disappointed.
GD900 .


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 2, 2020)

Dc1 from bequiet.
Not only,is it very easy to work with,there's zero performance difference in 2.5 years.
Nth1 was crap on the other hand,so was thermalright's stock paste.


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## Deleted member 67555 (Jan 2, 2020)

I like MX-4 the best because the bitter taste doesn't last as long and I like AS5 the least because it leaves a bitter taste for the whole day.

and just saying,,,,
StarTech metal Oxide thermal compound is actually really good at @$8
Super easy to use..grain of rice application...I change my TIM yearly when I dust (If I keep the build that long) so I'm unsure of it's longevity.


			https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yqSq6qVDxvcsSQc3kFUvfG.png


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## Durvelle27 (Jan 2, 2020)

Best TIM I've ever used is IC Diamond

Don't really have a worst as they all work just a matter of how well


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