Wednesday, January 16th 2019
Corsair Releases Its First Thermal Paste Solution: The TM30
Corsair has released their first own-branded thermal paste solution, which joins the already dozens of products on the market. Thermal paste (or any sort of TIM - Thermal Interface Material) essentially serves to increase thermal conductivity between two surfaces, such as your CPU and your cooler's heatsink.
Corsair says the TM30 thermal paste they've released features low viscosity (needed to fully penetrate microscopic abrasions in the interfaced materials and pushing low-conductivity air out), and is based on a zinc-oxide compound. Corsair say TM30 offers up to 6º of cooler operation compared to the admittedly ambiguous "common thermal paste". Corsair also said that TM30 can and will last for years without drying, cracking, or change in consistency, thus ensuring a long lifespan in the best thermal conductivity conditions possible. Corsair's TM30 is available for €6.90 / $7.98 per syringe. Sadly, quantities aren't mentioned.
Source:
Corsair
Corsair says the TM30 thermal paste they've released features low viscosity (needed to fully penetrate microscopic abrasions in the interfaced materials and pushing low-conductivity air out), and is based on a zinc-oxide compound. Corsair say TM30 offers up to 6º of cooler operation compared to the admittedly ambiguous "common thermal paste". Corsair also said that TM30 can and will last for years without drying, cracking, or change in consistency, thus ensuring a long lifespan in the best thermal conductivity conditions possible. Corsair's TM30 is available for €6.90 / $7.98 per syringe. Sadly, quantities aren't mentioned.
25 Comments on Corsair Releases Its First Thermal Paste Solution: The TM30
Please
Thermal Conductivity: 3.8 W/(m*K)
Thermal Impedance: 0.01°C -in2/W
Viscosity: 2300K cPs
Specific Gravity: 2.5g/cm3
Information taken from Newegg, corroborated by eBuyer and Overclockers UK.
For comparison, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut is specced as follows:
Specification:
- Thermal Conductivity: 12.5 W/(m*K)
- Viscosity: 130-170 Pas
- Spec. Weight: 3.7 g / cm3
- Thermal Resistance: 0.0032 K/W
And old standby, Arctic Silver 5 is 9.0 W/(m*K)
Hopefully the specs are wrong, otherwise this product is simply overpriced and underperforming.
Edit: Also, trying to figure out the relative viscosities, I found this:
Poise (symbol: P) Even in relation to high-viscosity fluids, this unit is most usually encountered as the centipoise (cP), which is 0.01 poise.
Pascal-second (symbol: Pa·s) This is the SI unit of viscosity, equivalent to newton-second per square metre (N·s m–2). It is sometimes referred to as the “poiseuille” (Pl). One poise is exactly 0.1 Pa·s.
So around the same as shitty white silicone thermal paste that you find splattered on Audio/Power transistors OK maybe a little better but not by much
The ones willing to change paste will either go with Noctua, Thermalgrizzly or something in the same park.
I only go by price between the reputable brands
TM30 = "2300K cPs"
Your guess is as good as mine as to what the fuck that K is for. If it's being used in the same way as SI units then it means 2,300,000 centipoise, which is just ridiculous, as it would make Corsair's paste about as thick as "Lard or Crisco Shortening" according to google, and only half as thick as caulking compound.
If you assume a fuckup and ditch a zero to get a more reasonable number, then Kryonaut is still lower viscosity, at 170,000 to 230,000 centipoise.
If you assume all the specs are wrong and retailers are just completely making shit up, I think you're more likely to approach some kind of the truth.
I think I still have a tube left over from the Pentium IV days :P
But if your specs are correct, its a rebrand of this.
I'm a bit confused. I'll look for some more about subject later. It looks like to be some regular paste...
MX-3/Mx-4 has 8.5 W/mK. If it truly is 3.8 W/mK then people might as well just spread peanut butter on their CPUs. it will probably perform better too!
Setup:
Lian Li PC-011 Dynamic (Black)
MSI Gaming 7 Z97, 20gb ddr3
i7 4790k @ stock clocks w/ H100i v2 240mm liquid cooler
EVGA GTX1080 SC
250gb 970 Evo nvme, 250gb SanDisk Plus, 1tb 860 Evo
The last remarkable paste I remember finding out about was MX-2. It outperformed AC5 by a margin without being electrically conductive. TG Kryonaut is a close second, but MX-2 (or MX-4) these days still dominates much of the market, along with AS5 diehards.
I'll stick with Kryonaut tho.^^~
If it was cheap though, then just throw it in the bin or save it for less mission critical things.
Trying new products can be quite rewarding but sometimes its best to stick with things that you know works no matter how old it is. -- This being MX-2 or MX-4 or even AS5. There are lots of pastes that are better or just as good AS5 these days. Many of these get to within the same numbers buy 2-3'c if not the same numbers while not being electrically conductive and easy to apply.
Always check reviews - and if in doubt, stick to what you know works.