What the best thermal paste in 2019?

[eidairaman1]

I have used Arctic Silver Thermal Epoxy and it works great. However, it is extremely important to remember this, as the name implies, is an "adhesive" TIM. It, like all "adhesive" TIMs is NOT to be used between CPUs and heatsinks. At least not CPUs that are mounted in normal motherboard CPU sockets. If you use them there, you will not be able to remove the cooler without risking damage to the CPU, the CPU socket, and the CPU mounting mechanism. I have seen adhesive TIM used with surface mounted (soldered) processors in some budget notebooks, netbooks, and tablets.

These adhesive TIMs work great for gluing heatsinks to chipsets, some VRMs and some memory modules in PCs. They are meant to permanently attach the heatsink to the device.
Why? Grizzly Conductonaut has received good reviews. Yes, it is a metal based TIM, and yes, it can react with aluminum heatsinks. But with careful application and the use of copper heatsinks, unless there's something I missed, it can be a great alternative option.

Oh by the way for epoxy I just mix in Arctic Silver 5 to make it semi permanent and about conductonaut yeah most definitely copper to aluminum galvanized-exfoliation corrosion.

 

[GreiverBlade]

The only one to be wary of is the Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut, or any compound like it for that matter.

well if you don't like LM i can understand .... but at that time all LM are in that category, just write "imho i avoid LM past" instead of naming one that got quite good if not excellent ratings over reviews

some user are quite fond of LM for deliding jobs (i have a tube of Conductonaut aside )

about conductonaut yeah most definitely copper to aluminum galvanized-exfoliation corrosion.

indeed all Gallium based LM then

 

[MrGenius]

dunno about the Phobya but for the Kryonaut : NOPE... "Kryonaut uses a special structure, which halts the drying out process at temperatures of up to 80° Celsius. This structure is also responsible for the nano-aluminum- and zinc-oxide-parts included in the grease to compound optimally, to compensate for unevenness of the component (i.e. the CPU) or the heat sink, thus guaranteeing remarkable heat transfer. "

on the other hand the cooler master master gel maker nano is a nano diamond past ... but hey ... not everyone is IC and act like a IC 24 (Antec also has a nano diamonds past that act quite nicely ... opposed to ICD past )

I don't know where you quoted that from. But I'm calling bullshit. Not on the info provided necessarily. But that it also has diamond particulate, or some other thing that scratches and pits every surface I've ever applied it on, in it. Which in my experience has only happened with other known diamond-filled pastes. And has happened with EVERY one of them that I've used. And NEVER with any pastes that aren't diamond-filled. So...I'm drawing my own conclusions there. If it walks like a duck...and talks like a duck...it's diamond-filled.

I'm pretty surprised no one else has noticed what I'm talking about with Kryonaut. Maybe I got a bad/contaminated tube. But...I doubt it. There's not much really to convince me that they're able to get the performance they get out of it without it containing nano-diamonds either. Unless Thermal Grizzly has some sort of high-level wizards casting magic spells to make nano-aluminum and zinc-oxide perform better at thermal conductivity than every other manufacturer who uses the same shit in their TIMs. Yeah...right. It's really a 1 + 1 = 2 deal. Unless you suck at math...and don't know what 1 + 1 is.

EDIT: I think I might email TG and ask "why you shit scratch all my heatsink, IHS, and CPU/GPU die? WTF?". See what they have to say about it then. Hell...I got pics if the want 'em. I'm NOT BSing about it. I'll make a goddamn vid showing me wipe a drop off of it off a shiny new glass mirror...and all the scratches it leaves when I'm done.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Oh by the way for epoxy I just mix in Arctic Silver 5 to make it semi permanent

Never thought of doing that. And you still got good heat transfer?

 

[Athlonite]

Really? iv had it seperate on me numerous times, with that nasty yellow oil substance.

jezz how big a tube you using I've never had the 3.5 gram tubes separate on me

 

[Deleted member 158293]

I generally go through a lot of paste so Ceramique II is sold in large quantities for the same price as tiny siringes and is close enough in performance for me.

 

[GreiverBlade]

I don't know where you quoted that from. But I'm calling bullshit. Not on the info provided necessarily. But that it also has diamond particulate, or some other thing that scratches and pits every surface I've ever applied it on, in it. Which in my experience has only happened with other known diamond-filled pastes. And has happened with EVERY one of them that I've used. And NEVER with any pastes that aren't diamond-filled. So...I'm drawing my own conclusions there. If it walks like a duck...and talks like a duck...it's diamond-filled.

I'm pretty surprised no one else has noticed what I'm talking about with Kryonaut. Maybe I got a bad/contaminated tube. But...I doubt it. There's not much really to convince me that they're able to get the performance they get out of it without it containing nano-diamonds either. Unless Thermal Grizzly has some sort of high-level wizards casting magic spells to make nano-aluminum and zinc-oxide perform better at thermal conductivity than every other manufacturer who uses the same shit in their TIMs. Yeah...right. It's really a 1 + 1 = 2 deal. Unless you suck at math...and don't know what 1 + 1 is.

EDIT: I think I might email TG and ask "why you shit scratch all my heatsink, IHS, and CPU/GPU die? WTF?". See what they have to say about it then. Hell...I got pics if the want 'em. I'm NOT BSing about it. I'll make a goddamn vid showing me wipe a drop off of it off a shiny new glass mirror...and all the scratches it leaves when I'm done.

and no application of TG K did ever scratch a single heatsink/IHS/Die for me ... sooooo .... i may call BS too ... but feel free to do so

I'm pretty surprised no one else has noticed what I'm talking about with Kryonaut. Maybe I got a bad/contaminated tube. .

and i am pretty surprised that you are the only one who noticed that but yeah probably more that .

1+1=2 can also work like that ... "if i have that issue, why the other don't notice it?" or 1-1=0 (you have the issue i don't have the issue... is there an issue?)

although as i mentioned ... the only ND past to avoid are the one from IC (ICD Paranoia is real ... "if ICD is that bad then all the ND past ARE!") , the one from CM MGMN also never made a scratch on the H115i and the 6600K IHS

remember that?

Numbers man. It's all about the numbers.

Cooler Master MasterGel Maker 11 W/mk
Kryonaut 12.5 W/mk

I finally ran out of Cool Silver G4(>12 W/mk, and which I highly recommend, slightly electrically conductive though if that's a concern). And now I'm trying out the Phobya NanoGrease Extreme(16 W/mk). It's ULTRA thick, and kinda hard to work with. But if you can get it spread out super thin it seems to work awesome(as good as anything I've used, or slightly better). It hasn't done that well in reviews though. But I'm pretty sure it's because they aren't getting it spread thin enough.

I haven't tried Kryonaut yet. It's next on the list when I run out of the NanoGrease Extreme. I'm not interested in anything with less than 12 W/mk thermal conductivity.

Here's a review with the MasterGel Maker vs. Kryonaut(and a bunch more).
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-comparison,5108-8.html

I've decided no more diamond-filled TIM for me. That's stuff's all too abrasive. Despite Cooler Master's claim to the contrary(see quote below). I ain't buying that. Heard/seen the IC Diamond horror stories. And witnessed first-hand the scratches Antec 7 causes.

http://eu.coolermaster.com/en/cooling/thermal-compound/mastergel-maker/

Bullshit!

and

used both, atm i use the cooler master and no abrasion issue (quite some time since initial application) even tho i wasn't totally in my comfort zone when i saw it was a nano diamond composite, tho they are cooler master ... and not some random bob with no tact whatsoever named IC Diamond, also saw Antec one doing some minimal scratch but not like the ICD.

they behave quite similarly at +/-1° as far as i have seen.

in fact i have tested all TIM from Thermal Grizzly, except the conductonaut, alongside AS5 (which went down the drain.... not worth it anymore) Gelid GC Extreme (quite good .... a bit like the Arctic "cooling" MX4) and the CM MGMN

best result were the CM MGMN and Kryonaut for water block and AIO

also ... "Most thermal compounds (aluminum and zinc oxide) are abrasive and could scratch both the IHS and heatsink."
maybe the seating is a tad more stable for me which could explain why i have none on my actual setup (i used TG K for quite some time till i swapped to CM MGMN)

 

[Bill_Bright]

also ... "Most thermal compounds (aluminum and zinc oxide) are abrasive and could scratch both the IHS and heatsink."

"Most"? Ummm no. Got a link? Pretty sure (like 99.999% sure) that is not true at all.

However, "some" ceramic TIMs claim to use "micronized diamonds" (basically, diamond "dust") and those might be considered abrasive. However, they are not to be used as a polish and rubbed into the surfaces. So actually scratching the surfaces would not be a problem if applied properly.

 

[F7GOS]

Hey guys, what is the best current thermal paste? I have been a long time user of Artic Silver 5, but I want to know what is the best right now. Note I don't want to use liquid metal.

Thank you.

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...onaut-taming-the-hotspot.251876/#post-3983092

Check the topic there for reference, I jumped to TG kryonaut for my Vega 64 and its been pretty darn good since - definite step up from the cheaper options, if its worth 3 x the price of something mainstream like MX2 then its for you to decide... for Vega though it was perfect.

 

[dirtyferret]

I use Noctua H1 because it's relatively cheap and the difference among pastes is minuscule (more of a sugar pill effect)

 

[Bill_Bright]

I wish they would stop putting toothpaste and denture cream in those lists. To me, it puts the seriousness, sincerity, and integrity of the entire comparison testing in question.

If someone is out of TIM, the solution is NOT to find anything that looks like paste. The solution is to not use the computer until you go buy some legitimate TIM. Even Walmart and the Home Depot have options that will hold you over.

If they want to establish a baseline, they should use what's been used for 70+ years, basic Silicone Heat Sink Compound.

 

[64K]

I wish they would stop putting toothpaste and denture cream in those lists. To me, it puts the seriousness, sincerity, and integrity of the entire comparison testing in question.

If someone is out of TIM, the solution is NOT to find anything that looks like paste. The solution is to not use the computer until you go buy some legitimate TIM. Even Walmart and the Home Depot have options that will hold you over.

If they want to establish a baseline, they should use what's been used for 70+ years, basic Silicone Heat Sink Compound.

I've seen sillier. One chart I saw a while back they even ran a test using chocolate for paste.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Hey guys, what is the best current thermal paste? I have been a long time user of Artic Silver 5, but I want to know what is the best right now. Note I don't want to use liquid metal. Thank you.

I use Arctic's MX4 personally and in my shop. AS5 is still a top performer if you have some and want to use it up. If not just go with MX4 and call it good.
https://www.arctic.ac/us_en/mx-4.html
Grizzly Conductonaut is top notch too, but is more expensive(last time I checked), but it's a metal TIM. I would highly recommend Grizzly Kryonaut if you go the Grizzly route;
http://www.thermal-grizzly.com/en/products/16-kryonaut-en

Oh by the way for epoxy I just mix in Arctic Silver 5 to make it semi permanent

Never thought of doing that. And you still got good heat transfer?

I've done that too. Heat conduction was unaffected. And it worked well, kept the heatsink on but was removable with some careful work.

 

[Borna Horvat]

I think it's all water off duck's back, and you should buy the most affordable one.

 

[dirtyferret]

I've seen sillier. One chart I saw a while back they even ran a test using chocolate for paste.

that was hardware secrets, they also used butter, mayo (did well), diaper cream, and toothpaste among some other things

 

[eidairaman1]

Never thought of doing that. And you still got good heat transfer?

Yes I do Bill for your info, I used that mixture to attach tweakmonster Ramsinks to the Ram modules on a M18 gpu in my xps gen 1 laptop so I could overclock the card.

 

[ArbitraryAffection]

I use Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut as I heard it is the best TIM that is not electrically conductive. I have notoriously shaky hands and i always spill a bit on the PCB or even in the socket (no joking). It's AM4 and i just put the CPU in and squished it down and it still works haha. I did just buy a tube of Arctic MX-4 though as it is cheaper than grizzly and i figure it makes no difference for stock or undervolt (what i am doing).

I also use a TIM cleaning kit + purifier to clean the surface for best thermal conductance.

 

[Vayra86]

that was hardware secrets, they also used butter, mayo (did well), diaper cream, and toothpaste among some other things

Seriously this round up of results = /thread on all paste quality related questions. Mayonaise. Definitely trying that some day.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Mayonaise. Definitely trying that some day.

Just remember what mayonnaise is made out of. Eggs! Really want a rotten egg smell coming out of your computer?

I love eggs, but I'll pass on that one.

 

[Vayra86]

Just remember what mayonnaise is made out of. Eggs! Really want a rotten egg smell coming out of your computer?

I love eggs, but I'll pass on that one.

Yep, you just confirmed this will be my April Fools' joke. I'm going to offer to build somebody a PC.

 

[John Naylor]

You will drive yourself crazy looking at the reviews because when the differences are so small, 2/10ths of a degree can drop ya quite a bit. Having read prolly 3 or 4 dozen of these ... along with 25 years experience building boxes, and leaving LM off the table, we recommend:

For CPUs:

- For the best that money can buy, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut takes the cake. It was cost prohibitive but now can be bought for $8 in the "condom pak" ... the tube is a bit more expensive.

- AS5 and Shin Etsu G751 have been running tied at the top of the pack in most tests. AS5 however takes about 7 - 8 weeks to cure under normal usage and while not conductive, it is capacitive so if it gets on contacts it can do damage. This can be avoided if ya patient and skillful so many folks ignore the limitation ... you probably won't have an issue. But that's kinda like saying "You probably won't get pregnant". Why take the chance ? Shin Etsu doesn't have either issue and it's < $4.00

For GPUs:

I don't know why anyone would remount a GPU cooler w/o doing the whole shebang but if just doing the GPU, you can stick with the above. However... on the GPU, you have all those memory chips and VRMs to cover not only oin the cooler side but also the backplate. I find Shin Etsu. IC Diamond, and others tendy dry out and get a bit sticky by the time I'm coating surface No. 24. Here I use Gelid Extreme .... it has a longer workability time and the little application tool is real handy on those lil VRMs.

 

[theFOoL]

I'm just rocking the Sliver 5 for 4 years so far

 

[eidairaman1]

Never thought of doing that. And you still got good heat transfer?

I use Arctic's MX4 personally and in my shop. AS5 is still a top performer if you have some and want to use it up. If not just go with MX4 and call it good.
https://www.arctic.ac/us_en/mx-4.html
Grizzly Conductonaut is top notch too, but is more expensive(last time I checked), but it's a metal TIM. I would highly recommend Grizzly Kryonaut if you go the Grizzly route;
http://www.thermal-grizzly.com/en/products/16-kryonaut-en



I've done that too. Heat conduction was unaffected. And it worked well, kept the heatsink on but was removable with some careful work.

The reason why I know about doing it this way is because I asked and what is so great about doing it that way it said it makes it a semi permanent Bond without affecting the thermal transfer properties of the compound and the epoxy and what I mean by semi-permanent is that it is resistant to vibration but you can remove it under normal mechanical force with your hands you don't even required tools to remove you know this stuff I used it on my Dell XPS gen 1 laptop with the M18 graphics card which is a 9800 with 256 megabytes of RAM hi installed Tweak monster ram sinks to the VGA RAM on the card and all that is required to remove those Ram sinks is pressure on one of the ends of the ram sink to remove it and also Lex Luthor Meister Arctic Silver 5 is still my favorite thermal compound mx4 as good as well but now I know a list of them that I could use and not happy any complaints

 

[Jetster]

I'm just rocking the Sliver 5 for 4 years so far

Been using it for like 10 years at least

 

[Space Lynx]

Hey guys, what is the best current thermal paste? I have been a long time user of Artic Silver 5, but I want to know what is the best right now. Note I don't want to use liquid metal.

Thank you.

this is the best paste.
no mess.
cools 1-2 celsius colder than any paste other than the conductonaut.

best decision I ever made.