What is the best thermal paste for your heatsink

Also known as the thermal compound, the thermal paste, or simply TIM, it is a generally grayish material that conducts heat from the CPU or GPU and leads it to the heat sink. As a result, you can get a lower temperature depending on the quality of the thermal compound and components of your PC. We have prepared this article to present you the best thermal pastes on the market.

Index of contents

The importance of thermal paste and the best compounds for your heatsink

Despite the fact that some heat sinks seem to fit the processor perfectly, thermal paste is needed to fill the intermediate microscopic space and in turn improve cooling and overall performance. There are different types of thermal paste including silicon, metal, ceramic, and carbon. Metal paste is the most effective conductor of heat, but it is also capacitive. Therefore, you must be careful not to spill the paste on the metal contacts on the motherboard. Next on the list is ceramic thermal paste that does not contain any metal and is therefore not capacitive. They are much cheaper, but they will not give you the same decrease in temperature as metal paste. However, they are easier and safer to use and still give excellent results. Be sure to avoid sticky paste as it sticks permanently to what you stick to, leaving you in trouble if you decide to replace the cooler after a certain time.

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Arctic MX-4: the most popular thermal paste

Arctic MX-4 is one of the most popular heat sink compounds. It is cheap and easy to apply due to its practical syringe design. In addition, it does not contain any metal, so it is not conductive of electricity. The moment you pour the pasta, you can put the cooler on as the pasta does not require any settling time.

Noctua NT-H1: a great option for overclocking

Compared to Arctic MX-4, the Noctua NT-H1 can keep your CPU up to 2 ° cooler. The Noctua NT-H1 application process is quite simple, although the paste is drier and thicker than usual thermal compounds. Furthermore, it does not require settling time either. The Noctua NT-H1 TIM is slightly cheaper than Arctic MX-4, but it also contains less quantity, although still sufficient for more than 15 applications. It conducts heat very well even at high CPU loads and is non-capacitive.

Arctic Silver 5: 99.9% Silver Thermal Compound

An excellent alternative to previous thermal pastes is Arctic Silver 5 with slightly better performance thanks to its 99.9% micronized silver. Regardless of its silver compound, it is still considered a ceramic TIM, though the manufacturer still urges you to be careful not to spill it on PC components. Micronized silver efficiently conducts heat, making the CPU perform excellently even with higher and more demanding performance. However, it takes a little longer to settle in, which means it will do its best work after a few hours.

Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut: the best high-end ceramic

Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut is the best non-capacitive thermal paste available. It is also one of the most expensive pasta. Priced twice as much as the Noctua NT-H1, but containing only 1 gram of paste, Thermal Grizzly is intended for PC manufacturers only. This is the most thermally conductive ceramic paste and does not conduct electricity at all. It does not require settling time, it is easy to apply and provides a temperature of up to 3-4 ° less than Arctic Silver 5 and Noctua NT-H1.

Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut: liquid metal only suitable for the brave

Metallic thermal pastes require a little more experience and caution when applying them, it is not only because they are electrically capacitive. The heat sink must first be thoroughly cleaned with isopropyl alcohol before the paste can be applied. Then you should apply very little paste and spread it evenly with the attached tool. Please note that you should not use it on aluminum heat sinks as liquid metal can damage it and leave black spots. Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut is the best thermal paste on the market right now. Those who want to boost their performance to the max should give this metal paste a try. Just be careful and take your time when you apply it. These metallic thermal pastes are preferred by the most demanding users, and those who make their Intel processor unique.

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This ends our article on the best thermal pastes for your processor's heatsink, you can leave a comment if you have any suggestions or something to add. What is your favorite thermal paste?