Processor thermal paste: types, uses and recommended

Knowing what thermal paste to mount on your processor is essential when facing the assembly of a PC by pieces. It is true that sometimes stock heatsinks or those that we buy independently have their own application of thermal paste. But is this really good enough ?

Index of contents

The menu of the day is made up of explaining a little about what thermal paste is and what it does in our processor, what types exist and also the most recommended models and brands, so let's go there.

What is and what is the thermal paste

Adapters, thermal paste and clips

Well, thermal paste is a liquid compound with a certain degree of viscosity that is used to efficiently connect two surfaces and thus facilitate the transfer of heat between them. Specifically, we use the thermal paste to stick the CPU to the heat sink that we install on it so that it does not get too hot. And you will say what happens if we did not put thermal paste between the CPU and the heatsink?

Let's start by keeping in mind that the processor encapsulation, or IHS (integrated thermal diffuser), is the element that makes direct contact with the surface of the heatsink. Both surfaces are metallic, always made of copper or aluminum. Although they appear completely smooth and perfect, they are microscopically irregular and do not make perfect contact with each other. This is called having a high thermal resistance, since heat refuses to pass from one surface to another because they are not totally bonded.

Chemical characteristics that we should know

That said, the thermal paste, being a liquid compound, what it does is fill all those imperfections between the two surfaces and thus facilitate the transfer of heat between them. From thermal paste we will normally have to know a few basic chemical characteristics:

• Chemical compound: will determine if the paste is electrically conductive, if it is toxic and if the materials used are of quality. Thermal conductivity: measured in W / mK, that is, the amount of power in the form of heat that is transmitted in one meter of material and Kelvin degree. For us, the higher the conductivity, the better paste it will be. Thermal resistance: this is just the opposite, it is measured in cm ² / W, and it is the opposition of the compound to the heat passing. The smaller it is, the better it will be. Viscosity and density: measured in cP (Poises) and g / cm ³, it reflects the particle binding capacity it has (whether it spills or not) and the weight it has. If it is thin and slimy it will be like water or liquid metal.

Types of thermal paste on the market

To know what thermal paste to mount in your processor, we must first know the types of compounds that exist on the market, since the use of one or the other will largely determine the final chemical characteristics, so let's go there.

Thermal pad

thermal pads

It is not really a thermal paste as such, but they are sheets that are in many cases quite thick and flexible, which we can take without breaking relatively easily. They are made of silicone-based materials that are sometimes even better than pastes themselves with conductivities of more than 10 W / mK.

They can also be purchased, and usually come installed on the memory chips of graphics cards, VRM chokes or SSD drives.

Ceramic type thermal pastes

Dude, you passed

This type of pasta differs from the others in that it is normally white. In its composition it has a powder of ceramic origin, such as carbon or diamond macroparticles (from the bad), mixed with liquid silicone that gives it that viscosity and color. They have a conductivity of between 2 and 11 W / mK.

These thermal pastes are less and less seen, since in almost all cases in which there is a PC involved, the ones that we will see below are used. This is because its performance is usually worse than metal-based ones, except for some cases that we will see later in the recommended list and that is why they are used only in low-performance chips.

Metallic type thermal pastes

We will distinguish these pastes well for their characteristic grayish color and the reason is that they have metallic components, such as zinc or copper oxide together with liquid silicone. They usually have conductivities d between 4 and 13 W / mK.

The good thing about these pastes is that they are more durable, and withstand higher temperatures, so that's why they are used in new generation processors. They are more expensive than the previous ones, but without a doubt their acquisition is worth it.

Liquid metal thermal pastes

These pastes are an evolution of the previous ones, based on more conductive metals and in a higher percentage, which also makes them more expensive, and a little more complex to apply. They are normally based on nickel and copper, although there are also silver and gold based, much more expensive, but with great thermal performance.

The conductivity of these pastes can even reach 80 W / mK, let's think that pure aluminum has a conductivity of 209 W / mK and copper of 380 W / mK. This thermal paste will become more liquid the hotter it gets, and it also has electrical conductivity.

This makes it difficult to apply, as doing too much could cause a short in the socket. It is only intended for those more demanding users, with strong overclocking and who know what they are doing, and they are also much more expensive.

Liquid metal thermal paste, pros and cons

And the thermal paste that includes the heatsink, is it good?

South Bridge Heatsink

It is a topic in which many users are suspicious of the brands themselves, but the truth is that the ones that we are going to see here, put in their heatsinks quality paste, specifically the same that they sell. For example, Noctua always puts the NT-H1 in its heatsinks, one of the best pastes that we find on the market independently and at low cost.

In the case of the manufacturers of processors, lately they usually include thermal paste based on metal (the gray) of good quality in the case of AMD, and with the advantage that it is perfectly extended, and in its fair measure in the contact base with the CPU. We will only have to worry when we see white compounds or stock sinks from Intel, since the blue giant is not characterized by worrying too much about the cooling of its CPUs.

For our part, we recommend leaving this paste pre-installed as it is and not removing or adding more, in the case of AMD. Regarding Intel, because you can do what you want, it is worth trying the stock sink in the event that it brings. If the CPU gets too hot then new paste and new heatsink.

How to apply the thermal paste

Well, an important aspect of this topic will be to apply the thermal paste, although it does not have too many secrets.

To begin with, there is no totally correct way to apply the paste, but there is an incorrect one, and that is to apply it, leaving empty interior gaps. This is because by gluing the CPU on the heatsink the paste will spread and if there are internal gaps, encapsulated air will remain and, consequently, separation between the metals.

On the other hand, for small processors like the Intel Core, it will be enough to pour a generous drop in the middle of the IHS. It alone will extend when we install the heatsink. Other users do it by means of two lines in the form of "X" or a line in vertical, in this case better not to do it in "X", since we will use a lot of compound and it will surely be left over and fall on the sides.

Finally we have the thermal paste of liquid metal, which we will have to exercise extreme caution and also use a small trowel to better distribute it over the entire surface except the edges. It is a conductive paste and also becomes more liquid when heated, so we must avoid leaving gaps and impregnating the edges.

Recommended brands and models

Well, we already know that there are three types of pastes on the market, along with the thermal pads that are used for other purposes than a CPU, so we will not consider them.

Corsair TM30

Corsair TM30 - CPU / GPU Thermal Paste (High Performance, Premium Zinc Oxide Base), 3 Grams

• Better as a liquid metal: the Corsair TM30 microparticle zinc oxide thermal paste guarantees very high thermal conductivity. which converts CPU / GPU heat fast & effective. Easy to apply: thanks to consistency it is the tm320 even easy for beginners easy aufzutragen. With low viscosity filled abrasive microscopes and slots in CPU / cooler / ensures that Safe application: Corsair TM30 is a non-electrical Directive paste, minimizes the risk of short circuits & offers perfect protection for your computer. Long life: compared to carbon metal or plastic Micro Part ikelwr meleit pastes, you must not compromise with the Corsair TM30. once sprayed it keeps you for years Super value for money: any TM30 injection contains enough for various conventional CPU applications, and after applying it keeps the paste TM30 for several years

8.00 EUR Buy on Amazon

Corsair joins the brand club with its own thermal paste with this TM30, and the truth is that they have done things really well. It is a non-conductive thermal paste based on zinc oxide in whose tube we have a total of 3 grams, enough for the application of 5 or 6 Intel CPUs. Thermal conductivity is 3.8 W / mK.

We ourselves had access to this pass to perform an analysis in which we saw a performance similar to the most famous of all, the Arctic MX-4. It is even more I throw values ​​below the MX-4 both at rest and in stress, so, for our part, it is one of the most recommended today.

The first of Corsair, but stomping and among the best

Arctic MX-4

Arctic MX-4 Carbon Microparticle Thermal Compound, Thermal Paste for Any CPU Fan - 4 Grams (with Tool)

• The 2019 Edition MX-4 convinces everyone with its usual and recognized quality and performance that has always distinguished it. BETTER THAN LIQUID METAL: Composed of carbon microparticles for extremely high thermal conductivity ensures dissipation of heat generated by the CPU or THERMAL COMPUTER: The MX-4 Edition 2019 formula ensures exceptional component heat dissipation and maintains the stability necessary to push your system to its limits SAFE APPLICATION: The 2019 MX-4 Edition is metal-free and electrically non-conductive eliminating the risk of short circuits and adding protection to CPU and VGA cardsHIGH SUSTAINABILITY: Unlike the metal and silicone thermal compounds the MX-4 Edition 2019 does not compromise time: last at least 8 years

9, 99 EUR Buy on Amazon

Without a doubt the most compared and the most used in the gaming world, not only for its benefits that are very good, but also for its performance / price ratio. We will have it available in packs of 2, 4, 8, 20 and up to 45 grams, almost nothing. Its thermal conductivity is 8.5 W / mK.

The most popular and used for PC gaming

Noctua NT-H1 and Noctua NT-H2

Noctua NT-H1 10g, Thermal Paste (10 g) 14, 90 EUR Noctua NT-H2 3.5g, Thermal Paste incl. 3 Wipes (3.5 g) 12, 90 EUR

We also had access to these two new updates of the favorite thermal paste for a lot, which come from the hand of one of the best manufacturers of PC cooling systems. In our review, we compared it, of course, with the MX-4 and it has practically the same values ​​as this one, specifically, the NT-H2 improved by 2 degrees to the MX-4 with the CPU on load.

The manufacturer specifies a thermal conductivity of 8.9 W / mK for the NT-H1 model, and we will have it available in 3.5 and 10 gram syringes. In addition, the NT-H2 includes 10 wipes to clean the CPU.

Good performance in powerful CPU and overclocking

Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut and Kyronaut

Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut Thermal Paste 1.5ml Thermal conductivity of 11.8 W / mk; Thermal resistance of 0.0076 K / W; Viscosity 140-190 Pas 9.99 EUR Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 12.5W / mK 1g compound - Heat sink (1 g, -200 - 350 C) Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1 gr - Thermal Paste 5.99 EUR

This brand also builds two of the highest performance thermal pastes on the market. Of course, they are two quite expensive compounds and they also come in various sizes available: 3.9 and 7.8 grams for the Hydronaut and 5.55 and 11.1 grams for the Kyronaut.

First, we will have the Hydronaut version based on metallic materials, which has a conductivity of 11.8 W / mK and withstands high temperatures of up to 350 degrees. Second, we will have the Kyronaut raisin, based on ceramic materials with a conductivity of no less than 12.5 W / mK.

The best that exists in thermal pastes with metallic, ceramic and silicone compound

Arctic Silver 5

Arctic Silver AS5 - Heat Sink, in Black and Silver Color - 3.5 g

• Made with 99.9% silver 3 unique pure silver particle shapes and sizes to maximize particle-to-particle contact area and thermal transfer Suspension Fluid is a proprietary blend of advanced polysynthetic oils that work together to provide 3 functional phases Distinctive 3.5 gram weight Formulated to conduct heat, not electricity

7, 31 EUR Buy on Amazon

This compound has a thermal conductivity of 8.9 W / mK and is also presented as one of the best thanks to its composition of 99.9% micronized plate. Enter the ceramic-based pastes. Due to this compound, Arctic recommends taking care not to impregnate the elements through which electricity circulates. It comes in 3.5 gram syringes.

High conductivity silver based compound

Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut

Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut 73W / mK 1g Compound - Heat Sink (1g, 10-140C)

• Offers optimal heat transfer for larger scale cooling systems Operating temperature: 10 to 140 C Thermal conductivity 73 w / mk Density: 6.24 g / cm

10, 90 EUR Buy on Amazon

If it were only for the name, surely they would not sell one, but the truth is that this liquid metal thermal paste is one of the best today because it has a conductivity of no less than 73 W / mK.

This paste is undoubtedly only for the most demanding and also requires a slightly more developed skill for its application. To start, the heatsink must be cleaned with alcohol so as not to leave traces of “normal” thermal pastes, and then we will spread the thermal paste over the surface with a tool that includes the purchase pack. Be careful because we must make sure that it is a very thin layer and that it does not reach the outer edge.

This paste is intended to be used in the most powerful CPUs on the market and also for users who delude their processor.

The best-performing thermal paste on the market

Conclusion and interesting links about thermal paste

Well, you already know what thermal paste to mount on your processor, one of this list will be the one indicated for what you ask for, especially if you plan to buy a high-performance PC, you can't go around with anything.

Now we leave you with some interesting links, and of course with our hardware guides:

Well, nothing, we hope that with this small list of brands and models of thermal pastes you can mount your PC properly and with the cooling it deserves. If you know of a better thermal paste than the ones listed or similar, leave us a comment.