Which Thermal Paste Comes Out On Top?
Our Arctic Silver 5 vs MX4 comparison is necessary because modern CPUs often give plenty of heat during both average and intensive tasks. That’s why you need the best tools, equipment, and latest accessories to take the edge off them and ensure that your rig keeps running smoothly.
No matter what you do with your computer, these two products on review present the chance for you to give your CPU and processor the cover they need. Read on to discover what our experts found out about both devices after putting them to the test!
Contents
- Outline of the Key Specifications
- Arctic Silver 5 vs MX-4: Which Thermal Paste Offers More?
- 1. Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Cooling Compound Paste 3.5g Heatsink
- Pros
- Cons
- – Materials: Effective and Safe to Use
- – Performance: Efficient Cooling
- – Coverage Area: Covers a Wide Spot
- – Overview
- 2.
ARCTIC MX-4 (incl. Spatula, 4 Grams) – Thermal Compound Paste
- Pros
- Cons
- – Materials: Infused With Quality
- – Performance: Will Last a While
- – Overview
- Arctic Silver 5 vs MX4: Head-to-Head Comparison
- Performance and Quality
- Thermal Paste: Mini Buying Guide
- Viscosity and Ease of Application:
- Quality of Paste:
- Lifespan:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. What Is a Thermal Paste?
- Conclusion
Outline of the Key Specifications
| Product | Key Specifications |
| Arctic Silver 5 |
|
| MX4 |
|
5Arctic Silver 5 vs MX-4: Which Thermal Paste Offers More?
Thermal pastes are important in this day and age, and the battle of these two popular options makes for good reading. The Arctic Silver 5 and MX4 have seen many debates from users and reviewers operating on computers and other devices. Our experts took on the challenge, ready for the quest of finding the one that works best!
We must also state that there are many thermal pastes on the market, which have the job of lowering the temperature of your computer by more than a few degrees. Degrees here sound small, but even if you’re not an ardent gamer and enthusiast, you might know that a minor change in temperature can make a world of difference.
Perhaps, you have an old thermal tube in your collection you haven’t used in a long while. You’d best check it now, because they have a shelf life of only three years, and it wouldn’t be wise to use a stale or older paste.
When it’s older than the recommended period of use, the paste will begin to degrade. As a result, it’s always best to buy such products from proven businesses that guarantee value. These two thermal options are from a verified source, and our review helps you choose between the two.
Pros
- It has 99.9 percent pure silver
- It will lower CPU temperature by 3 – 12 C
- It’s easy to apply and remove
- Non-electrically conductive
Cons
- The paste will dry out
- Requires curing to get the best temperature
According to the brand, the Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste is a high-density paste, and it’s easy to see this is true when you squeeze it from the tube. Also, the thermal paste comes composed of 99.9 percent pure micronized silver and is non-electrically conductive. With its design and quality, it allows for highly effective and lasting cooling.
However, there’s a little talk about it being difficult to install.
The Silver 5 is also one of the best thermal pastes and fits a wide range of systems, no matter the coverage area. That is because it has a more extensive fan base than some other thermal options.
– Materials: Effective and Safe to Use
The Silver 5 has quality materials and properties to boost its effectiveness in your computer. To that end, it contains over 88 percent of thermally conductive filler by weight. In addition to the micronized silver present, you can also find sub-micron zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, and boron nitride particles.
– Performance: Efficient Cooling
If you apply Arctic Silver 5, you’ll notice that it has a high-density filling of micronized silver and enhanced thermally conductive ceramic particles. As such, it provides a new level of performance and stability for your CPU.
There’s a bonus tool included in the package, which is handy to keep your hands clean and dry.
We like that the paste uses a micronized silver paste alongside ceramic particles to create a high-performance and durable design. Parts of the composition of aluminum oxide, boron nitride and zinc oxide solution will provide lower load temperatures than you’ll get from standard compounds.
– Coverage Area: Covers a Wide Spot
According to the manufacturer, the coverage area of the syringe will cover at least 15 to 25 small CPU cores or six to 10 large CPU cores. That also equates to two to five heat plates.
Also, at a layer that’s 0.003″ thick, the 0.12 ounces syringe will cover approximately 16 square inches of adequate coverage from one tub.
In addition to that, users get three to 2 degrees Celcius lower CPU full load core temperatures. That’s more than standard thermal compounds or thermal pads.
That’s the case when measured with a calibrated thermal diode embedded in the CPU core.
A drawback that seems to follow this thermal paste is that it often requires curing before achieving the best temperatures. It could take a potential 200 hours and several thermal cycles to achieve maximum particle to particle thermal conduction, and curing is necessary to do that.
– Overview
Going by our Arctic Silver 5 review, we can say that it’s the perfect thermal paste for users who perform CPU-intensive tasks and functions. It’s the ideal choice to keep your system cool and running.
Pros
- The thermal paste won’t dry out
- Offers top-notch cooling
- Suitable for overclocking needs
- It is metal-free and can last for eight years
Cons
- Low shelf life
Even if you’re a beginner, you’ll find the Arctic Silver MX-4 easy to apply.
What’s more, it doesn’t contain any metallic particles to impede electrical conductivity.
It’s a bit new to the world of thermal pastes, but it’s attracting a lot of attention. That’s why we are comparing it to the Silver 5 above.
– Materials: Infused With Quality
The Arctic MX-4 is free from metallic particles, so if there’s a spill on your board, no harm will be done. That’s the case even if it comes in contact with every pin on your CPU. If it does, cleaning it is all you have to do.
It’s a thermal paste made of carbon microparticles, which guarantee a very high thermal conductivity. In line with that, the heat from the CPU/GPU is dissipated quickly & efficiently.
– Performance: Will Last a While
We like that the Arctic MX4 performance is built to last over time. According to Arctic brands, you don’t have to reapply for up to eight years.
Besides that, it comes in a 0.64-ounce tube, providing enough thermal paste for multiple applications.
However, its low shelf life means you shouldn’t hold on to extra paste after applying it to your cooler.
– Overview
If you want a thermal paste that doesn’t require curing at any point to get the best temperature, this one is worth considering. Also, our Arctic MX-4 review shows that it won’t compromise over time, and you won’t need to reapply for at least eight years.
Arctic Silver 5 vs MX4: Head-to-Head Comparison
The main difference between Arctic Silver 5 and MX4 is, MX4 is safe and straightforward to apply and install with a better performance while Arctic Silver 5 features thermal conductivity.
Performance and Quality
Winner: MX4
The Arctic Silver 5 thermal conductivity is one of the key reasons why it’s in demand. It’s a good choice for users who want to paste it to multiple devices.
You also get effective cooling for an enormous number of surfaces before the tube is exhausted.
Also, it’s an oil-based paste that is better than what you’ll find in less expensive thermal pastes.
However, we prefer the lasting power offered by the MX4, and it is often the first consideration of many here. It’s safe and straightforward to apply and install.
What’s more, it’s designed to last for eight years. Your CPU will probably need changing before it wears out. It’s not as capable for multiple CPUs, but it will complete two processors and still have leftovers. Along with its better performance, it’s relatively inexpensive and reliable.
Thermal Paste: Mini Buying Guide
Whether you opt for the MX4 thermal paste or some other brand and model, there are certain features to watch out for. To that extent, here are a couple to ease your search for the best paste.
A danger to look out for with thermal pastes is electrical conductivity. Apart from that, some pastes are more challenging to apply than others.
Viscosity is essential, and you should understand it before buying a thermal paste. The paste you choose shouldn’t be too thick to apply, but if it has enough viscosity, you’d have minor issues using it.
-
Quality of Paste:
The Arctic MX-4 thermal compound paste has enough quality to keep you going for about eight years. As such, it presents a standard. That’s why any thermal paste shouldn’t be installed regularly.
If you have to reapply it all the time, it lacks enough quality. How long it serves your computer is also a good indicator of a thermal paste’s quality.
-
Lifespan:
When you’re searching for the ideal quality thermal paste to use, it’s difficult for a potential customer not to inquire about the number of years it will last.
However, most pastes make it to the shelf and don’t last as long after that. The fact is thermal pastes don’t age well, so it’s best to apply it fast before it gets worse.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Is a Thermal Paste?
A thermal paste is a thermally conductive substance sold in fluid form and applied between a CPU and its cooler. When used, it ensures there’s no gap or space between the processor and its cooler.
As a result, heat is dissipated through their connection. An MX-4 thermal paste and the Silver 5 reviewed here are good examples of quality pastes.
Conclusion
These two thermal pastes are excellent additions to your rig and computer. However, we are going to pitch our tent with the MX4. It has better all-round delivery on temperatures and performances.
Unlike its Silver 5 counterpart, it doesn’t need curing for long hours for optimal performance. The Silver 5 requires up to 200 hours, thus it can represent a higher commitment than you might like.
We’re not saying that the Silver 5 released in 2004 is a bad option, but the MX4 is too recent a technology to overlook.
It will maintain low temperatures throughout and last years without changing. That’s a huge advantage, especially if you’re planning on using the exact same CPU for all those years.
Arctic Silver 5 vs MX-4
by Shawky
A thermal paste is a thermally conductive chemical compound consisting of a polymerizable liquid matrix and a large volume of insulating filler loading (as high as 70-80% by mass) which is used as an interface between heat sources and heat sinks like high semiconductor devices.
Never underestimate the power of small details, or in this case, thermal pastes, it may seem unnecessary at first but you’ll be amazed how a few grams of paste can save your CPU’s life, when building a new PC you must consider choosing a really good thermal paste that helps with lowering the temperature of the CPU, there’re a lot of options out there but the best ones are going to cost you of course.
How does thermal paste work
Thermal paste is a material that is applied to an object, typically the base of a heat sink, to improve thermal conductivity between two surfaces.
Thermal conductivity is the rate at which heat moves across the surface of an object. It’s important because it determines how fast an object will cool down or warm up.
Electronic components can be sensitive to temperature fluctuations because they need to maintain a certain level of performance in order to function properly. Thermal paste fills in microscopic air gaps that would otherwise impede the ability of cooling fans or heatsinks to dissipate heat away from components, making them function more efficiently.
It can be hard to measure how much better one thermal paste is than another without testing them side-by-side in controlled conditions.
The role of thermal paste in computer processors is to provide a connection between the processor and cooler for transferring heat away from the processor.
Thermal paste does not reduce temperatures by itself but instead provides a pathway for heat to escape from the processor as quickly as possible.
Today I’m going to compare two thermal pastes from the same manufacturer which is Arctic, the first one is Arctic Silver 5 versus Arctic MX-4.
Keep reading to discover the features of each paste and which one is better.
Arctic Silver 5
Features
- 99.9% Pure Silver for a better thermal transfer.
- Arctic claims that the Silver 5 will lower the temperature by 3 – 12 C over the standard ones, however, users have reported that it’s only 10 C.
- Non-electrically conductive.
- Easy to apply and remove.
Cons
Paste dries out
Check it out at Amazon
Arctic MX-4
A 2 awards winning thermal paste.
Pros
- Paste doesn’t dry out
- Better cooling by 2 C
- Suitable for overclocking
- Metal-free
- Lasts at least for 8 years
Features
- Easy to Apply for beginners.
- It does not contain any metallic particles so electrical conductivity will not be an issue.
Check it out on Amazon
Arctic Silver 5 vs MX-4
This chart shows the performance of different thermal pastes and it clearly shows that the Arctic MX-4 is slightly better than the Silver 5.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-performance-benchmark,3616-17.html
The Arctic MX-4 compound is composed of carbon micro-particles whereas the Silver 5 compound is composed of 99.9% micronized silver.
The thermal conductivity of the Silver 5 is 8.9 W/mK whereas MX-4 is 8.5 W/mK.
Because the Arctic Silver 5 was released before MX-4 and gained more popularity over the years doesn’t mean it’s the best, most tech enthusiasts agree that the Arctic MX-4 is better than the Silver 5.
How to apply thermal paste properly
Some people, especially the beginners, apply thermal paste incorrectly by covering the whole surface of the CPU which is wrong, so the right way to do it is by putting a small drop or the size of a pea in the middle of the surface and gently put the heat sink above it and push it down until it spreads the paste over the surface of the CPU.
It’s also recommended to watch a tutorial on YouTube on how to do it properly, a video will explain it more so you can easily understand how the whole process goes so you don’t make any mistakes.
How long does PC thermal paste last
According to the experts, thermal paste typically lasts for between three and five years. However, this also depends on a lot of factors such as what operating system you’re running or how often you’re using your computer.
The lifespan of thermal paste depends on the environment. It lasts longer in the right conditions, but can wear out if it’s not used properly or if it’s put in an environment that has too much dust or debris.
The thermal paste should last for at least six months after it is applied to the CPU. After that, make sure to use a new batch of paste.
How to tell if thermal paste is bad?
You could spread some out on a sheet or surface that’s metallic to check whether it’s smooth and consistent.
if the thermal paste turns out to be watery, you should dispose of it away.
Most times, the thermal paste shouldn’t be replaced more than once every year unless the temperature of your CPU is rising really high.
To tell if the thermal paste in your computer is bad, you should look out for:
- Excessive temperature rise in the processor or graphics chip
- Computer turning off itself or throttling back to performance
- Dust clog in fans or heatsinks
Can You Reuse Thermal Paste?
However, the thermal paste can be reused by reseating the heat sink without applying new thermal paste.
It will still provide sufficient heat transfer to prevent damage. The problem with the paste is that it’s supposed to fill the gap created by microscopic valleys and pits once the heat sink and the CPU get in close contact with each other. It’s advisable to make sure the old thermal paste isn’t contaminated with dust, dirt, or any other thing that will prevent the heat sink and the CPU from sitting in contact with each other.
It can be reused many times by scraping off the excess thermal paste and applying it again, but after some time, the performance of thermal paste starts deteriorating.
ARCTIC MX-5 Thermal Paste Review
Introduction
If you know about the world-famous MX-4 then you already know of ARCTIC! They started in 2001 with the name ARCTIC Cooling and has evolved into a much more popular and reliable cooling solution provider now known as ARCTIC. Their bases of operation are in Switzerland, Germany, Hong Kong, and the USA with the availability of their products in over 45 countries. Quiet cooling without performance compromise is their motto. Their product lines include CPU Coolers, Case Fans, Thermal Pastes, Charging solutions, Audio solutions, and monitor stands to name a few.
MX-2 and MX-4 have been the popular thermal paste from ARCTIC. Recently, the ARCTIC has released the next iteration named MX-5. ARCTIC MX-5 is available in sizes ranging from 2 to 50 grams.
Resealable packaging prevents the paste from drying out. Some variants are available with a spatula to evenly spread the paste on the IHS. The paste is safe to apply as it is not electrically conductive and not capacitive.
Item: MX-5 8g with Spatula
Manufacturer: ARCTIC
Pricing: MSRP USD 14.99 at the time of the Review
Specifications
Packaging and Unboxing
The thermal paste tube is shipped inside a paperboard box.
This particular variant is 8gm and comes with the Spatula for even spreading the paste on the IHS.
The new formula allows a thin layer of the paste on the surface due to less viscosity resulting in less thermal resistance. The EAN and UPC info labels are printed over here.
The salient features of the thermal paste are printed in 4 languages.
Closer Look
It is time to take a look at the thermal paste.
As mentioned already, this variant of MX-5 comes with an ARTIC branded Spatula. The user can use the spatula to evenly spread the thermal paste. The MX-5 has low viscosity making it more liquid than the MX-4. Hence it is easy to apply. The tube has ARCTIC branding over it.
There are two cutouts on the overleaf which would give a visual indication of the available quantity of the thermal paste in the tube. The attention to such minute detail is appreciated.
The above picture shows the tip of the tube. ARCTIC has mentioned that the color of MX-5 is blue though it seems more like a shade of light blue color.
We were able to find the mixture of substances used in the MX-5 as can be seen in the above picture. These are not hazardous.
The above table lists the properties of the MX-5. Check the Viscosity rating of the MX-5. It is lower than most of the thermal pastes.
When the paste was placed on the IHS, it gave the impression that it is almost liquid (low Viscosity).
The quantity shown in the picture is not used as it is only to show the thermal paste. A blob method was used to test the thermal performance. The surfaces of processor chips and cooler floors are covered with microscopic dents; ARCTIC‘s MX-5 thermal paste is composed of carbon micro-particles which fill these cavities guaranteeing that heat is dissipated efficiently from the heat source.
Please keep in mind that the thermal conductivity of the thermal paste is much lower than the thermal conductivity of metals likes aluminum or copper since aluminum has 205 W/mK and copper has 385 W/mK whereas the majority of the thermal pastes have up to 5 W/mK ratings with a few ranging up to 14 W/mK. This is very why we would want a thin layer of the thermal paste on the surface of the heat source. The IHS of the CPU is nickel-coated copper whereas the base of the cooler is copper or nickel-coated copper. The too thick or too thin thermal paste would not help result in efficient thermal conductivity since too sparse or too thick to even spread out would be counterproductive.
The above picture shows the various sizes in which the MX-5 is available.
Testing
The following test bench is used for thermal performance testing: –
· MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK Motherboard
· Intel i7 10700k
· Noctua NH-D15
· GSkill AEGIS 16GB @ 2800MHz
· Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 FE
· Addlink S70 256GB NVMe SSD
· bequiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
· Open-air Test bench
AIDA64 Extreme is used to stress test the CPU cooler using FPU.
Following testing methodology is used for the thermal paste testing:
- · Intel i7 10700k was set to run 4.8GHz on all cores using 1.270V VCore (manual). We had wanted to test the chip at 5.0GHz but the high ambient temperature did not warrant that testing.
- · The chip was drawing power of nearly 156W so we still have enough thermal heat output to deal with.
- · A graphics card with a much higher heat load or the HEDT/EPYC CPUs with large surface areas are better candidates for the thermal paste testing.
- · A blob method is used with a pea-size drop in the center of IHS.
- · A test run of 30 minutes was done using AIDA64 Extreme on stock settings.
- · PC was powered off for a minimum of 30 minutes stress test run. This would allow completion of the thermal cycle with hot and cold runs giving the thermal paste some time to reach its near-optimal condition.
- · System was on idle for 10 minutes before taking the Idle temperature values.
- · A stress run of 30 minutes was made using AIDA64 Extreme (FPU). Temperature values on all cores are taken at the end of the result.
- · Ideally, we would have wanted to do 3 tests as a minimum for a single thermal paste and showing the average of these three runs but due to my poor health condition, one test result is shown.
- · Test results were dropped if the mounting pressure was found not enough as indicated by the spread of the thermal paste. And the test was repeated so as to have validated results.
- · The fans on the NH-D15 were set to run at their full speed for which the settings were made in UEFI/BIOS.
· The values on the graphs are calculated by taking the average of all cores temperature values and deducting ambient temperature from the average value to yield delta temperature values.
Please note that not every run of the stress test may yield the same result. This could well be due to many factors like mounting pressure, thermal paste application, varying ambient temperature. Not to mention the silicon differences even among the same category of the chips. Hence, it is pertinent to mention the testing methodology along with the specifics.
Let’s take a look at the results.
The ARCTIC MX-5 has shown an improvement of 1°C over the MX-4 in our testing.
Conclusion
The ARCTIC MX-5 is the next iteration in the ever-popular MX series taking over MX-4. The ARCTIC MX-5 has a thermal conductivity rating of 5.
0 W/m-K with a viscosity of 550 poise. The temperature range is from -40°C to 180°C. ARCTIC‘s MX-5 thermal paste is composed of carbon micro-particles. It has a light blue color and is very liquid in its physical form. The application of the thermal paste is convenient. You can use the spatula to evenly spread the paste or simply use a blob method for even spreading coming from the mounting pressure. The ARCTIC MX-5 8m with a spatula is listed at $14.99. The per gram pricing is roughly $1.6 which is quite a competitive pricing. The MX-5 has a durability of 8 years (this is not a warranty). The paste due to its ease of application, relatively better performance comes recommended by us.
Arctic Silver 5 vs MX-4: The Secret Some May Not Know
WindowsTips & Tricks
Edon LazajAugust 14, 2021
0 504 3 minutes read
Tired of the heat your laptops produce, then why don’t you resort to a thermal paste?
However, there are various thermal pastes out there on the market, and if you’re keen on buying this item, you may wonder between Arctic Silver 5 vs MX-4 and find it hard to pick out the best one.
Come on! Don’t be put off by these difficulties above. It will not be as hard as you think, once you have read our post Digitalne.tv . Let’s start, shall we?
Review On Arctic Silver 5 vs MX-4
1, Arctic Silver 5
This Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound includes three special sizes of silver particles to optimize the contact zone as well as thermal transfers between particles.
It’s optimized for use between high-processed CPUs and high-powered heatsinks. More precisely, this tubing of 3.5 grams provides adequate compound for a total of 15-25 smaller CPU cores, or 6-10 large CPU cores or for 2-5 heat plates.
If you pay much attention to the contact area, surely this product won’t let you down. Arctic Silver 5 utilizes three separate pure silver particle sizes for optimizing the contact space.
Besides, Arctic Silver 5 offers a powerful performance, including more 88 percent thermally conducting weight filling.
It contains boron nitride particles, sub-micron zinc oxide, and aluminum oxide, besides its micronized silver.
The ceramic particles thermally enhanced help to improve performance and stability of the compound for a long time.
What makes it the ideal choice for you is that it isn’t electrically conductive.Arctic Silver 5 was served for conducting heat, not conducting electricity.
Nevertheless, Arctic Silver 5 should be kept away from electromagnetic trails, pins and leads despite being healthier than electro-conductive silver or copper greases.
Although this compound is non-electrically conductive, it is slightly capable and can cause problems by bridging two electrical pathways in near vicinity.
Pros
- Not electrically conductive
- Stability
- Maximized contact area
- High density
- 99.9% Pure Silver fast transfer
Cons
- A thermal pad is required
- Can seriously affect parts of the computer
2, Arctic MX-4
Another thermal paste from the Arctic is the Arctic MX-4.
To begin with, this product is profoundly easy to apply, even for beginners. With an ideal consistency, the MX-4 is very easy to use. You may only need a brief and concise guidance to apply it.
Another advantage of this product is its excellent performance. Surpassing in performance, MX-4 is fully deserved to be ranked among the best thermal compounds.
To be more specific, the ARCTIC MX-4 compound includes carbon micro -particles and that results in a high thermal conductivity. It ascertains that heat from the GPU is released fast and effectively.
Like Arctic Silver 5, this product is also not electrically conductive.
To be more specific, it contains no metallic particles, so electrical conductivity won’t be a problem. Therefore, we can be sure that contact with these electrical pins won’t lead to any sort of damage..
If you cast doubt on the product’s quality, surely this product won’t put you off. In terms of awards, this product has been awarded a Top Product Award from a Hardware in Germany in 2010, as it won against 11 other thermal pastes on the shelves.
Is that enough?
Pros
- Easy Application
- Optimal Thermal Conductivity
- Non-Electrical Conductive
- Low Thermal Resistance
- Non-Capacitive
- No Curing
- No Bleeding
- Non-Corrosive
- Thermal conductivity: 8.5 W / mK
- Viscosity: 870 poise
- Density: 2.5 g/cm3
Cons
- Starts to dry pretty quick
- No available instructions for novices
Arctic Silver 5 vs MX-4 – Which Is The Best?
After having considered all factors, we highly advise you to choose the Arctic MX-4.
First and foremost, the MX-4 is much easier to apply than the Arctic Silver 5. Even beginners, with no prior experience, can apply this product without any difficulties.
And what makes Arctic MX-4 become the ideal choice for consumers is that it highly protects your computer.
While the Silver 5 seriously affects your computer’s fanning and performance, MX-4 both protects your computer from overheating and improves its performance.
Therefore, Arctic MX-4 is considered to be much better than Arctic Silver 5.
Final Thoughts
Surely, this article has put forward answers to the frequently asked question “Arctic Silver 5 vs MX-4, Which One Is Better?”.
As you can see from our article, choosing the ideal product is not as hard as you have imagined, once you have read our tip.
No matter what others say, your decision is much more important. Think carefully and refer to this review again to purchase your best item.
Related Articles
Ultimate Guide to the Best Thermal Paste for 2021-2022
Modern CPUs produce plenty of heat, especially when you’re doing computationally intensive tasks. How well you manage that heat will ultimately impact the both the performance of your PC and the lifespan of your processor. Even if you’re only interested in casual use, like browsing the web, having an effective approach to heat management is still in your best interests.
And if you’re using a powerful processor and expect to put it to task, heat management can be mission critical.
Thermal paste is a thermally conductive substance, usually sold in fluid form, which is applied between a CPU and its cooler. Its application ensures there’s no gap between the processor and its cooler, which helps to dissipate heat through their connection. But as you might suspect, not all thermal pastes are the same. You can most considerable differences in their lasting power, performance, difficulty of installation, and cost.
Note: At no extra cost to you, we may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
For example, the thermal paste that’s historically been included with Intel CPUs has been constructed to have an incredibly long lifespan. Although its ability to dissipate heat isn’t anywhere near as good as an aftermarket thermal paste, it’s good enough for keeping a modestly powerful CPU fairly cool for the better part of a decade.
That longevity-based design allows the average PC user to live their lives without ever having to think about thermal paste, but it also ensures much higher temperatures than you’ll get with virtually any other type of paste.
Sometimes longevity should be your priority, and sometimes it shouldn’t. If you’re running particularly powerful hardware and expect to reach higher temperatures, then you don’t want the performance of your system’s expensive hardware to be bottlenecked by the wrong thermal paste. However, thermal pastes which are exceptionally effective at dissipating heat typically only last a few years before they lose efficacy and need to be reapplied.
Types of Thermal Paste
Choosing the correct thermal paste is about matching up with a paste that’s appropriate to the computer it’s being applied to, and to the skill level of the person doing the application. For the most part, you’ll want to avoid liquid-metal pastes. Metal-based pastes are incredibly effective at dissipating heat, but they’re also dangerous for inexperienced users to apply.
That’s because most liquid-metal pastes are made with electrically conductive metallic bits suspended in their solution. Even a drop spilled on the pins of your processor will instantly destroy it, and mostly likely void your warranty in the process. Spills on the motherboard have to be rigorously cleaned up, and still may end up causing damage.
Novices will want to stick to ceramic-based pastes, which tend to be gray or white. They’re made of a silicone paste combined with ceramic powder. Application isn’t as risky as metal-based pastes because they use compounds that don’t conduct electricity. Non-conductive ceramic alternatives are also a worthy choice.
Viscosity and Ease of Installation
The dangers of electrical conductivity aside, some pastes are physically easier to apply than others. Even if you’re an experienced builder, you’re going to want to know something about the viscosity of a paste before you try to apply it. Understanding the viscosity involved can help prevent you from squeezing out the wrong amount of paste.
Additionally, the kind of application techniques you use on a thick paste aren’t necessarily the same for those use for thinner pastes. Generally speaking, thicker pastes tend to be more difficult to apply. But as long as you’re paying attention to the viscosity of the paste you choose, you can prepare for installation by searching for an appropriate application method.
Quantity of Paste
If you’re only installing thermal paste on one or two processors, then you won’t have to worry about the availability of thermal paste. Virtually every thermal paste tube on the market will have enough paste to install a CPU. But if you’re doing more than one humble installation, then you’ll want to take notice of the quantity of paste you get with your purchase. Some manufacturers provide enough to cover a dozen different independent installations.
Thermal Paste Lifespan
When you’re considering the quantity of thermal paste included in a tube, it’s not a good idea to start developing illusions about getting years of use from the paste.
The shelf life for many thermal pastes is only two or three years. Thermal paste doesn’t age well. After you’re certain that you’ve successfully installed your CPU cooler, you’ll probably want to throw away whatever paste is left over.
The application life of each paste varies as well. On the high end, you’ll find pastes which claim to maintain their efficacy for eight years. On the low end, you’ll find manufacturers who suggest replacing their paste every two or three years. The good news is that even after three years, those pastes will likely continue to provide adequate performance, albeit diminished from their original state.
Price Point
If you’ve already spent hundreds on a processor, you shouldn’t undercut its performance by trying to save a couple of bucks on thermal paste. For anyone interested in overclocking, the paste you choose will have a drastic impact on the performance of your machine. Of course, that doesn’t mean that thermal paste has to become a serious investment.
You can find plenty of extremely high quality pastes around or under $20.
Arctic MX-4
Anyone familiar with PC cooling will know the name Arctic. And their MX-4 scarcely needs an introduction, as one of the most popular thermal pastes in the world. Artic has an exceptionally strong reputation for quality, and their thermal paste consistently benchmarks among the best thermal pastes in the world. It’s also one of the most competitively priced thermal pastes on the market, making it an excellent choice for almost anyone.
Noteworthy Advantages
MX-4 doesn’t contain metallic particles, so if you make a spill on your board there’s no need for a panic. It could make direct contact with every pin on your CPU, and you’d only have to be worried about cleaning it up. Fortunately, even the risk of a spill is minor because of the soft consistency of the paste.
And the MX-4’s performance is built to last over time. According to Arctic, it doesn’t need to be reapplied for up for eight years.
The MX-4 comes in a 0.64-ounce tube, providing enough thermal paste for multiple applications. But its relatively low shelf life means you probably won’t want to hold on to extra paste after you’re confident that you’ve successfully installed your cooler.
Difficulty of Installation
The MX-4’s paste has a smooth consistency that makes it easy to apply. Even if you’ve got no experience applying thermal paste, you should encounter relatively little risk of creating a mess or accidentally applying too much. The simple design of the application tube makes it especially easy to avoid problems voiding your hardware, or creating spills elsewhere.
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut
If you’re looking for multiple applications from your paste, you’ll want to look carefully at the Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut. It comes in a spacious 1-gram syringe, which accommodates an accessible and steady application, and provides what could be called an amble amount of paste. Relative to similar thermal paste syringes, this container is particularly long and needle-like.
That makes it easy for razor-sharp accuracy when applying your paste, which can be ideal for applying thermal paste within cramped spaces.
Noteworthy Advantages
The Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut tube includes enough paste for roughly eight full applications. While this brand isn’t exactly a household name, their paste does hold up to scrutiny. It has an exceptionally high thermal conductivity, which is advertised as being 73 W/mk. But you don’t need to understand the units, all you need to know is this paste is made to put cooling first and foremost.
Difficulty of Installation
Relative to other silicon-based thermal pastes, this paste is marginally more difficult to apply. Using the syringe is simple enough, and it allows you to get a highly controlled a measured amount of the paste out. But the paste itself is quite firm, so you’ll need to find a small tool with which you can help spread it evenly. The most common installation methods, like the pea method, aren’t going to work well for applying this paste.
Noctua NT-h2
Anyone familiar with PC cooling will know the name Noctua. Their fans are widely regarded as some of the best on the market, and their thermal pastes live up to the same high standard. The NT-h2 is a mixture of particles that’s unique to Noctua, helping them achieve their own unique signature stability. And although the NT-h2 is inexpensive, it offers thermal performance that rivals the best liquid metal pastes in the world.
Noteworthy Advantages
Noctua’s unique paste mixture isn’t electrically conductive. It’s also non-corroding, making it suitable for common copper and aluminum coolers. Within each tube of the NT-h2 there’s 1.4ml of paste, which is enough for more than a dozen full applications. Noctua’s recommended storage is two years, which essentially means you’ll want to throw out the tube when you’re done. The NT-h2 is expected to last for 3-years of use, provided you keep your system running under 90˚C.
Difficulty of Installation
Noctua’s paste applicator makes the NT-h2 easy to apply.
It offers a generous spread so it’s easy to use the pea-method and get an easy application. The paste itself isn’t particularly slimy or hard, making it easy to apply. But that can backfire for people who are inexperienced because you could spray too much and end up with some on your motherboard.
Arctic Silver 5 AS5
Arctic describes the Silver 5 as a high-density paste, and it shows once you squeeze it from the tube. As the name suggests, the Arctic Silver 5 AS5 is composed of 99.9% pure micronized silver, and is non-electrically conductive. That design allows for highly effective and lasting cooling, albeit with a slightly more difficult installation.
Noteworthy Advantages
This paste uses a micronized silver paste alongside ceramic particles to create a high performance and long-lasting design. The aluminum oxide, boron nitride, zinc oxide solution provides lower load temperatures than you’ll get from standard compounds. The 3.5-gram syringe will cover more than a dozen CPUs, or about half a dozen large CPUs, or two heat plates.
All in all, you can squeeze out about 16 square inches of effective coverage from one simple tube.
Difficulty of Installation
Even if you’ve installed a number of thermal pastes before, if you’ve never seen Arctic Silver 5 paste, then you’re going to be in for a small surprise. That’s because it’s actually a synthetic-oil based compound which is completely free from silicone. And its oil-based design allows the Silver 5 AS5 to apply to processors in a way that other thermal pastes simply can’t. After it’s been applied and your CPU is turned on for the first time, the heat from your CPU will gradually thin out the paste, leaving behind only the most thermally necessary elements.
The paste then slightly thickens over the next few days until it’s achieved its desired consistency. The resulting application doesn’t just provide an excellent, evenly spread escape for thermal energy. It also provides a kind of lasting stability that can help keep this paste working for years to come.
The high-density nature of this paste means installation is a little more hands-on, but ultimately should be manageable for anyone.
Choosing Between 4 Effective Thermal Paste Compounds
The Noctua NT-h2 performs nearly as well as top-shelf thermal paste compounds, but at a fraction of the price. If you’re looking to save money on thermal paste and not suffer any performance repercussions, then the NT-h2 is a great choice. You probably won’t have to replace the paste even after the three-year period suggested by Noctua. In the interests of keeping your performance in top-shape, you’ll probably want to replace the paste eventually. But with the inexpensive nature of the NT-h2, you won’t mind having to do it.
The Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut is a good alternative to Noctua’s NT-h2. It has similar thermal performance at a similar price, but comes with a longer shelf life. Although the NT-h2’s extremely high thermal conductivity will marginally outperform the Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut, the Conductonaut’s lasting power makes it a better choice for an inexpensive one-time application.
If you’re looking for high thermal conductivity and you don’t see yourself refreshing your thermal paste after in the years after you’ve applied it, then this paste is a good choice.
The Arctic Silver 5 AS5 is a good choice for people who are looking to apply paste to multiple CPUs. It’s a great way to get bang for your buck, providing effective cooling for an enormous number of surfaces before the tube is exhausted. The oil-based paste is a little unusual, and its lack of silicone is somewhat reflected in the price. But it’s performance is marginally better than what you’ll find in less expensive thermal pastes. It’s a good choice for someone who doesn’t mind spending a little extra to get all the performance they can.
If lasting power is the most important consideration, then the Arctic MX-4 is your best bet. It’s safe and incredibly easy to install. It’s designed to last 8 years, which means your CPU will probably be outdated before your paste needs to be changed. The tube doesn’t provide enough paste for several applications, but it’s more than enough to complete two separate processors and still have a touch left over.
For someone who wants an inexpensive and reliable solution, the MX-4 is a safe bet.
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Best Thermal Paste (For CPU & GPU)
An In-Depth Look At The Best Thermal Paste 2022
Updated: Jul 18, 2022 1:44 pm
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Watch best thermal paste video review
Top picks
Arctic Silver 5
Arctic MX-4
Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut
How we choose
Things to consider
What is thermal paste?
Air-based heat sinks
Water coolers or AIOs
Thermal paste’s role
Thermal paste properties
Viscosity
Specific gravity
Thermal conductivity
Thermal Design Power (TDP)
Ambient temperature
Cooling solution
Level of familiarity
To liquid mental, or not to liquid metal?
Testing
The Systems
The Test
In-depth review
Arctic Silver 5
Arctic Silver 5
Testing
Arctic MX-4
Arctic MX-4
Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut
Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
Thermal Grizzly Aeronaut
Arctic Silver Ceramique 2
Arctic Silver Ceramique 2
Cooler Master High-Performance Thermal Paste
Cooler Master High Performance Thermal Paste
Gelid Solutions GC-Extreme
Gelid Solutions GC-Extreme
Prolimatech PK-3
Prolimatech PK-3
Best CPU cooler
Asus ROG RYUJIN II 360 CPU Cooler
Best Thermal Paste FAQs
Can I Use CPU Thermal Paste on My GPU?
Is it Worth Changing CPU Thermal Paste?
How Much Thermal Paste Should I Use on My CPU?
What Happens if You Put Too Much Thermal Paste on CPU?
How Long Does Thermal Paste Last on GPU?
Should Thermal Paste Cover the Entire CPU?
Will Thermal Paste Fix Overheating?
Final Word
What is the best thermal paste in 2022? Thermal paste is often the overlooked product for a lot of new builders’ computer setups.
This can be down to a lack of experience or the simple fact that some coolers already come with thermal paste pre-applied. We know that there’s nothing wrong with pre-applied thermal paste, but we know we can do better. It’s always a better idea to buy and apply your own thermal paste when installing your CPU for better temps at stock speeds.
The thermal paste needs to be changed annually, as it will eventually become dry and as a result, its thermal conductivity will suffer. If you leave the thermal paste on too long, you will begin to see performance issues and gradual overheating which can damage your CPU in the long run – you’ll notice this though, don’t panic.
Can you just apply any thermal paste? What is the best thermal paste for your needs? Let’s take a look and break down what truly is the best thermal paste available right now.
If you’re in the market for a new cooler, why don’t you check out some of our ‘best CPU cooler’ articles? They are as follows.
- Best CPU cooler
- Best AIO cooler
- Best air cooler
- Best LGA 1700 cooler