Best cpu cooling paste

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Choosing the best thermal paste may sound simple, but a dizzying array of options can turn this seemingly easy choice into a time-consuming and confusing task. Thermal paste is designed to minimize microscopic air gaps and irregularities between the surface of the cooler and the CPU's IHS integrated heat spreader , the piece of metal built into the top of the processor, to transfer heat to the CPU cooler. Good thermal paste can have a profound impact on your performance because it will allow your processor to transfer more of its waste heat to your cooler, keeping your processor running cool. Choosing the best thermal paste is also important if you plan on overclocking your rig to its fullest. Performance enthusiasts often swear by a favorite brand of paste, but new recipes crop up fairly frequently. We've extensively tested some of the top thermal pastes on the market. If you're hunting for more exotic pastes off the beaten path, we also have plenty of historical data below covering 90 different pastes and yes, we've even tested toothpaste.

Best cpu cooling paste

If you're building a high-end 14th-gen Intel platform computer, you'll want to make sure that your CPU's thermal performance is in check. This is where a high-quality thermal paste comes in handy. Thermal pastes are often overlooked during the PC building process, but they play a crucial role in ensuring efficient heat transfer from the CPU's integrated heat spreader IHS to the heat sink of your CPU cooler. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of the best thermal pastes available for your 14th Gen Intel CPU below. Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1g is an exceptional high-performance thermal paste and is one of the best options available for the Intel 14th-gen CPUs. With low thermal resistance of 0. So, safety and overheating: both issues are addressed. The Corsair XTM50 is a premium choice which comes with an application kit as well for a hassle-free experience. What sets it apart is its premium Zinc Oxide-based formula, which ensures optimal thermal performance and efficient heat transfer. Importantly, the XTM50 is non-conductive and free of volatile compounds.

Plus, it is also easy to clean without the requirement of any alcohol solution. The slight-blue tint and smooth, viscous compound has a bit more fluid consistency much like thin toothpaste best cpu cooling paste it easy to apply and cleanup which lends to very smooth and fast spreading during cooler tension, but can also be prone to dripping and running if applied on vertical surfaces.

Aftermarket thermal paste can also drop your GPU temperatures, making thermal paste a vital part of every PC build. When it comes to thermal paste, thermal compound, thermal grease, or TIM thermal interface material , the cooling performance is the most critical part of the selection process, but it's not the end-all-be-all. Other features, such as ease of application, viscosity, and how easy it is to remove the paste from the CPU IHS integrated heat spreader that covers the CPU diealso play an important role. The best thermal paste doesn't have to achieve the absolute best thermal performance, especially if you're a regular user who doesn't plan to overclock their CPU. A quality budget paste is plenty for most users, even those owning one of the best CPUs on the market.

Changes to the shape, size, and internal component layout of modern CPUs have made applying thermal paste, also known as thermal interface material TIM , more complicated than it used to be. CPUs have incorporated ever more cores. And despite shrinking manufacturing nodes, many processors have just gotten physically bigger. So while you used to be able to apply thermal paste basically the same way across all consumer manufacturers and platforms and expect great results, that's no longer the case. And let's face it: There was never any true consensus across the PC-building world about just what is the "right" or the "best" way of applying TIM. We all just know the wrong way when we see it. So at the risk of… verging into an area of hotly contested debate, we're here to offer some simple instructions on how to properly apply your thermal interface material of choice check our tested list of the best thermal paste between your CPU and cooler, to achieve good thermal transfer and get that pesky heat away from your components and outside your case. We're not saying the advice below is the absolute best method or the only correct method. We're just saying it works, and it's more or less what's recommended by PC thermal experts like Noctua and others. Oh, and this guide is strictly for traditional thermal pastes.

Best cpu cooling paste

Thermal paste is critical in keeping processor temperatures low. It's what ensures the most effective transfer of heat between the chip itself and the metal block attached to the socket. Some of the best CPU coolers will come with thermal paste already applied, but we've compiled a list of our favorite thermal pastes in case you need to reseat the CPU or remove the cooler for some reason. If you want the best overall thermal solution for your CPU, this is it.

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We created the low tension mount environment by torquing the mounting screws to 1. Also, don't forget that while regular thermal pastes aren't electrically conductive liquid metal compounds are. The large, 1oz Yep, I agree, but the thinking being GPU thermal paste updates are a bit more specific and not necessarily as user-friendly as CPU cooling applications, so we will likely be focusing on them as a standalone article with some reference back here. We will discuss the pros and cons of liquid metal cooling a little later on in the article. If the thermal paste can handle the stress of Prime95, it can handle almost any gaming load. Things to consider when looking for the best thermal paste. This paste is being retired as Arctic brings its new MX-6 to market, so it will only be available until supplies run out. We'll go into our breakdown of how we test these thermal pastes below, but the key takeaway here is that a single thermal compound can perform differently based upon several variables, such as what type of cooler and mount you use. For our thermal compound tests, we use the same hardware, CPU overclock , and configuration for each and every test to minimize environment variables in our testing. We've reviewed our recommendations and this is still the best thermal paste you can buy. They are as follows. In a nutshell, those thermal conductivity numbers you see on some thermal pastes say nothing about their real-life performance because there isn't an objective, fully standardized way of measuring it.

Aftermarket thermal paste can also drop your GPU temperatures, making thermal paste a vital part of every PC build.

Best pick for air cooled systems. As shown in the slides above, the outcome of the different testing scenarios resulted in some interesting comparisons among the compounds. Without them, our beloved gaming and content-producing machines would struggle to keep components cool during heated frag sessions, heavy workstation computations, or just simply browsing the web. WePC is reader-supported. Liquid metal compounds are almost always electrically conductive, so while these compounds perform better than their paste counterparts, they require more focus and attention during application. Thermal paste is often an overlooked component when configuring a new PC, either due to a lack of experience, or the convenience of coolers that come with pre-applied thermal paste. This can affect load temperatures as the heat difference between the processor and the air around it starts to come closer. The paste provides good stability, making it easy to apply to all surfaces as well as simple to clean up. Best mm fan in — our top 5 picks. This is one of the best thermal compounds on the market and a perfect choice for laptops. The Ryujin ii is available in two sizes, mm and mm. High price point.