Do you want to see your components on fire?
Obviously, no one will want to go through such a terrible sight. And to prevent such a situation, we have thoroughly discussed the steps to take.
Furthermore, must have a look at the *How often should we change the Thermal Paste?* section to know the must-steps to take…
Background
Components like GPU and CPU come with an integrated device known as “Heatsink”. These heatsinks are passive coolers, which help in eliminating the heat. They make use of compressed air or liquid coolants to dissipate the generated heat and lower the component’s temperature. When you buy a component, there’s this guide that possesses every bit of information regarding the hardware.
Whilst shuffling through the pages, you must have stumbled upon a safe temperature zone. To achieve those safe temperatures, a liquid coolant, or a semi non-conductive liquid is used. That semi non-conductive liquid is known as thermal paste, and having a good thermal paste can make a notable difference in overall performance.
Before proceeding toward the product review session, kindly look at the types of thermal paste that you can use on your components:
- CERAMIC: It’s the most common type of thermal paste you can get from market. It makes use of suspended silicon particles and is usually thick. Not to forget, the same thermal paste comprises fine ceramic powder which allows it to reduce the temperatures.
- CARBON-BASED: We all are aware that the diamond is a form of pure carbon. Well, the carbon-based thermal pastes are usually the best considering that the thermal conductivity is at an all-time high due to powdered diamond particles.
- THERMAL-GREASE: The actual essence resides within the thermal grease ingredient. The majority of the pastes use this compound, but the composition greatly varies. The pastes, which are explicitly based on the thermal-grease compounds are the best because you will get a better temperature as compared to previous temperatures.
LIQUID METAL: Well, be cautious when using liquid metal thermal pastes because they are largely conductive. If by any chance, you spill some of it on your CPU, or any other transistor, or component, there you go, your PC might die due to internal electric conduction.
These are a few thermal pastes to look at before diving into the buying process. The list is as follows:
List Of 10 Best Thermal Compound 2023
| Awards | Product Name | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best thermal paste for overclocking | Carbon-based | Check on Amazon | |
| Best thermal paste for GPU | Ceramic | Check on Amazon | |
| Best thermal paste for laptop | Ceramic | Check on Amazon | |
| Best overall PC thermal paste | Ceramic | Check on Amazon | |
| Best liquid metal thermal paste | Liquid Metal | Check on Amazon | |
| Best non-conductive thermal paste | Ceramic | Check on Amazon | |
| Best quality thermal paste | Thermal grease | Check on Amazon | |
| Best alternative thermal paste for overclocking | Ceramic | Check on Amazon | |
| Best cooling thermal paste for low temperatures | Ceramic | Check on Amazon | |
| Best thermal paste for CPU | Liquid Metal | Check on Amazon |
Arctic MX-4 Thermal compound paste
Best thermal paste for overclocking
Arctic MX-4 is on top of the list for what it offers at an affordable price. It was given a marvelous title: the best CPU thermal paste, and this has been proven by the leading performance in thermal paste benchmark.
There are a couple of editions that were registered in recent years, but you can look up the 2023 edition, which is much more better and efficient in performance. The product offers a highly favorable environment for your GPU and CPU, making it one of the best thermal
Compounds to get in 2023.
It is made up of carbon micro-particles which offer a thermal conductivity of 8.5W/mK. There is no hard and fast rule for the application of the product, you can easily apply it to the component without damaging it.
The best part about this thermal paste is that you can apply it 2 to 3 times on the component before it runs out. As far as the application is concerned, all you have to do is just put the paste as required on the surface of the component, spread it with a spreader that is given in the pouch, and you are good to go.
It’s safe to use because the composition doesn’t include metallic particles which can result in an electrical shock, hence it’s one of the best thermal pastes for overclocking.
Not to forget, you can use this thermal paste for overclocking purposes as well. If you have overclocked your GPU and CPU, then this thermal paste is the best you can get to reduce the high temperatures and prolong the performance for years to come.
Features of Arctic Mx-4:
| Use carbon micro-particles |
| Easy to apply |
| Thermal conductivity of 8.5 W/mK. |
| Volume Resistivity: 3.8 X 10 ^ 13 Ω-cm |
| Weight: 0.16 ounces |
| Dimensions: 5.9 X 1.2 X 2.8 inches |
- Simple Application
- Use of carbon particles
- Can be used for overclocking purposes
- Use of thin tube
Arctic Silver 5- Thermal paste
Best thermal paste for GPU
Arctic Silver 5 is one of the renowned thermal pastes you can get. You will find this product as a savior to your components due to its ability to absorb heat at high temperatures.
It’s best suitable for overclocking lovers, who love to push the limits. What makes it popular? Well, it has 99.9% micronized silver, which is one of the transition elements — best known for its conducting properties.
Using metals can boast the conductive property of the heatsink, and that’s why people are going crazy for Arctic Silver 5.
Since it uses metal as an adhesive, it usually takes longer for the product to settle down. As you must be aware of the composition of metals (tightly packed and aligned), it might take a couple of hours for the paste to come in its form.
Moreover, you can use this thermal in combination with liquid nitrogen or helium to increase the thermal conductivity by two folds. As far as the application is concerned, all you have to do is just put the right amount on the CPU/GPU surface and spread it.
What you can do is simply press the heatsink over the paste, so it spreads perfectly.
Additionally, this thermal paste comes with a static phase where for a couple of hours, the paste calculates the average power used by the component.
For example, it might take 2 hours for the paste to settle down and boast the performance. That’s the only drawback that comes with this product, otherwise, the quality of the product is top-notch.
Features of Arctic Silver 5:
| Make use of 99.9% silver particles |
| 88% thermally conductive filler for heat dissipation |
| Weight: 0.16 ounces |
| Thermal conductivity of 8.9 W/mK. |
| High-density fillings of micronized silver for thermal conduction |
| 3.5-gram tube/syringe. |
| Dimensions: 8.5 X 2.5 X 6 inches |
- Pure silver
- Constant and high stability
- Comes in unique shape
- Inconsistency with the component
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
Best thermal paste for laptop
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut falls in the top 5 categories of thermal paste. It’s also considered the best CPU thermal paste due to its highest thermal conductivity of 12.5 W/mK.
Just because of that it can constructively dissipate the heat resulting in a cooler environment. Indeed, we can say that it is best for overclocking freaks. When you overclock your GPU/CPU to its highest possible potential, it tends to generate a lot more heat. Kryonaut helps in reducing that heat by two to three folds.
The structure of the Kryonaut is unique in terms of conduction. It can sustain its durability up to 80 degrees and still the paste will not dry out. Isn’t that mind-blowing?
Another specialty of this product is that it’s made up of silicon chips (another metal known for its high conductivity of heat). These microparticles help in dissipating the heat even from cramped spaces.
Although, the paste is a little fragile when compared with other flagship products, resulting in a harder application process.
You can use this product in workstations where the processors and GPUs are in constant use with 100 percent usage.
Not to mention, you can also use Kryonaut with liquid nitrogen and helium to further decrease the temperatures if the overclocking temperatures are getting out of hand.
Additionally, it comes with a spreader that can assist you in applying the thermal paste to the component. All you have to do is add the paste as need at the center of the hardware and press it against the heatsink. The rest of the process will be done automatically.
Features of Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut:
| Lighter syringe (1.0 gram) |
| Renowned for overclocking purposes |
| Thermal conductivity of 12.5W/mK. |
| Dimensions: 9.8 X 7.9 X 5.9 |
| Weight: 0.16 ounces |
- Best for gamers and over clockers
- Exceptional Thermal resistance
- Nearly Easy to apply
- Slower improvement rate
Cooler Master-Master gel Maker
Best overall PC thermal paste
Cooler Master always surprises us by innovating such mesmerizing products. One of their living and breathing products is Cooler Master-Master gel Maker thermal paste.
When comparing it with other flagship products of the same category, Cooler master thermal paste has exceeded the ranks.
It makes use of nanodiamond particles (carbon) which are lighter than its predecessor (micro carbon particles), making it less weighable. When considering the electrically conductive phase of the Master gel, it’s nearly negligible. Why?
Because of nanodiamond particles, which are electrically inactive. This results in a safe application of the product on the required device without damaging it.
Not to forget, it’s made up of sub-silicon particles which gives it a di-electric capability. You must have heard about the composition of the diamond. The diamond is most similar to the graphite in terms of conductivity (the sliding sheets of graphite).
Since the Master gel is made up of nanodiamond particles, it results in a boasted thermal dissipation giving your components a robust and prolonged life for years to come.
As far as the approximation of temperatures is concerned, the Master gel gives a wide range of temperatures where the paste remains intact and does not dry up.
The range is as follows: -50 degrees to 150 degrees. Surprisingly, this range is sufficient for overclocking components. Another blissful product that caters to the enthusiasts of overclocking.
Additionally, the thermal conductivity of Mastergel is 11W/mK. This spreads the heat at a larger output rate and boasts the performance of your CPU/GPU.
On top of that, you can install a liquid nitrogen cooler with thermal paste to make your component reach its fullest potential on the overclocking stage.
Features of Cooler Master-Master gel Maker:
| Intense thermal conductivity of 11W/mK. |
| Composition: Nanodiamond particles |
| Exceptional viscosity |
| Electrical insulator |
| Dimensions: 4.7 X 4.5 X 0.8 inches |
| Weight: 1.12 ounces |
- High viscosity rate
- Acts as an electrical insulator
- Make use of Nano Diamond particles
- Expensive
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut
Best liquid metal thermal paste
Thermal Grizzly has been breaking into the market with its pyramid of products. Each one of them is groundbreaking, no doubt. The Grizzly Conductonaut makes use of liquid metal as a conductive paste, which is superior when compared to mediocre carbon particles.
This product is designed delicately, making it best for overclocking usages. How? It has an exceptional thermal conductivity of 73W/mK. This means that the heat produced by the CPU or GPU will instantly be absorbed by the heatsink resulting in a lowered temperature zone.
With that said, it has another top-of-the-line property of being light-weighted (1-gram syringe) due to the fact that it’s made up of liquid metal which has fewer spilling properties. It also has earned the title of “best thermal paste in 2023”.
Not to mention, it can reduce the temperature of GPU/CPU by 10 degrees maximum.
For example, if your processor was working on 80 degrees with overclocking unlocked, expect it to reach 70 degrees easily after the application of the thermal paste. It’s also consistent with the CPU and GPU and gives high thermal activity performance.
There’s a single drawback, and it’s the use of a mixture of different metals. Since the Conductonaut makes use of Gallium, Indium, and other elements, it gives rise to the property of electrical conductivity. So basically, it’s safe to keep it away from sparking areas on your motherboard.
Similarly, you will have to ensure that you don’t run the paste in freezing point temperatures (liquid/air coolant) because the metal might seize the kinetic energy and might not work.
A few precautions and you’re in the save zone…Otherwise, it’s a high-rated product in terms of providing boosted performance on overclocked devices.
Features of Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut:
| Preferred for overclocking |
| Light-weighted (1-gram syringe) |
| 100% liquid metal compound |
| Dimensions: 6.9 X 3.9 X 0.3 inches’ |
| Weight: 0.32 ounces |
| Application: beginners |
- Usable for High-end Pc’s and laptops
- Easy application
- Durable and reliable product
- High thermal conductivity
- Expensive
Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Compound paste
Best non-conductive thermal paste
Noctua has been seen improving their products day by day. There are a plethora of variants to Noctua thermal paste.
The Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste, which is one their first release and is considered premium to all the other existing variants.
This specific paste has climbed the ladders to success and is being recommended to all potential overclocking lovers. It makes use of different microparticles which combine together to form an exceptional adhesive thermal paste.
When shedding light on the lifespan of the thermal paste, it surpasses the two-year gap. After that, you can replace the thermal paste with a new one. As for the cooling power, this thermal paste can withstand high temperatures without drying out and can reduce the temperatures of your CPU/GPU by a maximum of 10 degrees.
The best part about this thermal paste is that it’s non-electrically conductive, which means that you can easily apply the paste without the fear of short-circuiting the components or motherboard.
Surprisingly, the given optimum range of the thermal paste is -50 to 200 degrees. That’s highly exceptional considering the fact that other flagship products give a lower range for their price.
Features of Noctua NT-H1:
| Stable and durable |
| Weight: 3.5 grams |
| Capacity: 1.4 ml. |
| Electrically uncharged |
| Premium grade thermal conduction |
- Can be applied to a variety of heatsinks and chipsets
- Does not corrode
- High thermal expansion
- Less paste
- Small tube
- High density
Thermaltake TG-7
Best quality thermal paste
It has been a while since Thermaltake took out their new product. They are renowned for giving gamers the best quality products: Cases, fans, Power supplies. But now, they have gone a bit far.
It’s their new Thermaltake TG-7 thermal paste that has been making a difference. Undoubtedly, they have unleashed their true potential. This thermal paste has also climbed the ladders and made it into the top 10 thermal pastes of 2023.
It’s giving a top-notch thermal reality check when compared with other contemporary thermal pastes. The reason is nothing but the use of diamond powder.
Diamond powder is known for its durability and the power to withstand the long-lasting thermal environment. To our surprise, it also has diamond particles that act as insulators to electrical sparks.
So as long as you are using this particular thermal paste, you are safe from short-circuiting your motherboard or electrocuting yourself.
There’s another specialty of this thermal paste, which is that it has a prolonged life of 2 extra years when compared with orthodox products, giving an edge to your system. After so many experiments on different processors, it has been recorded that it can sustain thermal dissipation at a phenomenal rate, providing a temperature range of 50 degrees to 150 degrees.
As far as the design and layout are concerned, it gives you the best cooling system with an easy application. All you have to do is simply apply it over a CPU and spread it with the help of a spreader.
Not to forget, along with the diamond powder, it consists of micronized silver and ceramic particles which gives an extended temperature resilience to the thermal paste.
Features of Thermaltake TG-7:
| Durability to withstand soaring temperatures |
| Easy application |
| Have a prolonged lifespan |
| Incorporates diamond powder along with other metals |
| Weight: 0.16 ounces |
- Can be used for overlocking schedules
- High viscosity
- Ultra-resistance to thermal environments
- Dries quickly after the application
- Expensive
Gelid Solutions GC extreme
Best alternative thermal paste for overclocking
If you consider yourself an overclocking enthusiast, then Gelid solutions GC extreme is just for you. It has knocked out some competitive products and is now considered one of the best thermal pastes to get in 2023.
With a lowered thermal conductivity of 8.5W/mK, it is still able to win against the odds. When you compare it with grizzly thermal pastes (Kryonaut, in particular) it has been observed that, although the reduction in temperatures is not that much of a celebration but the reduction in the thermal environment is set up at a lightning speed.
Regardless, it still lives up to its name. As for the electrical conduction, it doesn’t happen with this paste. Since it uses lightweight fine particles, the electrical conduction has remained to its minimum.
On top of that, it’s also one of the lightest thermal pastes you can find on the market. It has been only possible due to the usage of nano and Pico carbon particles in the thermal paste, which boasts thermal conductivity.
Not to mention, you can apply this thermal paste on both your Graphics card and processor. It doesn’t differentiate between the two since both the components have dedicated heatsinks, providing similar thermal performance.
As far as the application of the product is concerned, it’s easy to apply because of the use of carbon particles. Simply spread the thermal paste with the heatsink, and you are good to go.
Surprisingly, when compared with other flagship products, it’s non-corrosive in the sense that the toxicity it inhibits is way lower which makes it easy to handle.
Features of Gelid Solutions GC extreme:
| Dimensions: 1.6 X 0.3 X 1.6 inches |
| Temperature range: -50 degrees to 180 degrees |
| Thermal conductivity: 8.5W/mK. |
- Non-toxic
- Easy to apply
- Boosted performance
- Expensive
- Less thermal conductivity
Gelid Solutions GC-2
Best cooling thermal paste for low temperatures
Gelid Solutions has upgraded its product range and produced a marvelous piece: Gelid solutions GC-2. It is an updated version of the predecessor, the GC. What does this thermal paste offer? The answer is quite simple: 2% boasted performance and a high reduction in temperatures.
It’s known that the GC thermal paste can decrease the temperatures up to 5 to 10 degrees maximum, depending on the environment it is kept in.
As for this version, you can expect up to a reduction of 7 to 12 degrees max. That’s phenomenal when you compare the price tags since there’s little to no difference with its predecessor.
The application is far simpler. All you have to do is use the tool given with the product, and use it against the chipset. That’s all! You have done applying the paste.
As for the particles, it also contains nanocarbon particles which help in lowering the electrocution hazards. These fine particles also promote high-end thermal reduction and help in dissipating the heat throughout the heatsink resulting in a boosted performance.
This product is also non-corrosive making it easier for you to apply and handle the product without intoxicating your lungs.
Features of Gelid Solutions GC-2:
| Non-toxic |
| Non-Electrically conductive |
| High thermal resistance |
| Weight: 7 Grams |
| Density: 2.5g/Cm cube |
- Easy application
- High-thermal bandwidth
- Requires overall improvement
Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra
Best thermal paste for CPU
If grease-based thermal pastes aren’t a thing for you, then how about you shift to liquid metal pastes. Well, Coollaboratory liquid ultra has brought you something out of this world, a liquid metal thermal paste that delivers high resistance to thermal environments.
Since it makes use of metal as a conductive medium, the dissipation is high. It’s known for a fact that metals are the best conductors of heat, and so is the case with this specific thermal paste.
When compared with other flagship models, it has thermal conduction of 38.4W/mK which is exceptional. This means that the components you have applied the paste over will reduce their temperatures by 2-3 folds.
You can apply this thermal paste with liquid coolers to enhance the reduction in temperatures. This is only possible if you, in particular, use nitrogen or helium-based coolers.
On the contrary, it is also advised that you don’t use the paste with the aluminum heatsinks. The alloy used as the fine particles in the paste makes corrosion possible, so precautions are always recommended.
Not to mention, this paste is earned with a gift to push the limits to its best. You can still get the same efficiency at full overclocking, without any performance degradation.
As far as the temperature range is concerned, this thermal paste can decrease up to 10 to 12 degrees, depending on the amount of paste applied.
Features of Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra:
| Ultra-thermal conduction |
| Use of pure metal |
| Easy to apply |
| Weight: 1.44 ounces |
- Pure metalloids
- Includes a dedicated cleaning kit
- Harder to use on glass surfaces
What is a thermal paste and how it works?
The thought behind the manufacturing of such products is to lower the device’s temperature. Thermal pastes are designed in such a way that it dissipates heat quickly without damaging itself.
The thermal paste is applied between the heatsink and the device so that the air which is sliced in between the two parts is no more there.
Unfortunately, Air is not a conductor of heat. It sorts of traps the heat. When the heatsink is unable to spread out the heat from the device, its performance downgrades.
To eradicate this problem, thermal paste lines up the surface as per the requirement without any trapped air. This, in turn, helps the heatsink dissipate heat at a larger rate resulting in a boosted performance. It might sound difficult at first, but it’s really not considering that all thermal paste does is keep the temperature low and give your components breathing space from hot air.
Apart from this, do bear in mind that you can interchange the types of thermal paste depending on the type of component available. There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to procedural testing, so go ahead with whatever your heart speaks of.
How often should you change the thermal paste?
To prolong the longevity of the device’s performance, you will have to ensure that the thermal paste remains intact for a longer period of time.
The reason for changing thermal paste is nothing, but to give a boasted thermal conduction between the heatsink and the device.
What happens is that, when you buy a new processor or a GPU, the stock cooler which comes with the component has a rusted thermal paste applied to it.
These thermal Compounds have a shorter life span and dry out easily. So, isn’t it better that you apply the best thermal paste on the CPU/GPU as frequently as possible which can sustain the heat conduction formula without messing up with the performance?
Conclusion
All in all, if you are a dedicated overclocking fanatic, then there’s only one paste for you.
It’s Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut. Why? Due to its groundbreaking thermal performance of 73W/mK which is double the conduction provided by Coollaboratory liquid ultra. All-in-all if you are looking for the best cooling paste while having a mediocre knowledge of applying, Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut is for you.
Not to forget, they have surfaced in the markets long before any product and have won the hearts of millions of people.
It is preferred that you go along with Grizzly thermal pastes because they are resilient, efficient, and provide the best dissipation rate.
FAQs
Hey, I’m Muhammad Bilal. I’m a tech fanatic (also read: Gamer), who loves scrutinizing fine details. I aim to strive hard in my respective fields (as a writer and software programmer). Before pursuing my majors in a university (right now in A-levels), I want to spend time exploring and reviewing the latest technology.