TOP 9 best thermal pastes for processor and video card

Rating of the TOP 15 best thermal pastes

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Thermal paste test 2020: choosing the best

Hello, dear readers of the site Uspei.com. In the process of assembling a new computer or servicing an old one, many are faced with the choice of thermal paste, of which there is a huge variety on the market.

When it comes to choosing thermal paste, people are divided into 3 categories: the first do not understand what it is; the latter simply buy an Arctic MX-4 or, God forbid, a KPT-8; and still others who take different packages in batches in the hope of finding the perfect one.

Be that as it may, the warranty on hot components and laptops will someday expire, the paste will probably lose its properties in a few years, and you will have to think about buying a new one.

Our comparative testing involved the most popular thermal pastes in the middle and upper price segments. Pastes for a buck and a half are also on sale, but keep in mind: such savings can backfire: no one needs overheating and failure of components.

Thermal paste ARCTIC MX-4 4 g 2020 Edition

The first participant in our testing: Arctic MX-4 thermal paste. A people's favorite and one of the most popular thermal pastes in the world.

The 2020 versions come in tubes ranging from 2 to 45 grams, and this 45 gram tube is regularly used in our builds. The thermal conductivity coefficient is indicated quite high - 8.5 W/(m K) (watt per meter kelvin).

By the way, this is the main characteristic of thermal pastes. In other words, this is the amount of heat transferred from the processor to the base of the cooling radiator per unit of time. But you shouldn’t take it as a decisive factor in choosing pastes: manufacturers consider it each in their own way.

Thermal paste Noctua NT-H1 (H2)

The updated version of thermal paste from the Austrian company Noctua , according to the manufacturer, should provide better performance compared to its predecessor, which was released back in 2005.

See also: Optimal Gaming Computer – PC Build 2020 | Spring

In addition to minor changes in the composition, consistency and three napkins included, the cost has also changed: the new version is one and a half times more expensive. The manufacturer traditionally does not indicate the thermal conductivity coefficient. So whether it’s worth overpaying, we’ll soon find out in practice.

Thermal paste Zalman ZM-STG2

The next thermal paste in our comparison: Zalman ZM-STG2. It also has a good reputation, decent characteristics and is included in the coolers of this famous South Korean company.

By the way, this is the only thermal paste in our test whose packaging indicates that it is suitable for application not only to the central processor, but also to the graphics and chipset.

DeepCool Z9 thermal paste

The next thermal paste is DeepCool Z9. It is top-of-the-line in the manufacturer’s line, but at the same time the most inexpensive of those presented in the test, plus the kit includes a spatula for application. The indicated thermal conductivity value is not amazing, but it is significantly higher than that of the younger brothers in the line.

Thermal paste Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1 g

The range of the German company Thermal Grizzly includes Kryonaut thermal paste - an uncompromising solution with the highest thermal conductivity coefficient in our test. This could not but be reflected in the price tag: 1 gram of paste costs the same as competitors’ 4-gram tubes.

Everything would be fine, but this gram is very difficult to apply and distribute, the thermal paste is very viscous, it’s just torture to apply.

Thermal paste Cooler Master MasterGel Pro 1.5 ml

Well, the last thermal paste in our test is MasterGel Pro from Cooler Master. In the manufacturer’s extensive line, this paste is in second place after MasterGel Maker, which I have not yet seen in our retail stores.

A good indicator of thermal conductivity, a spatula and an alcohol wipe are included - everything is at a high level, and the price did not disappoint.

See also: Optimal gaming computer - PC building / February 2019

Testing

We chose a hotter processor for testing: AMD Ryzen 7 3800X with a TDP of 105 watts.

It will be cooled not by a top-end dropsy, but by the included Wraith Prism , which in theory should remove up to 105 watts of heat. Let's see how he deals with this.

The processor warmed up while rendering a demo scene in Blender . The processor was used stock to look at the behavior of the boost. The maximum temperatures of the processor cover were taken as a basis.

Core Complex crystal , which is always a little hotter, in the table, because the smaller the difference between the heating of the lid and the crystal, the better and more uniform the contact with the cooler base. But it is not exactly