Thermal paste on a PC is similar to oil for a vehicle. The surface of the heatsink and the back of components like CPU and GPU cannot be perfectly sealed 100% with each other, which is why we need thermal paste to fill in those gaps. Only with a good enough thermal paste ensuring proper heat transfer can your components cool effectively and always operate in the best environment.
Here are the Top 5 best thermal pastes for CPU and GPU today, hoping you can find the right paste for your beloved PC setup.
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut
Basic Specifications:
Weight of paste: 5g Ingredients: liquid metal Thermal conductivity: 73 W/mK
Advantages:
Super performance Complete accessories Top choice for overclockers
Disadvantages:
High price Not usable on aluminum heatsinks Requires skill
This is definitely the perfect tool for serious overclockers. With an incredible thermal conductivity of up to 73 W/mK, it’s no surprise that it deserves to be mentioned first on this list. That number is many times higher than the thermal pastes below.
This thermal paste can easily make your CPU run about ten degrees cooler compared to any ordinary thermal paste on the market today, of course, with a sufficiently high-quality heatsink. The manufacturer is also quite thoughtful by providing users with all the necessary accessories for applying the paste. You also need to ensure that the CPU is thoroughly cleaned for the paste to work effectively. Additionally, do not use it on aluminum heatsinks as it may cause reactions leading to corrosion and discoloration on the heatsink surface.
Although this is the most expensive paste on the list, the high price is justified. Its cooling performance can help us push the overclocking limits, which may not be very useful for average users but is extremely valuable for professionals.
Noctua NT-H1
Basic Specifications:
Weight of paste: 10g Ingredients: Ceramic Thermal conductivity: 8.5 W/mK Durability: 3 years shelf life, 5 years usage
Advantages:
Affordable Easy for beginners Good performance
Disadvantages:
Inconsistent quality of individual products
Noctua has long been a reliable name in the PC cooling industry. Their paste may not offer the best cooling performance, but overall it is still good and reasonably priced. Whether you are just starting to build your PC or are already an expert, Noctua NT-H1 remains a solid choice.
With a thermal conductivity of 8.5 W/mK, this ceramic paste can keep your CPU cool for 5 years. But you should note that it has a shelf life of 3 years from the date of manufacture.
ARCTIC MX-4
Basic Specifications:
Weight of paste: 4g Ingredients: Carbon Thermal conductivity: 8.5 W/mK Durability: 8 years usage
Advantages:
Affordable Good performance
Disadvantages
Inconsistent quality of individual products
This carbon-based paste is one of the most stable and reasonably priced options available today. Its viscosity makes it a bit tricky to apply and not very suitable for beginners. However, if you apply it correctly, there shouldn’t be any issues, and it’s definitely not as troublesome as liquid metal.
With a thermal conductivity of 8.5 W/mK and durability of up to 8 years, you can comfortably use a PC throughout its lifecycle without worrying about replacing the paste. Typically, you will replace the CPU before the paste has any issues.
Cooler Master MasterGel Maker
Basic Specifications:
Weight of paste: 4g Ingredients: Carbon Thermal conductivity: 11 W/mK
Advantages:
Good performance High price-performance ratio Easy to use
Disadvantages:
Quite expensive
With a thermal conductivity of 11 W/mK, this paste can be considered among the top thermal pastes that are not liquid metal. Suitable for those who want to do light overclocking.
True to what users can expect from a premium thermal paste product. Cooler Master even provides users with an applicator tool and specialized alcohol-soaked wipes for cleaning old paste. You don’t need to prepare anything; just buy this tube and you can get started right away.
Arctic Silver 5 AS5-3.5G
Basic Specifications:
Weight of paste: 5g Ingredients: Ceramic Thermal conductivity: 8.9 W/mK Durability: 8 years usage
Advantages:
The manufacturer claims it never dries out Affordable Good performance
Disadvantages:
Difficult to apply
If you are looking for an affordable and durable thermal paste, this might be the one for you. It can maintain its effectiveness for 8 years, and the manufacturer claims it will never dry out. With a thermal conductivity of 8.9 W/mK, it’s not bad at all for a budget thermal paste.
The only drawback you need to be aware of is that this paste is quite thick and sticky, so inexperienced users may find it a bit challenging to apply cleanly.