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best cpu thermal paste

i use mx-2, but there is only a 2-3c difference between the best and worst paste probably. i would be using the paste which came with my thermalright cooler if it wasnt for i had some mx-2 lying around.
 
got myself mx2 even i have 2 tubes of arctic silver 5. will see whats the difference people say its a b$%& to spread around ?

should i spread it around all over the cpu or do the same as arctic silver 5 ?

line800qe9.jpg
 
I have never had good results using the line.

IMO its only so anyone can use it and make it easier to get right, if you can make a good job of speading it it will get better results.
 
hernaldo said:
It doesn't work I've tried it a long time ago, it dries out in a couple of minutes and your temps will be in the sky in no time.

Even without overclocking, at least on an Athlon xp 2500+ mobile...couple years ago gave it a shot because everyone was ranting about it...turns out to be a load of tosh and the rumour kept on spreading.
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Yes it does.

I tried it first on a K6 about 10 years ago and even as we seak, I have a Newcastle 3000 in a DFI LP250UT Board thats running with TP and has been for over a year.
 
i have a dual core and my cpu isnt lapped yet so I used a blob in the middle, not sure whats best for quad cores (both lapped and unlapped) tbh on lapped ones hardly any thermal paste should be needed at all
 
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When applying any paste, the way I do it, is simply to spread a thin layer over the whole of the surface of both the CPU and the heatsink...

A very small ammount is all that is needed, perhaps only half the size of a grain of rice maybe, and that is spread out in a circular motion ( Bulling your Army boots ) until the entire surface of the CPU is covered and then do the same with the heatsink.

The older CPUs is a little different as the surface to be covered is only about the 1cm mark ( Different CPUs are different sizes so dont go there its not important ) and so therefore, I again put about half a grain of rice's worth on but simply dab it down again, to cover only the bit in the middle ( My degree was obviously worth it )

The idea of simply plonking a pea sized blob on the CPU does appeal to many, but I have always tried to keep the distance between the heatsink and the CPU to a minimum, and waste also the line way.. Not good. You will end up with not much spread and a thick layer in the middle... That was a bad idea years ago and its still a bad idea today.

The thing is, that you dont put compound on your CPUs every 5 minutes... It getting put on there to stay there, so you might as well do it properly.
 
I saw a comparison of various pastes and the Thermalright Chillfactor performed equally as well as AS5 in the tests.

I needed a new tube of compound since my tube of AS5 was running low and when I saw the price difference between the AS5 and the Chillfactor, I just had to go with the Chillfactor :)
 
I bought AS-5 together with my Zalman CNPS 9700 NT not realizing I got some Zalman ZM-STG1 thermal grease included with it.
I read the review http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/zalmanthermalgrease/
and used it. However I think I used a lot less than in the reviewers pictures, he seemed to larrup it on. The brush is great for putting it on thinly. Anyway my [email protected] as I write is, according to Coretemp 33 32 33 30 with a fan speed of 1200 RPM. So it definitely works well and I wish I hadn't paid out £7 for the AS-5
 
2smoothbooth said:
AS5 all the way. You can get better thermal compounds but for the value and performance its a winner
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Even though mx-2 is cheaper, performs better, and there's more of it? ;)

MX-2, TX stuff, or shin-etsu.

I apply the stuff with my finger (covered in clingfilm) apply it to both the cpu and heatsink, then scrape it ALL (well, it looks like all of it, when the grooves are filled really) with a razor blade.

Done :)
 
With 2 to 3 degrees max difference in temps idle and load between all the premium branded thermal compounds, I'd just go with the cheapest or whatever you've got laying around!

I used to obsess about temps, and used coolaboratory pro for ages on all my setups to try and get that one degree lower idle or load temp, but I realised it was a waste of time, effort and money. IMO of course! :)

What most people are expressing here is personal preference to be honest, and you'd need to clarify what was meant by the word 'best' to get the answer to your question. Do you mean the cheapest? Coolest? Easiest to apply? Most expensive? Best value for money? Easiest to clean off? Each category might have a different winner!

If easy clean up is important to you by the way, then don't get the coolaboratory pro whatever you do! One application, and to get it off you'll have to practically lap your CPU and heatsink.
 
One question I have that i didn't want to start a whole new thread for but don't want to take over this thread is, as I am planning on buying a CPU upgrade for my PC (which currently has a socket 939 X64 3200+ single core and am upgrading to a X2 3600+) do I need to apply thermal paste or buy thermal paste to put on the CPU? Like is it a thing that you are meant to do or is it a choice you have (albeit I guess it is better to use thermal paste in the long run).
 
pegasus1 said:
People who want decent temps?
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Really?

So people who want decent temps ignore the industry advice of using a blob or a line and spread the paste all over the die :rolleyes:

A blob of Shin Etsu = 59 - 60 celcius (all cores loaded) with my Q6600 @ 3.8Ghz / 1.525 Volts under a Tuniq Tower.

All that with no 'thermal pump-out' or any level of capacitance ;)

:cool:

Although as the other guy has already said, it doesn't make a huge difference to temperatures so whatever is laying around will probably do just fine.
 
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