12 best thermal pastes

*Overview of the best according to the editors of Healthy Food Near Me. About selection criteria. This material is subjective, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

With the growth of the power of modern electronics, the heat dissipation of microprocessor systems also grows. This not only affects performance, but can also lead to chip failure. This problem is “treated” now in exactly the same way as always – either by passive cooling – a radiator, or by active cooling – a radiator with a fan or circulating liquid. And here it is important that the heat from the chip (or directly from the silicon chip of the chip) is transferred to the cooling system as efficiently as possible. This is what the so-called thermal interface is for, which is often used by thermal paste.

The editors of Simplerule magazine studied the 2019 thermal paste market and, based on the recommendations of our industry experts, prepared a list of the most noteworthy brands, including several types of today’s very progressive “liquid metal”.

How to choose thermal paste

First, let’s define the main points that need to be taken into account when buying thermal paste. The fact is that this is not the most difficult product to manufacture, and there are plenty of varieties of thermal paste on the market. But prevalence does not automatically mean efficiency, and for certain, highly specialized purposes, it is probably worth waiting for a parcel with AliExpress.

First of all, you need to understand your own goals. Everything is more or less obvious here – different paste is suitable for different tasks. Installing a medium-power processor that is not supposed to be touched for years is one thing, and overclocking, overclocking the “stone” to the maximum, is another.

Thermal conductivity

One of the most important parameters, it is also the most obvious. Characterizes the ability of thermal paste to transfer heat from a hot chip to a cold heatsink. We will not delve into the physicochemical details of the process, we will only say that this indicator is measured in W / (m K), and for thermal pastes it varies from tenths of a unit (as in the very common, but inefficient KPT-8 with its 0.8 W / (m K)) and up to tens of units. For the vast majority of tasks, thermal conductivity up to 2, rarely up to 5 W / (m K) is sufficient.

Composition and consistency

The composition is what makes thermal paste a thermal paste, and not just an incomprehensible ointment. It includes the smallest particles of elements and compounds that conduct heat well. These are, first of all, oxides and nitrides of metals, microparticles of the metals themselves – all these tiny particles have sizes of the order of micro- and nanoscale. The binder that turns the powder into a paste are liquids, oils (synthetic and natural) with minimal volatility. The last parameter is important, since the thermal paste should not shrink, dry out and crack over time.

There is a nuance here. Some thermal pastes may contain metal microparticles. This increases thermal conductivity, but increases the risk of conducting current where it is not needed. Such pastes are often effective, but they must be handled with the utmost care and skill.

Liquid metal

Simplerule experts specifically recommended that this category of products be separated into a separate item. The fact is that for most ordinary people, liquid metal (in the context of processor cooling) is just one of the types of thermal pastes. Formally, this is so. But in fact, there are important differences.

1. Firstly, there are no substitutions of concepts here, and we are really talking about metal. The fact is that some metals themselves are solid, and when in contact with other metals, they acquire the properties of a liquid. Such an amazing feature served as an impetus for the use of such liquid alloys as thermal interfaces.

2. Secondly, the thermal conductivity of liquid metal is ten times higher than that of classic thermal paste. But this does not mean that such a thermal interface is universal. If only because it is disproportionately more expensive and more difficult to operate. And, yes, this does not mean that it is able to cool the chip at times – the efficiency of lowering the temperature can only reach about 25%. To unprepared minds, this figure is not impressive, but it is actually quite a lot.

3. Thirdly, you need to be able to handle liquid metal. This is material for professionals, and any mistake threatens the failure of an expensive device.

4. Fourthly, such thermal interfaces are not suitable for contact with aluminum radiators, which are the majority. They corny cause corrosion of the radiator up to its destruction.

These are just the most noticeable “nuances” of working with liquid metal. As you can see, this option is far from a panacea. However, in many situations this is the only correct solution. Most often, overclockers resort to it, scalping the processor and applying liquid metal not only between the heatsink and the processor, but also on the crystal itself.

Rating of the best thermal pastes

The best thermal pastes with medium thermal conductivity

The first selection in Simplerule’s Best Thermal Greases of 2019 roundup focuses on products that we don’t expect to perform exceptionally well. These are mostly inexpensive thermal pastes, readily available, easy to use, and fairly reliable. They are widely used by both “advanced users” and professionals in electronics repair shops.

Arctic MX-4

Rating: 4.9

The first selection opens with one of the most common and affordable thermal pastes on the Russian market – Arctic MX-4. 4 In production since mid-2010. More often it can be found except perhaps the domestic KPT-8, but we will not consider it for many reasons, including because of the extremely low thermal conductivity. The Arctic Cooling brand is Swiss, the paste itself is made in China.

So, ArcticCooling’s MX-4 is not a metallized thermal paste. This means that it is practically universal and, in a certain sense, safe – there is practically no risk of unforeseen short circuit.

The most important characteristic of the paste, thermal conductivity, is (claimed) 8.5 W/(m·K). This is significantly better than another compound of the same brand – MX-2. I must say that the MX-2 is widely used, not least due to the more affordable price. Due to such a high thermal conductivity, the paste almost fell into the second category of the review from Simplerule.

Other important organoleptic characteristics of the paste: declared viscosity – 870 P (Poise); density – 2.5 grams per cm cube; color – light grey. The formal warranty is 8 years, but that is exactly what the formal one is, since for such goods a long-term warranty looks strange and most likely does not correspond to reality according to the descriptions. The easiest way to clarify this point when ordering at the point of sale.

The paste is supplied in a syringe form factor with a volume of 4 or 20 grams.

Gelid GC-Extreme

Rating: 4.8

The Gelid GC-Extreme thermal paste practically does not lag behind its predecessor in terms of thermal conductivity. Here, this figure is 8.5 W/(m K). And this is not its only merit. The manufacturer is GELID Solutions from Hong Kong. Actually, the place of manufacture is indicated by the marking on the package, and often it is the USA. How important these data are is an individual question.

Having been released to the market back in 2009, this thermal paste remains one of the best in the range of a company engaged in the production of cooling equipment and electronics accessories. During this time, a ten-gram package for “active users” was added to the standard.

Now let’s get to the main point. The thermal conductivity of the paste is 8.5 W/(m K), which is very good. Dynamic viscosity is almost the same as the previous one – 850 P. In fact, its consistency is no different from MX-4.

The standard packaging is a 3.5 g syringe, but the nature of the wall material is strange – opaque. Accordingly, it is visually difficult to determine how much paste is left in the syringe.

GD900

Rating: 4.7

Let’s continue our express research with the GD900 paste, which some call the “Chinese miracle” in this area, and quite deservedly despite some pathos. Indeed, nothing particularly remarkable and not very publicized pasta deserved truly popular recognition.

According to the main indicator – thermal conductivity – GD900 paste loses almost two times to the previous version – 4.8 W / (mK). But this is not a drawback, since a significant part of users do not need exorbitant indicators for this part, and the price in this case is more attractive. The density of the composition is 2.3 g/cm. cube

There is a “chip” in this paste – the presence of silver microparticles. The developers included this component for their own reasons, and here silver plays an important role in thermal conductivity. But, contrary to possible fears, the metal suspension in the paste is not too dense, and does not affect the dielectric properties of the paste as a whole. In simple terms, you can not be afraid of a short circuit. In the GD900-1 modification, there are significantly more silver microparticles, but the indicators are different.

Packing, by the way, can be different, up to a relatively large jar of 30 g.

Prolimatech PK-1

Rating: 4.7

Continues the tour of the best thermal interfaces of 2019 according to the summary opinion of the expert council of the magazine Simplerule Prolimatech thermal paste brand PK-1. Manufactured in Taiwan by a manufacturer of the same name that specializes in cooling systems and electronics products.

In terms of thermal conductivity, this paste leaves the previous version far behind and even surpasses Arctic MX-4 – 11.2 W/(mK). So, it is quite applicable for systems that are more demanding on heat dissipation. Its density is 2.7 g/cm. cubic, which is commensurate with any other pastes of this type. The consistency does not cause problems with either application or removal. The paste is not too viscous, within normal limits.

The minimum packaging of Prolimatech PK-1 is a special syringe with 1.5 g of a suspended substance. Maximum – 30 g. You can also buy a syringe with a paste with 5 grams. Sellers often add the syringe itself with the cooler, and if you buy the paste separately, there will be additional information on the package that may be useful.

As for the shelf life, as well as the service life, the data for this paste is very vague, based on the information provided by the suppliers. In any case, they are comparable to the actual service life of the devices themselves.

If you buy a boxed version, the kit will also include a spatula for application and a napkin for thorough removal.

STEEL Frost Zinc (STP-1)

Rating: 4.6

The selection of the most popular and affordable thermal pastes is completed by an inexpensive, solid and reliable option – domestic STEEL Frost Zinc thermal grease. It is produced by Izhevsk ZRP LLC.

As the name suggests, its main active ingredient is zinc compounds. Probably, there are even zinc microgranules – the manufacturer is modestly silent about the details of the composition of the paste. Nevertheless, the composition is chosen competently and professionally, so that high-quality heat transfer between the chip and the radiator will be ensured.

In absolute terms, the thermal conductivity of the paste varies from 4.7 to 4.9 W/(m K). The viscosity in this case is about 900-950 P, but this is at a nominal temperature of 20 degrees.

Like any normal thermal paste, STEEL Frost Zinc does not dry out or deteriorate in a reasonable amount of time, so its shelf life is unlimited. In addition, the manufacturer also gives a four-year warranty on it.

The paste is supplied in a convenient compact syringe, a transparent spatula and a degreasing cloth are also included.

The best thermal pastes with high thermal conductivity

The second group of products in our review are thermal pastes with increased thermal conductivity. Here we emphasize that the border between a high and an average indicator is very blurry, since everyone has different goals and requirements, and in absolute terms, pasta of the first and second categories do not differ too much. But, in any case, it is more convenient to make a choice.

Thermal Grizzly Cryonaut

Rating: 4.9

Let’s start the second section with the flagship of the Thermal Grizzly family – Kryonaut thermal paste, which, along with Hydronaut and Aeronaut, shows the most worthy characteristics. Only liquid metal Conductonaut is “cooler” than it, and we will definitely consider it in the next selection. Thermal Grizzly is a relatively new company, and so far it specializes exclusively in such products.

All Thermal Grizzly thermal pastes come in opaque sachets resembling a disposable shampoo form factor. The product specifications are listed on the back of the package. Included with each is an instruction in Russian and a plastic spatula.

The stated thermal conductivity of thermal paste is 12.5 W/(m K). As you can see, the thermal conductivity of the paste is very decent, and aluminum nanoparticles in its composition play an important role in this.

The consistency of the paste is noticeably thicker than any of the previous ones. This is unusual, and creates inconvenience for many – applying paste to the work surface is somewhat more difficult. However, given that the vast majority of users have to do this procedure extremely rarely, this disadvantage is not so significant.

The service life of all thermal interfaces of this type is 4 years.

Thermalright TF8

Rating: 4.8

Let’s continue our express review of the best thermal pastes of 2019 according to the Simplerule online magazine with another Taiwanese product – Thermalright TF8 thermal paste.

This is quite a common “working” paste, which is in demand both among ordinary users and professional system engineers. Its thermal conductivity is 13.8W/(mK), thermal resistance is

The manufacturing company launched two brands of thermal pastes on the market almost simultaneously – TF8 and TF6. They differ in that the second one shows slightly more modest results, but it is cheaper.

Both types are supplied in plastic blisters, inside there is a syringe with a nozzle, a spatula for application. The volume of the syringe can be 2 g or 5.8 g. In the case of TF6, there is also a 4 g option.

Cool Master MasterGel Maker Nano

Rating: 4.7

The review continues with the progressive MasterGel Maker Nano thermal paste manufactured by the Taiwanese private company Cooler Master. Its progressiveness begins in the content of nanoscale diamond particles in the composition of the suspension, and this, in fact, ends. It was first released at the end of 2015. Until now, the novelty of that time remains the flagship of the entire Cooler Master family.

The thermal conductivity of this thermal interface is 11 W/(m·K). In many respects, this result was achieved precisely due to the addition of diamond nanoparticles, which literally boosted heat transfer. As for other components of thermal paste, the manufacturer does not disclose details. It is unlikely because of secrecy, since MasterGel Maker Nano is quite an ordinary and ordinary, albeit good, thermal paste. Its color is the usual gray, the consistency is relatively liquid, certainly not as thick as Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut.

The product is packaged in a compact syringe, sealed in the usual plastic-cardboard blister. Inside there is also a memo for customers and a wet wipe for degreasing (presumably alcohol-containing).

Prolimatech PK-3

Rating: 4.6

Completes the selection of the most worthy thermal pastes available on the Russian market in 2019 according to Simplerule, a product of the Prolimatech trademark. This is also a Taiwanese manufacturer – it just so happened historically that the Republic of China Taiwan for many years has no equal in the production of such small, but irreplaceable materials.

Thermal paste PK-3 practically does not differ in its basic performance characteristics from the previous one. Therefore, Simplerule specialists included it in the review as a recommendation in case there is no alternative in the immediate availability.

The thermal conductivity of the paste is 11.2 W/(mK), and the suspension density is 2.7 g/cm. cube Supplied in standard packaging (minimum) and packaging – a syringe with 1.5 g of paste, a plastic-cardboard blister.

The best “liquid metal” thermal pastes

And now we are moving on to the final and most interesting part of the review of the best thermal interfaces according to Simplerule. And it will be interesting because we will consider liquid metal from different manufacturers. Let’s say right away that this product is not for amateurs, despite the exorbitant thermal conductivity. As mentioned above, the liquid metal in this case is actually a metal, which means it conducts current. In case of inept handling of the material, in the worst case, you can completely disable the device. And so the main buyers of liquid metal are overclockers, scalping processors and overclocking them to exorbitant values.

Coollaboratory Liquid Copper CL-LC 11WMK

Rating: 4.9

The first number in this exotic category of our review is not just liquid metal, but whole liquid copper! Of course, at room temperature, copper is not liquid, and for this, other elements are present in its composition in the right concentration.

There is some manipulation of concepts here, because, to be honest, Liquid Copper CL-LC 11WMK paste consists of the smallest particles of the purest copper (about 99.9%), connected in a kind of suspension by a complex silicone matrix.

According to the characteristics of resistance to extreme temperatures, all components of the composition leave far behind any of the above thermal pastes. This paste can withstand temperatures of 800 degrees Celsius or more. Of course, in microprocessor systems such exorbitant temperatures practically do not occur, but this must be borne in mind.

The thermal conductivity of this paste is not much higher than the considered samples – 12 W/(mK). This is not a drawback, since it is still not quite a liquid metal. Supplied packaged in compact syringes of 25 g and 1.5 g.

Thermalright Silver King

Rating: 4.8

Now the review of the best thermal interfaces in 2019 according to the Simplerule online magazine continues the effective and, importantly, full-fledged liquid metal available at retail – Thermalright Silver King. In terms of its effect, it is several times superior to the above-described Liquid Copper, and is already suitable for delicate operations with processor scalping and replacement of the thermal interface.

In absolute terms, its thermal conductivity reaches 79 W / (m K). The advantage of the compound is that it no longer contains any impurities at all in a tangible volume – only the actual metals that make up the liquid alloy.

The most common form of packaging is a syringe containing a substance weighing 3 g.

Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut – 1g TG-C-001-R-RU

Rating: 4.7

And at the end of our list is the real top liquid metal. This is Conductonaut – a thermal compound, which is a eutectic alloy of gallium, indium and tin. These three elements are individually solid at room temperature. But their alloy is liquid like mercury, only, unlike mercury, it does not collect in separate “runaway” bubbles. This composition is stable in the open air, does not oxidize and has the highest thermal conductivity.

In dry numbers, the situation is as follows. The thermal conductivity of the composition is 73 W / (m K), the viscosity is 0,0021 Pa s, the density is 6,24 g / cm. cube The composition retains its performance characteristics within the temperature range from 10 °C to +140 °C. The weight of the composition in the most common packaging is 1 g.

As shown by numerous independent tests, this liquid metal is well suited for both air and water cooling, as well as for overclocking. The only point is that experts DO NOT recommend this composition for extreme overclocking.

Like any other full-fledged liquid metal compound, it should not be used in contact with aluminum heatsinks.

Attention! This material is subjective, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.