ARCTIC MX-4 (4 g) - Premium Performance Thermal Paste for all processors (CPU, GPU - PC, PS4, XBOX), very high thermal conductivity, long durability, safe application, non-conductive, non-capacitive

Product Information

Computer components heat up when in use. With the processor and the graphics card, this is so bad that they usually have their own dedicated cooling setups. And on those setups, you need thermal paste to help the heat transfer and diffuse; otherwise, you’ll be rebuilding parts of your rig.

Price is usually commensurate with the amount and efficacy; although, brands can sometimes charge a premium for their name, as with any product really. That being said, it’s usually still reasonable. When it’s older than the recommended period of use, the paste will begin to degrade. As a result, it’s always best to buy such products from proven businesses that guarantee value. These two thermal options are from a verified source, and our review helps you choose between the two. 1. Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Cooling Compound Paste 3.5g Heatsink Pros In contrast, traditional thermal paste compounds are relatively simple for every experience level. Most, but not all, traditional pastes are electrically non-conductive. Well, the ARCTIC MX-6 lowers the temperature by 1°C over the Noctua NT-H1. I would hardly declare it as a winner. If you’re wondering this does have a very tangible effect. While it might not keep your CPU 7 times cooler, it does lower the temperature by as much as 10 degrees Celsius more than the rest of the pastes on the list. If that doesn’t make it the best GPU thermal paste, then I don’t know what would.

Heat Conducting Materials for CPU and GPU

use to its final consistency designed for long-term stability. (This should not be confused with conventional However, we prefer the lasting power offered by the MX4, and it is often the first consideration of many here. It’s safe and straightforward to apply and install. In terms of specifications, the Cooler Master MasteGel Regular thermal paste has a thermal conductivity of 5 W/mk, which is more in line with a lot of other options mentioned in this collection. The company also sells a premium version of this particular paste with thermal conductivity of 11 W/mk. This paste is grey in color and its density is 2.5 g. We had absolutely no issues applying the paste on the CPU. The overall performance of the solution has also been pretty solid as we've encountered no abnormalities in the CPU temps. We've used this particular paste for many of our builds and it's been a reliable option. Are you looking for the best thermal paste to use on your CPU or GPU, but aren’t sure which one to go for? If that’s why you’re here, you’re in for a treat because we’ve personally tested over 20 of the most popular pastes used by both enthusiasts and builders to come up with our top 5 best thermal pastes.

A danger to look out for with thermal pastes is electrical conductivity. Apart from that, some pastes are more challenging to apply than others. Artic's Silver series is extremely popular among enthusiasts. The Silver series has also been around for quite some time now and the company has managed to keep it relevant in the space by adding newer, better variants to match the current standards. The Arctic Silver 5 is currently one of the most popular thermal paste solutions on the market. It's a high-density polysynthetic silver compound that's known to be very effective in a variety of builds. It contains micronized silver and several other thermally conductive ceramic particles to offer a high level of performance and stability. When it comes to PC Cooling, enough attention is paid to the coolers, which is obvious. But thermal pastes and thermal pads play a critical role as well. After all, it is the thermal paste that will be conducting a thermal transfer from source to the cooler. Thermal paste is of paramount consideration when it comes to the effective cooling of the main components like CPU, GPU, PCH, and any other chipset. There are multiple factors contributing towards the optimal performance of the given thermal paste over the period of time like its thermal conductance, viscosity, operating temperature range, make-up, electrically conductive, cure time, etc.

The XTM50 paste by itself has low viscosity, so can also just use the 'Dot method' to apply the paste and let the mounting pressure do its thing. But if you're too worried about applying using that method, then the bundled stencil and spreader make it very easy to get things done. In theory, you can use any application method for a compound with low viscosity, but the stencil makes it that much easier to apply. It's for new builders who don't necessarily have the technical know-how of properly applying thermal paste and how improper application can have a lasting impact on the overall performance of the CPU.

However, there is a catch to it. These wipes have very strong and unpleasant smell that doesn’t go away instantly. ARCTIC is not adding or mixing any artificial flavor for the fragrance to alter this smell. Each wipe is 115x115mm. PC was powered off for a minimum of 30 minutes after a stress test run. This would allow the completion of the thermal cycle with hot and cold runs giving the thermal paste some time to reach its near-optimal condition. You may have heard of thermal pads being used by many as a replacement for thermal paste. That's entirely normal because thermal pads are also highly efficient. Thermal pads are primarily used on M.2 SSD modules. As such the heatsink or the motherboard shroud covering the M.2 SSD module holds thermal pads to dissipate the heat produced by the modules. It works the same way as thermal paste, except these are solid pads as opposed to pasting or liquid solutions. We think the Thermal Grizzly's Carbonaut is one of the best options on the market. This can be used on both processors and GPUs too. The application of thermal pads involves placing the pad on top of the CPU IHS, thereby filling the gap between the IHS and the heatsink. Thermal compounds might always be compared and debated over, but the simple fact remains: PC system building needs thermal compounds to effectively dissipate thermal loads. Without them, our beloved gaming and content-producing machines would struggle to keep components cool during heated frag sessions, heavy workstation computations, or just simply browsing the web.

Is high-quality thermal paste worth it?

We like that the paste uses a micronized silver paste alongside ceramic particles to create a high-performance and durable design. Parts of the composition of aluminum oxide, boron nitride and zinc oxide solution will provide lower load temperatures than you’ll get from standard compounds. – Coverage Area: Covers a Wide Spot Whether you opt for the MX4 thermal paste or some other brand and model, there are certain features to watch out for. To that extent, here are a couple to ease your search for the best paste. The main difference between Arctic Silver 5 and MX4 is, MX4 is safe and straightforward to apply and install with a better performance while Arctic Silver 5 features thermal conductivity. Performance and Quality