Need suggestions for CPU thermal paste?
Need suggestions for CPU thermal paste?
I intend to construct a new mid-range gaming PC soon. My choice will be AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU. I haven’t picked a CPU cooler yet since I haven’t finalized the motherboard. For reference, I’m considering either an Nvidia RTX 5070/5070 Ti or a Radeon RX 9070/9070 XT GPU, aiming for 1440p gaming (potentially 4K if supported), YouTube content creation, and some basic drone video editing (which could be 4K). I won’t overclock. I’ve looked into CPU thermal pastes but am not well versed in their details. The most frequently recommended options from my research are:
• Arctic
o Arctic MX-6
• Noctua
o Noctua NT-H2
• Thermal Grizzly
o Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
• Corsair
o Corsair XTM70
• Thermalright
o Thermalright TF9
Would any of these meet my requirements? I’m open to suggestions and reliable alternatives.
Typical coolers usually include a tube of paste that can be applied multiple times. Review the box contents for details. Noctua paste works well; I've used it for a long period. The variations are negligible.
Don’t waste time; just grab what’s available now and keep adding more later if needed.
Thermal Paste remains effective when it's of quality rather than low-cost alternatives. You often notice slight temperature differences, which can vary based on use and other factors. Avoid Thermal Grizzly; it performs well for short-term testing but dries quickly and contains abrasives that damaged my IHS and plate during previous attempts. My preferred choice is always Noctua NH2.
Tried their paste once and didn’t like the price or how difficult it was to apply.
Previously, I relied on Arctic silver, but recently I’ve switched to Arctic Mx-4, which has been fairly good. Most pastes I try are generally okay.