Damaged 5900X & AiO plating after TG Kryonaut

[xdk]

I have to post that warning, how expensive could be using TG Kryonaut thermal grease.
TG official support ignoring me and my messages, so Im dissapointed as this is well known and common issue with that grease and in come simillar case even here on TPU forum TG support felt responsible.

To the point, the expensive, "premium", "german enginereed" TG Kryonaut thermal grease scratched and damaged my expensive brand new AMD Ryzen 5900X IHS plate and copper plate of my Arctic Liquid CPU cooler. Probably well-known "bad batch" or something. I've used Kryo in the past without any issues, but It happend.

Photos of damaged Ryzen 5900X IHS and cooler copper plate after using Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut sending as attachments.

Grease was bought in 11.1g version in official reseller shop Avans.pl - https://www.avans.pl/, purchase recepit date is 11.12.2020
I confirmed authenticity and verification code on TG site.

Grease was applied and removed carefully by following the instruction. This is permament hardware damage and possible heat/contact issues in the future, on such expensive hardware. I messaged Thermal Grizzly Support, and still I didn't received any solution or compensation offer.

 

[newtekie1]

I'll never understand why people use this overpriced garbage. Go get a tube of MX-4 and never have to worry about damaging components and get the same performance.

 

[R-T-B]

I'll never understand why people use this overpriced garbage. Go get a tube of MX-4 and never have to worry about damaging components and get the same performance.

I'm sure it has something to do with thermal paste being both the least important component choice in a build, and the most obsessed about one, all at once.

 

[oobymach]

Yeah there was a bad batch of kryonaut, and it's not the best paste, just one of the most expensive. MX4 does a better job for cheaper.

 

[Mussels]

Being a known issue with recalled batches, you'd think they're on the ball with this

Cant you look up the batch codes on their website for this? or was that another brand

 

[watzupken]

I heard it was due to a bad batch, and I ran into the same problem myself. Just surprised that the bad batch lasted this long. The CPU IHS is usually ok, but the base of the cooler is always somewhat defaced when I remove the thermal compound. Since then, I've stopped using Thermal Grizzly and back to Arctic MX4.

 

[evernessince]

Yeah there was a bad batch of kryonaut, and it's not the best paste, just one of the most expensive. MX4 does a better job for cheaper.

It's the best non-conductive paste on the market: https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/guru3d_thermal_paste_roundup_2019,12.html

I've personally compared it to Noctua and Gelid solutions and it works very very well. It doesn't dry up as quickly as those pastes as well.

None of this excuses the issues encountered by the OP. Thermal Grizzly should do a better job supporting their products.

 

[Caring1]

I'm with Mussels on this, there was a recall and the company did what they could at the time.
The onus is on the seller for not observing the recall or batch number and they should be liable.

 

[Mussels]

Googling, i dont see any info on their website - nothing except that one forum post about a bad 2018 batch

contact their support, repeatedly

 

[FireFox]

I'll never understand why people use this overpriced garbage

Because many claims that it's the best. I agree with you it's totally garbage.

 

[illli]

you can salvage that heatsink. Get some sandpaper and lap it. It used to be a thing back in the day, you can make it look like a mirror if you work with it long enough. There might still be some guides out there online

 

[Chrispy_]

I'd just stop using any liquid metal paste TBH. If you're not going to delid, liquid metal is almost entirely pointless. You could lap your coldplate to clean it up and provide a better surface than originally, you might want to lap your CPU but keep the photos of the serial number, and the damage for reference in case you have to warranty it. I'm not even sure what AMD's stance is on a lapped IHS, so do that at your own risk if Thermal Grizzly don't get back to you.

 

[Mussels]

I'd just stop using any liquid metal paste TBH. If you're not going to delid, liquid metal is almost entirely pointless. You could lap your coldplate to clean it up and provide a better surface than originally, you might want to lap your CPU but keep the photos of the serial number, and the damage for reference in case you have to warranty it. I'm not even sure what AMD's stance is on a lapped IHS, so do that at your own risk if Thermal Grizzly don't get back to you.

kryonaut isnt liquid metal

 

[Chrispy_]

you can salvage that heatsink. Get some sandpaper and lap it. It used to be a thing back in the day, you can make it look like a mirror if you work with it long enough. There might still be some guides out there online

IMO the gains beyond about 600 grit wet-and-dry sandpaper are negligible. Sure, it's gonna look shiny but that has no impact on the thickness of the thermal paste layer at that point.
Just make sure the surface you are using as a base for the sandpaper is genuinely flat, I'd suggest a piece of glass sheet, stone cutting block, or a purpose made acrylic block. If you want to be sure you're lapping evenly, use a sharpie marker to colour in the IHS or coldplate and you know you're done when all the sharpie is gone, and can see if you're applying pressure unevenly to one side so that you can adjust your grip.

kryonaut isnt liquid metal

it's gallium-based though, right? Potayto, potah-toe?
NM, I see it's just TG's regular thermal paste. I still have half a 1L tub of Servisol at work - it's the generic thermal white silicone grease that lasts forever.

 

[Mussels]

IMO the gains beyond about 600 grit wet-and-dry sandpaper are negligible. Sure, it's gonna look shiny but that has no impact on the thickness of the thermal paste layer at that point.
Just make sure the surface you are using as a base for the sandpaper is genuinely flat, I'd suggest a piece of glass sheet, stone cutting block, or a purpose made acrylic block. If you want to be sure you're lapping evenly, use a sharpie marker to colour in the IHS or coldplate and you know you're done when all the sharpie is gone, and can see if you're applying pressure unevenly to one side so that you can adjust your grip.


it's gallium-based though, right? Potayto, potah-toe?

you're mistaking kryonaut with conductonaut

 

[xdk]

There is a thread where OP says Thermal Grizzly, same like my case, ignoring the problem and messages. They just asked for verification code, probably for their own knowledge which batch they should recall.

But in this thread TG give an OP a compensation in price value higher than damaged Noctua cooler was worth.

Looks like TG just started ignore the customers and their loses TG products cause, or making bad job with it.

I will for sure never again buy Thermal Grizzly product, too risky and too expensive.

 

[Bones]

I'm seeing everyone say there was a bad batch - Looks like way more than one bad batch to me from all the posts I've seen recently about this very issue.

I've said it before and will again - Kryonaut was created and formulated for sub-zero use. Although it CAN be used with systems ran daily, sub-zero is what it's really meant for.

MX-4 is a really good TIM that's cheaper and more "Daily useage friendly" than Kryonaut because of that.
I'm getting that with it's rep for performance is why so many are getting it, expecting the best from it and that's OK, I'd love to have the best myself when shopping around. However with the issues it has and still seems to, that's one big reason why I won't touch the stuff.

One more thing to that point - I recently set an overclocking WR with MX-4 Carbon (2019 Edition) TIM used with the system I ran and it's an all time record too, beating any and all others period.
That obviously includes any and all results obtained with Kryonaut in use too.

While Kryonaut may work well for it's intended useage there are alternatives that can work just as good for alot less without all the problems and damage too.

 

[moproblems99]

I have to post that warning, how expensive could be using TG Kryonaut thermal grease.
TG official support ignoring me and my messages, so Im dissapointed as this is well known and common issue with that grease and in come simillar case even here on TPU forum TG support felt responsible.

If this is so we'll known, why not just buy a different paste that performs within the margin of error in the first place?

 

[xdk]

I've said it before and will again - Kryonaut was created and formulated for sub-zero use. Although it CAN be used with systems ran daily, sub-zero is what it's really meant for.


While Kryonaut may work well for it's intended useage there are alternatives that can work just as good for alot less without all the problems and damage too.

Okay, thats obvious I will not use that premium scratching grease anymore, even though I have full 11g tube, but there were no warning that using TG Kryonaut grease can cause CPU and Cooler surface damage. So Thermal Grizzly should be resposible for any user loses after using their product. I send them link to this thread, will see.

 

[elghinnarisa]

Okay, thats obvious I will not use that premium scratching grease anymore, even though I have full 11g tube, but there were no warning that using TG Kryonaut grease can cause CPU and Cooler surface damage. So Thermal Grizzly should be resposible for any user loses after using their product.

Maybe you can reuse it as polishing paste?

 

[xdk]

@elghinnarisa That would be soo expensive
It seems to has some corrosive properties also.

 

[freeagent]

Do you think its corrosive? It almost looks like the powder wasn't broken down enough before they added other ingredients. But if that was the case then surely he would have felt that as it was coming out of the tube? Those are big pits. I don't know what's in it so who knows, maybe it is corrosive. Impressive. A little QC can go a long way, especially with a product like that. Because you know all of your customers have an internet connection..

 

[newtekie1]

It's the best non-conductive paste on the market: https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/guru3d_thermal_paste_roundup_2019,12.html

Is it though? Is 2°C within margin of error and then there is the obvious potential to of damaged components. Yet people obsess over that 2°C like it is going to make them an extreme overclocking god.

I'm with Mussels on this, there was a recall and the company did what they could at the time.
The onus is on the seller for not observing the recall or batch number and they should be liable.

I disagree. From what I can tell they just put out a post on their forums about the bad batch. They didn't actively do anything to do a recall. They didn't contact venders, they didn't put a warning on the product page of the website. They just put out a forum post and left it to everyone else to find it after their hardware was damaged.

 

[xdk]

I disagree. From what I can tell they just put out a post on their forums about the bad batch. They didn't actively do anything to do a recall. They didn't contact venders, they didn't put a warning on the product page of the website. They just put out a forum post and left it to everyone else to find it after their hardware was damaged.

I cant find any official post / their forum about that.

 

[oobymach]

It's the best non-conductive paste on the market: https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/guru3d_thermal_paste_roundup_2019,12.html

I've personally compared it to Noctua and Gelid solutions and it works very very well. It doesn't dry up as quickly as those pastes as well.

None of this excuses the issues encountered by the OP. Thermal Grizzly should do a better job supporting their products.

Best is a matter of opinion. Kryonaut is very good, but even NT-H1 has been tested to perform better and prolimatech nano is the best non liquid metal paste.