The Official Thermal Interface Material thread

[mechtech]

I have not seen any mx6 yet in Canada. Any consensus on what the best stuff is for longevity and pump out?? I’m looking for something that will last reliably for 6 years minimum before repasting.

 

[mclaren85]

The best heat transfer (according to thermodynamics law) occurs during the phase change. Which means during the compound melts down or boil etc. (that is the heat coefficient). Also some materials have the "second sound" phenomenon, which enables the heat transfer like a sound-waves do, which is also very important factor to analyze thermal conductivity.

According to this information the best ever paste has to be PCM (Phase change material) type. I don't know it yet to be created, but that is the way the companies should take.

Note: As far as I know, Henkel Industries tries to make some of that type of grease, but for only industrial usage.

 

[Pictus]

The best heat transfer (according to thermodynamics law) occurs during the phase change. Which means during the compound melts down or boil etc. (that is the heat coefficient). Also some materials have the "second sound" phenomenon, which enables the heat transfer like a sound-waves do, which is also very important factor to analyze thermal conductivity.

According to this information the best ever paste has to be PCM (Phase change material) type. I don't know it yet to be created, but that is the way the companies should take.

Note: As far as I know, Henkel Industries tries to make some of that type of grease, but for only industrial usage.

PCM?
Look at https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/...e-material-thread.278074/page-11#post-4814383

 

[mechtech]

Currently on it
3600 and 3070FE in a NZXT H210i
Literally the best paste i've used to date. Beats everything i've tried (NT-H1, 2, mastergel pro, MX4, gelid gc extreme, kryonaut, hydronaut, ic diamond and so on...)
Haven't tried TFX yet. Heard they come out of the same factory. Lowest temperatures i had and lowest hotspot difference (9 to 11)
Spread it, let it rest 20m and put it back on. For the price it's just amazing.

hmmmm not that I put much faith in Toms but

Best Thermal Paste for CPUs 2025: Over 50 Compounds Tested and Ranked

The right thermal paste will improve performance.

www.tomshardware.com

Rated it as poor, but then says very good high tension testing results?!?!! Strange.

9. SYY 157​

Best Budget Performance

Specifications​

Electrically Conductive: No
Thermal Conductivity: 15.7 W/mk
Ease of Use: 3.0 (1=difficult, 5=simple)
Relative Performance: 1 (1=poor, 5=excellent)
Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol
Price per gram: $2.99

Reasons to buy
+
Cost / price per gram
+
Very good high-tension testing results

Reasons to avoid​

-
Rather thick
-
Difficult to spread

 

[freeagent]

Difficult to spread?

Dam noobs.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Not here to make trouble, but any TIM would transfer the SAME heat for the same CPU (conservation of energy), except for the proviso given above.

However, the bad TIM will have the CPU running hotter.

And while that would seem logical in theory, that's not what happens in real-world practice.

Difficult to spread?

Dam noobs.

I wouldn't say is "difficult" to spread, but it does require more effort.

 

[damric]

So recently I put a water block on a 6900xt. The grease that came with it was amazing. I just emailed alphacool to see if they sell it or plan on selling it.

Alphacool Eisblock Aurora Acetal GPX-A Radeon RX 6800/XT/6900 Reference mit Backplate

Der Alphacool Eisblock Aurora Acryl RADEON RX 6800/6900/XT vereint Style mit Performance. Die Erfahrung von über 17 Jahren sind in diesen Grafikkarten-Wasserkühler eingeflossen und stellen den aktuellen Höhepunkt der Alphacool...

www.alphacool.com

 

[nja]

hmmmm not that I put much faith in Toms but

Best Thermal Paste for CPUs 2025: Over 50 Compounds Tested and Ranked

The right thermal paste will improve performance.

www.tomshardware.com

Rated it as poor, but then says very good high tension testing results?!?!! Strange.

9. SYY 157​

Best Budget Performance

Specifications​

Electrically Conductive: No
Thermal Conductivity: 15.7 W/mk
Ease of Use: 3.0 (1=difficult, 5=simple)
Relative Performance: 1 (1=poor, 5=excellent)
Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol
Price per gram: $2.99

Reasons to buy
+
Cost / price per gram
+
Very good high-tension testing results

Reasons to avoid​

-
Rather thick
-
Difficult to spread

These aren't reviews, they're fully sponsored articles that are copy pasted from sites to sites with affiliated links
Everyone who has tried syy 157 has made similar claims to me (as far as ive read)
No pump out in 4 months after a repaste
They claim it's thick and difficult to spread.. i disagree, kryonaut and gelid are harder to me! And theres always the cup of hot water technique if needed
If you want the best of the best.. TFX or these guys https://www.coolsierra.com/collections/thermal-paste/products/ec360-ruby?variant=39723865211020
They also have the best thermal pads with fujipoly.. But SYY 157 remains the best bang for the buck
I suspect it to be rebranded TFX from "less good" batches or normal batches, for fake concurrence.. Common in asian markets!

 

[freeagent]

SYY-157 is no more difficult to spread than Arctic Silver Ceramique II… Maybe they had some dry stuff, not sure. TFX is waaay thicker for sure, that stuff was a tough spread.. but it was cool in here and I didn’t warm it up.

 

[maxfly]

i am highly interested in the SYY 157 paste.
seems to be a very decent paste for direct die applications. anyone here tried it before?

I believe @freeagent has tried some? Or maybe it was gd900... I forget.

So recently I put a water block on a 6900xt. The grease that came with it was amazing. I just emailed alphacool to see if they sell it or plan on selling it.

Alphacool Eisblock Aurora Acetal GPX-A Radeon RX 6800/XT/6900 Reference mit Backplate

Der Alphacool Eisblock Aurora Acryl RADEON RX 6800/6900/XT vereint Style mit Performance. Die Erfahrung von über 17 Jahren sind in diesen Grafikkarten-Wasserkühler eingeflossen und stellen den aktuellen Höhepunkt der Alphacool...

www.alphacool.com

We've got an Alphacool rep, alphacooleddy or eddie. I'll try to find the right user name. Anyhow, he will be able to tell you.

 

[freeagent]

I believe @freeagent has tried some? Or maybe it was gd900... I forget.

That was me, I have gone through about 50 grams already

Its good stuff, use the spatula.. thin not translucent

But that would depend on your cooler I guess, and its mounting pressure...

 

[maxfly]

So recently I put a water block on a 6900xt. The grease that came with it was amazing. I just emailed alphacool to see if they sell it or plan on selling it.

Alphacool Eisblock Aurora Acetal GPX-A Radeon RX 6800/XT/6900 Reference mit Backplate

Der Alphacool Eisblock Aurora Acryl RADEON RX 6800/6900/XT vereint Style mit Performance. Die Erfahrung von über 17 Jahren sind in diesen Grafikkarten-Wasserkühler eingeflossen und stellen den aktuellen Höhepunkt der Alphacool...

www.alphacool.com

It's @EddyAlphacool Goodlord that was a pita to find! If you pm him I'm sure he will let you know. He's really helpful. Or...he may post up here

 

[EddyAlphacool]

So recently I put a water block on a 6900xt. The grease that came with it was amazing. I just emailed alphacool to see if they sell it or plan on selling it.

With all CPU and GPU coolers and also with all GPU and CPU AIOs (with the exception of the Ocean AIO), the Alphacool Subzero thermal paste with 16W/mk is currently always included.


This paste:

Alphacool

www.alphacool.com

 

[damric]

With all CPU and GPU coolers and also with all GPU and CPU AIOs (with the exception of the Ocean AIO), the Alphacool Subzero thermal paste with 16W/mk is currently always included.


This paste:

Alphacool

www.alphacool.com

Ok I was wondering because it was in a black unlabeled tube. I'll be ordering more. Thank you!

 

[EddyAlphacool]

@damric
That's correct, we don't have any lables on there. Actually inconvenient as you can see, but in the future there will be lables on it as well, so you can see it right away.
But it has always had the Subzero on it for many years. But next year we will switch to the more powerful Alphacool Apex with 17W/mk for all products (except the Ocean AIOs).

 

[Arco]

Would Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut be better than the MX-5 I'm using right now?

Edit: I'm open to suggestions as well.

 

[mechtech]

That was me, I have gone through about 50 grams already

Its good stuff, use the spatula.. thin not translucent

But that would depend on your cooler I guess, and its mounting pressure...

Lol 50g wth lol

A 4g tube usually gets old before I use it all. I have a newish tube (8 months old?) of mx4 2019 Ed (hopefully legit) that I will use on my noctua cooler when I repaste/reinstall.

edit

 

[jayjr1105]

Would Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut be better than the MX-5 I'm using right now?

Edit: I'm open to suggestions as well.

Considering your MX-5 application is probably recent, I wouldn't bother.

 

[freeagent]

Lol 50g wth lol

A 4g tube usually gets old before I use it all. I have a newish tube (8 months old?) of mx4 2019 Ed (hopefully legit) that I will use on my noctua cooler when I repaste/reinstall.

edit

I've got 3 CPUs in rotation, 3 or 4 heatsinks, and a few cases

I do all kind of experimenting

 

[nomdeplume]

How much of that 40g went to disproving the fingertip smear debate we'll never know.

 

[maxfly]

There was a fingertip debate? Do share @nomdeplume.

 

[P4-630]

hmmmm not that I put much faith in Toms but

Best Thermal Paste for CPUs 2025: Over 50 Compounds Tested and Ranked

The right thermal paste will improve performance.

www.tomshardware.com

Rated it as poor, but then says very good high tension testing results?!?!! Strange.

9. SYY 157​

Best Budget Performance

Specifications​

Electrically Conductive: No
Thermal Conductivity: 15.7 W/mk
Ease of Use: 3.0 (1=difficult, 5=simple)
Relative Performance: 1 (1=poor, 5=excellent)
Cleanup: lint-free absorbent paper towels, alcohol pads or cotton swabs and alcohol
Price per gram: $2.99

Reasons to buy
+
Cost / price per gram
+
Very good high-tension testing results

Reasons to avoid​

-
Rather thick
-
Difficult to spread

I'm missing Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme.....

 

[maxfly]

I'm missing Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme.....

And pk3 is $51.99 from the only vendor selling it on Amazon... apparently they think its made of gold.

 

[nomdeplume]

There was a fingertip debate? Do share @nomdeplume.

Yes, just as there was a bendable iPhone debate.

Effectively you just dip a finger into the barrel sized repository your industrial byproduct of note and finger paint it all over the place like you're 3 years old again. Which prompted howls of micro-sized air bubbles and all the usual suspected failure modes being examined in nauseating detail.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Would Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut be better than the MX-5 I'm using right now?

If it is, it's not by much. Maybe 1 or 2 degrees C

With all CPU and GPU coolers and also with all GPU and CPU AIOs (with the exception of the Ocean AIO), the Alphacool Subzero thermal paste with 16W/mk is currently always included.


This paste:

Alphacool

www.alphacool.com

Anyone who considers this, the 20g package, while pricey, is the best value per gram.

For those inclined, there's also an Amazon listing;

https://www.amazon.com/Alphacool-Subzero-Thermal-Grease-13009/dp/B0BDXSKPMV

There is also AlphaCool's Apex;

https://www.amazon.com/Alphacool-Apex-Thermal-Grease-13036/dp/B0B51C4KHL

This stuff is pricey as well, but it's supposed to be excellent.