Good thermal paste for 10 bucks or less.

[IAnthonyFX]

Any options for this to pair with an 8700k with dark rock pro 3. I was thinking in this one https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835856065

[Streetguru]

10 minutes ago, IAnthonyFX said:

Any options for this to pair with an 8700k with dark rock pro 3. I was thinking in this one https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835856065

MX-4, but if you're trying to really get your temps lower you'll have to delid your CPU.

[Enderman]

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186038&cm_re=mx4-_-35-186-038-_-Product

[Psittac]

I have been using arctic silver for over a decade and always keep it on hand.  I don't know what this MX-4 is though, I'll have to look at it.

 

But as said, delid is the best way to lower temps.  I have a 7600k delid with arctic silver on both sides of IHS and I know that the temps could be much lower with liquid metal.  I just didn't have the balls to go LM after cooking my 7700k like an idiot because I left the IHS off.  But I have LM on hand and a couple things of arctic silver for when I rebuild my loop.

 

edit: remember there are risks to a delid and costs as well.

[Razor Blade]

I've used artic silver in the past and it's great stuff...but tried out and really like MX-4. 

[IAnthonyFX]

6 minutes ago, Razor Blade said:

I've used artic silver in the past and it's great stuff...but tried out and really like MX-4. 

 

7 minutes ago, Psittac said:

I have been using arctic silver for over a decade and always keep it on hand.  I don't know what this MX-4 is though, I'll have to look at it.

 

But as said, delid is the best way to lower temps.  I have a 7600k delid with arctic silver on both sides of IHS and I know that the temps could be much lower with liquid metal.  I just didn't have the balls to go LM after cooking my 7700k like an idiot because I left the IHS off.  But I have LM on hand and a couple things of arctic silver for when I rebuild my loop.

 

edit: remember there are risks to a delid and costs as well.

 

13 minutes ago, Enderman said:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186038&cm_re=mx4-_-35-186-038-_-Product

 

13 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

MX-4, but if you're trying to really get your temps lower you'll have to delid your CPU.

I do not really want to do a delid, I am far too afraid for that. I now artic silver is a good brand, but I am basing myself on this chart https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-comparison,5108-9.html

[Psittac]

10 minutes ago, IAnthonyFX said:

 

 

 

I do not really want to do a delid, I am far too afraid for that. I now artic silver is a good brand, but I am basing myself on this chart https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-comparison,5108-9.html

then go with kryonaut, liquid grizzly has some LM that is sitting ontop of my case right now.  I've seen it buying ad slots on a few channels I frequent lately so I went with it instead of the cool labratories I got last time.

 

edit: short of a compatibility issue I go with reputation and asking for advice.  For something like thermal paste you are going to get a product that works every time when applied properly so no compatibility issues.  In that case you can go off a chart from a source you trust or with advice from a forum and users that you trust.  Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be.  Don't forget availability as a key factor

[Streetguru]

9 minutes ago, IAnthonyFX said:

I do not really want to do a delid, I am far too afraid for that.

Shoulda bought Ryzen then? The Soldered IHS is just a nice bonus.

Just get MX-4, it'll be fine. Pretty much all of those are fine thermal pastes.

[Razor Blade]

Well that aluminum cooler rules out any of the liquid metal options. I'm just going by what has worked for me. I have not been very happy with the IC diamond 7 I tried. It is difficult to apply consistently as it is very viscus and I've read it is abrasive. The MX-4 or Noctua NT-H1 I tried is a lot easier to apply consistently. Though I don't overclock 

[Psittac]

2 minutes ago, Razor Blade said:

Well that aluminum cooler rules out any of the liquid metal options. I'm just going by what has worked for me. I have not been very happy with the IC diamond 7 I tried. It is difficult to apply consistently as it is very viscus and I've read it is abrasive. The MX-4 or Noctua NT-H1 I tried is a lot easier to apply consistently. Though I don't overclock 

liquid metal is fine under the IHS (recommend conformal coating too), it's when it goes over the IHS that it's a problem.  Which I have been wondering why no one uses it ontop of the IHS.  Also getting the right amount of LM on the cpu is stressful

[Razor Blade]

2 minutes ago, Psittac said:

liquid metal is fine under the IHS (recommend conformal coating too), it's when it goes over the IHS that it's a problem.  Which I have been wondering why no one uses it ontop of the IHS

Yeah it would make a big difference. But the OP didn't want to delid... and something like kryonaut is above the $10 budget...plus it wouldn't be compatible with the dark rock pro 3 cooler the OP has.

[IAnthonyFX]

9 minutes ago, Psittac said:

then go with kryonaut, liquid grizzly has some LM that is sitting ontop of my case right now.  I've seen it buying ad slots on a few channels I frequent lately so I went with it instead of the cool labratories I got last time.

10 bucks limits, and ????
 

 

8 minutes ago, Streetguru said:

Shoulda bought Ryzen then? The Soldered IHS is just a nice bonus.

Just get MX-4, it'll be fine. Pretty much all of those are fine thermal pastes.

my pc is for just gaming, do not care about other things really. But I agree, those other ones aren't as different but are much cheaper.

7 minutes ago, Razor Blade said:

Well that aluminum cooler rules out any of the liquid metal options. I'm just going by what has worked for me. I have not been very happy with the IC diamond 7 I tried. It is difficult to apply consistently as it is very viscus and I've read it is abrasive. The MX-4 or Noctua NT-H1 I tried is a lot easier to apply consistently. Though I don't overclock 

1

then the nt-h1 it is, 1 buck cheaper and peforms within .5C better than the mx-4 (plus they have more info on that chart about how it only changed .1C (new and old). thank you
 

[Psittac]

6 minutes ago, Razor Blade said:

Yeah it would make a big difference. But the OP didn't want to delid... and something like kryonaut is above the $10 budget...plus it wouldn't be compatible with the dark rock pro 3 cooler the OP has.

thermal grizzly makes several different thermal pastes, kryonaut is not LM, conductonaut is though.  edit: I think kryonaut is for liquid nitrogen though, just glancing at charts here

 

4 minutes ago, IAnthonyFX said:

10 bucks limits, and ????
 

I didn't even look at the cost

 

remember that a couple degree's isn't the end of the world.  Unless you are looking for cooler temps other than overclock headroom I wouldn't worry about it.  All of this is splitting hairs as overclocking it's self is a minor improvement let alone gains from thermal paste.

[Enderman]

14 hours ago, IAnthonyFX said:

I do not really want to do a delid, I am far too afraid for that. I now artic silver is a good brand, but I am basing myself on this chart https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-comparison,5108-9.html

The performance is all within margin of error, there is practically 0 difference between all of those top thermal pastes.

The reason why MX4 is a better choice is because it spreads easier to make good contact and also can be easily cleaned off without the need for alcohol and a ton of rubbing.

It is also not abrasive like some other thermal pastes.

[LogicalDrm]

If that's new cooler, it will come with small tube of thermal paste. You don't need anything more.

[IAnthonyFX]

3 hours ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

If that's new cooler, it will come with small tube of thermal paste. You don't need anything more.

I would not be asking this if this were a new cooler. I appreciate your worry still

[LogicalDrm]

7 hours ago, IAnthonyFX said:

I would not be asking this if this were a new cooler. I appreciate your worry still

Ok, there are others who don't know what cooler packages include. As of aftermarket pastes, NT-1 is my favorite (because of 2 Noctua coolers I've had).

[tikker]

I have always used MX-4 and it has never let me down. Never noticed major differences either using the included pastes or MX-4.

[PineyCreek]

Best paste I've tried recently from a name brand is Noctua's NT-H1.  Feel free to search for comparison videos/articles on thermal paste though. The default paste on a good cooling solution is usually good enough, but if I have to take it off for maintenance or some other reason, I replace it with the Noctua paste.

[WallacEngineering]

On 4/20/2018 at 9:48 PM, Streetguru said:

MX-4, but if you're trying to really get your temps lower you'll have to delid your CPU.

+1, MX-4 is the best cheap paste. Just look at some reviews, it usually sits in the top 1/3rd in pretty much every comparison and only runs a few degrees C hotter than the really expensive options like Thermal Grizzly's Kyronaut.

[JoostinOnline]

For under $10, the Noctua NT-H1 paste is best.  At least from the tests I've seen, and my own personal experience. Arctic MX-4 is a close contender though.  It's certainly more popular.