Arctic MX4 (2017) vs Thermal Pads (2019) for the 3700X?

[Bashrag]

My SO will have all the parts for her PC this week and will start building soon. She plans to use the stock Wraith Prism on the 3700X (I'll gift her a Noctua or DRP4 for Christmas).

 

I have some MX4 left over from 2017 which we plan to use. I recently found out about thermal pads and was wondering if they're any good compared to my old MX4. Are there any pads that offer significantly better thermal performance than a paste but are not obnoxiously more expensive? Sure, for something that will possibly last "forever", I wouldn't mind spending a few extra €, but I don't think I'd be okay spending as much on a thermal pad as I would on the DRP/Noctoa itself!

 

Would the MX4 from 2017 still be okay or should I consider buying a new tube? If new, should I consider MX4 itself or are there far better options around these days?

[Enderman]

No, never use thermal pads for a CPU or GPU.

 

MX4 lasts over 8 years you don't need to buy a new tube.

[Bashrag]

Thanks! That's good to know ^^

[Skiiwee29]

Thermal pads are not really designed for CPU usage even if they're marketed towards it. Thermal Paste is almost always going to be superior in performance vs a thermal pad. 

 

 

[Bashrag]

I see. I didn't even know about the existence of thermal pads till late last week, to be honest. I happened to come across them via some YouTube recommendations when watching RX 5700 XT reviews. Well, I guess I'll just go with my MX 4 then. Gosh, that was one good investment back then!