MX-5

ULTIMATE Performance Thermal Paste

Choose variant

Charge

2 g

4 g

8 g

20 g

50 g

Spatula

With

Without

Technical specifications & manual

Since the mere thermal conductivity value cannot provide any information about the actual performance, we put our MX-5 up against a broad field of competitors under laboratory conditions. The temperature difference between CPU and cooler base was measured.

How is it tested?

The temperature difference between the CPU IHS and the cooler base is determined with a laboratory device. This allows precise adjustment of the power and contact pressure to be transmitted and highly accurate temperature measurement. The contact surfaces are milled flat with very fine grooves, which corresponds to high-quality CPU coolers.

transmitted power: 150 Watt( ≈ AMD Ryzen 7 3700X All-Core-Boost)

Contact area: 16,0625 cm2 [according to an AM4 CPU]

Contact force: 562.5 N (≙57.359 kgf or lb)

Why are CPUs only conditionally suitable for measuring the performance of thermal paste?

The thermal resistance between the CPU DIE and the IHS can change considerably over time. The measuring sensors in the DIE are not very accurate, so we use a laboratory device here.

Why are the stated thermal conductivity values of a paste not meaningful?

Often the values are stated many times too high and have nothing to do with reality. Typical values of a high-performance paste are between 1 and 5 W/mK. Just as important as the thermal conductivity value is the minimum layer thickness of a paste (at a given contact pressure) in order to minimise the temperature difference between CPU and cooler.

Lowest Thermal Resistance

The surfaces of processor chips and cooler floors are covered with microscopic dents; ARCTIC‘s MX-5 thermal paste is composed of carbon microparticles which fill these cavities. This leads to low thermal resistance, guaranteeing that heat is dissipated efficiently from the CPUs, GPUs or power semiconductor components.

Available in Various Versions

ARCTIC MX-5 is available in sizes ranging from 2 to 50 grams. Resealable packaging prevents the paste from drying out.

Alternatively, the variants are available with a spatula.

Safe Application

In contrast to pastes based on metal oxides or liquid metal, ARCTIC MX-5 is neither electrically conductive nor capacitive. This eliminates the risk of short circuits and discharges, plus you don't have to worry about corrosion damage to the cooler base caused by liquid metal.

Easy Application

Thanks to its consistency, MX-5 is easy to apply, even for beginners. The video below demonstrates the application technique to avoid air pockets between processors and coolers.