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Thermal Paste

MX thermal pastes have been classics on the market for over a decade and are among the most popular and best-selling ARCTIC products. With extremely low thermal resistance due to a thin bond line, simple and safe application, long durability and a customer-friendly price-performance ratio, they are the ideal addition to any CPU and GPU cooler.

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MX-6
ULTIMATE Performance Thermal Paste
MX Cleaner

€11.99

Prices incl. VAT exl. shipping costs
Tip
MX Cleaner
Wipes for removing Thermal Compounds (40 Pieces)

€13.99

Prices incl. VAT exl. shipping costs
MX-4
PREMIUM Performance Thermal Paste

€9.49

Prices incl. VAT exl. shipping costs
MX-2
PERFORMANCE Thermal Paste

€9.99

Prices incl. VAT exl. shipping costs

Thermal Paste with High Performance and Easy Application

Header - Thermal Paste

Thermal paste (also known as cooling paste) is the most frequently used option for heat transfer between the CPU and the CPU Cooler. The best performance is achieved with high-quality pastes.

1. What do you need thermal paste for?

The surface of a heatsink is never completely flat. Its surface is covered with microscopic abrasions caused by the manufacturing. Direct contact would create air spaces that have an insulating effect on heat transfer. Therefore, a filler material with very good thermal conductivity is required to compensate for the unevenness between the cooler and the chip and to fundamentally improve the heat transfer. The problem with metal fillers, even though they have excellent thermal conductivity, is their electrical conductivity. Non-electrically conductive pastes usually offer significantly lower thermal conductivity. However, it is possible to press out the compound to a significantly thinner layer thickness. The thermal resistance takes into account both the bond line thickness (= layer thickness) and the thermal conductivity.

Thermal Resistance = Bond Line Thickness / Thermal Conductivity

Delta T (Temp difference between CPU and Cooler) = Thermal Resistance x Energy (to be transferred from CPU to Cooler)

Instead of thermal paste can also be used Thermal pads, – especially when bridging larger distances. Thermal pads generally conduct heat better than thermal paste however, a very thin bond line is not possible with them.

2. Why doesn’t ARCTIC communicate thermal conductivity values?

ARCTIC made a conscious decision not to specify any values for the thermal conductivity of its thermal paste and thermal pads because many manufacturers invent, artificially inflate or embellish this value. Thermal paste has a thermal conductivity of 1 to 4 W/mK. Values outside of this range, such as 12.5 W/mK, are at odds with the truth.
Many competitors quote values above 4 W/mK to suggest better performance. It often leads to false expectations and dissatisfied users. ARCTIC offers its customers innovative thermal interface materials at the best possible price-performance ratio instead of relying on manipulated performance data.

3. How do I apply thermal paste?

First of all, the surface of the chip should be cleaned thoroughly. We recommend the blob method - in which the thermal compound material is applied to the center of the CPU and evenly distributed without creating air pockets by placing the cooler on top. It is only important that the entire surface of the processor is covered by a thin film. Thanks to their consistency, ARCTIC thermal pastes are easy to apply, even for beginners.

You can find a video tutorial on applying thermal paste here:

4. How do I remove old thermal paste?

Fresh thermal paste is often easy to wipe off. If it has already dried up, it is recommendable to wipe it off using a cloth with lime like the newly released MX Cleaner.

5. How long does thermal paste last and when does it need to be replaced?

General statements regarding the shelf life of thermal paste once applied cannot be made. While some pastes have to be renewed regularly to prevent drying out, ARCTIC’s thermal pastes offer a very long shelf life. Our syringes are resealable, so you don't have to worry about drying them out prematurely. Even when applied, our paste convinces with its durability. As soon as you feel changes in the temperature, the noise level, or the performance, you should clean your PC and replace the thermal paste.

MX-4

6. Which thermal paste performs best in tests?

Thanks to its outstanding performance, the ARCTIC MX-4 has received multiple awards and is one of the top thermal pastes on the market. ARCTIC recently added a new premium thermal compound, the ARCTIC MX-6 to its portfolio.

7. Which packaging sizes do we offer?

Thermal paste is usually available in packaging sizes of a few grams, which is sufficient for several applications. Syringes are employed for precise application. At ARCTIC, the MX-6 is available in packaging sizes from 2 to 8 grams and the MX-4 up to 45 grams. Alternatively, variants with a spatula or MX Cleaner are available. ARCTIC MX-2 is offered in tubes from 2 to 65 grams.

Our in-house thermal paste is also applied or included in many of our CPU Coolers in advance.

MX Variants