Thermal Paste is one of those essential items required during building a PC which is mostly overlooked by people. You won’t notice a good thermal paste doing its job, but a bad thermal paste will surely hurt your performance and computing experience. Here I will be telling you about the top 10 thermal paste you can buy in India.
You can use thermal paste not only in Processors while installing coolers but also in graphics cards while installing a water block and also while cleansing and repasting your laptop to improve thermals.
Table of Contents
How To Use Thermal Paste & Things to know
Long time PC enthusiast are well aware of the different aspects of the thermal compound but for new people looking to build there, the first PC might not be aware of what or how to use thermal paste. Thermal paste is a thermally conductive material which is used to efficiently transfer heat from the processor to the heat sink or the water block to keep the processor cool. The surface of the coolers are not perfectly flat and has micro peak and valleys, the thermal compound helps the processor IHS and the cooler to get better contact and hence better thermal transfer.
Most thermal compounds that are generally used are a paste and electrically non-conductive, which means they won’t cause an electrical short circuit if it spills on other components. There is another type, liquid metal. Liquid metal has much higher thermal conductivity then thermal paste which means it will transfer heat much more efficiently than normal thermal paste. One downside is that it is also electrically conductive and can cause a short circuit. (CAUTION: beginners should clearly stay away from using liquid metal as it can easily cause short circuits and kill you PC. They are also corrosive in nature and needs to be replaced every few months. I only recommend a long time PC enthusiast to use liquid metal. )
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How To Correctly Apply Thermal Paste
There is a lot of debate on how to correctly apply thermal paste. Too less will result in not enough thermal paste to cover the whole CPU and too much will cause it to spill out into the motherboard. In my experience, it’s best to not overthink. For normal processors, a pea-size application in the centre is enough. For larger workstation processors like the AMD Theradripper, an X shaped application will do the trick. After applying the thermal paste on the CPU, no need to manually spread it, just mount the cooler on the CPU and the thermal paste will automatically spread by the mounting pressure of the cooler. If you are reapplying on a CPU that already had thermal paste then before applying the new thermal paste make sure to completely clean off the old thermal paste before applying the new one.
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Pros and Cons of Thermal Paste
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Temperature Control: Thermal paste ensures optimal temperatures for CPUs and GPUs. | – Marginal Differences: Performance gains may be marginal, especially in everyday scenarios. |
| – Performance Boost: Premium pastes can enhance performance, particularly in overclocking. | – Overemphasis on Brand: Blindly following brand recommendations may not be practical for all users. |
| – Longevity: Certain pastes are reported to last longer without frequent reapplication. | – Paste Hardening: Some pastes, like Kryonaut, may harden over time, potentially affecting performance. |
| – Brand Reputation: Established brands like Arctic and Noctua are trusted for delivering quality pastes. | – Budget-Friendly Options: There are affordable pastes that can provide satisfactory performance. |
| – Innovation: Startups introduce innovative solutions, indicating ongoing improvements. |
Best Thermal Paste for Processors in India
1) Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Compound
Whenever there is a discussion about anything related to PC cooling, Noctua always tops the chart. Noctual arguably makes one of the best cooling components like air cooler, case fans. And no doubt their thermal compound is also one of the best in the market.
It’s Features:
It has excellent performance for its price. The NT-H1 consists of a compound consisting of various micro-particles, which has been specifically optimized to be used in PC. It has low thermal resistance and is highly pliable and easily gets in to the micro contours to give excellent performance.
Provides maximum ease of use, as the NT-H1 spreads easily under pressure, there’s no need to manually spread it over the heat-spreader. This reduces both the consumption of paste and therefore the time spent on the installation process, just put one drop of NT-H1 onto the centre of your CPU, install the cooler and that’s it!
Gives high-Performance right from the start. The NT-H1 reaches its full performance from the start itself and doesn’t require a longer “burn-in” time like many other thermal pastes.
It has excellent long term cooling. The NT-H1 does not contain any solvents with high volatility and provides excellent long-term stability. Due to the high quality materials used, this thermal paste lasts for several years without any need for changing it.
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2) Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Thermal Grease Paste
Thermal Grizzly is another one of the renowned thermal paste making companies. Thermal Grizzly has been tried and tested for many years now and performs excellently. The Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut is one of the best non-conductive thermal greases out there. It’s also one of the most expensive pastes.
The paste delivers what it promises. With a thermal conductivity of 12.5W/mK it’s the most thermally conductive ceramic paste, without any electrical conductivity.
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It requires no curing time, it’s easy to apply, and according to other reviews, it provides you with up to 3-4° lower temperature than Arctic Silver 5 and Noctua NT-H1.
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3) Corsair TM30 Performance Thermal Paste
Corsair is another well-known brand in the PC space and you can’t go wrong with it.
It is made of premium zinc oxide-based thermal compound for optimal thermal performance.
Corsair TM30 has a low viscosity which helps it to simply fill microscopic peaks and valleys for maximal peak thermal transfer. The Corsair TM30 is a high-stability pliable compound that lasts for years without changing in consistency or drying up. It is made up of Non-conductive, non-toxic materials and contains zero volatile compounds. Its viscosity is 2300k cps. Just like other thermal compounds on the market, the TM30 is stored inside a syringe, which also acts as the applicator. 3 gm versions are available for purchase, which is enough for around 10-15 applications on mainstream processors.
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The syringe has got a transparent side to show how much thermal compound is left. The TM30 features a dark-grey colour, almost like most thermal compounds we tested. It is more liquid then most other compounds, which may contribute to the claimed longer lifespan with no drying or cracking.
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4) CoolerMaster MasterGel Maker
CoolerMaster is one of those companies that are synonymous with all kinds of PC cooling stuff. Cooler Master Mastergel Maker is the top of CoolerMaster’s line-up. This paste is grey in colour, its thermal conductivity is rated at 11 W / mK, and the density is 2.6 g. The capacity is 1.5 ml. It’s relatively easy to spread thanks to the shape of the end of the “syringe”.
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5) CoolerMaster MasterGel Pro
Another One of CoolerMaster’s offerings is the CoolerMaster MasterGel Pro. MasterGel Pro comes in a syringe of 4 gm. This paste also has a grey colour, and its thermal conductivity is 8 W/mK, with a density of 2.6 g. The capacity is 1.5 ml. There is also an alcohol swipe included for removing your old thermal paste. This one is relatively easy to spread, and you shouldn’t have any problems with it. This one’s a bit cheaper than the CoolerMaster MasterGel Maker and hence performs a bit worse, but overall still a good thermal Paste.
There is another offering from CoolerMaster, the CoolerMaster MasterGel Regular. It is even cheaper than the MasterGel Pro but performs a lot worse. It has a thermal conductivity of more than 5 W / mK and a density of 2.5 g. The paste is relatively hard to spread and dry. I would suggest to stay away from this one, even though it is a bit cheaper because of it’s worse performance.
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6) ARCTIC MX-4
The MX-4 comes in a syringe containing 4g of the product. There is also a 20 g version available. The paste is in a grey colour. The thermal conductivity is 8.5 W/mK and a density of 2.5 g / cm ^ 3. The thermal conductivity offered is good in this price range.
The shelf life of the paste is 8 years. It can be spread without any major problems. This paste is not at all thick, which makes it easier to spread. There are packets of different sizes like 2, 4, 8, 20 gm available.
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7) Arctic Silver 5
The Arctic Silver V, nothing fancy here. Just a tube without any additional sealing. Arctic Silver 5 is a legend among thermal pastes. The main ingredient consists of pure silver (about 99.9%). Three shapes and sizes of silver particles were used, with an average size of <0.49 micron <0.000020 inches. Arctic Silver 5 does not contain silicon particles in it. The filler consists of a proprietary blend of polystyrene oils. The compound is easy to apply on the CPU.
At first, it’s thin, so as to more accurately fill all the microscopic peaks and valleys, and then it becomes thick over time to achieve full stability after a few days of use.
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Although the paste does not conduct electricity, the manufacturer recommends avoiding contact with other components, because it can still cause problems because of its slightly conductive character. The thermal conductivity is 8.89 W/mK. You can get this paste in containers of 3.5g.
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8) DEEPCOOL G15
The DeepCool G15 is an entry level thermal paste offered by DeepCool. Thermal Conductivity : 5. 2 W/(m·K) Specific Gravity : 2. 6 g/cm³ Operating Temperature : -50°C to +240°C. Its price is on the cheaper size compared to some of the premium offerings we have already seen.
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But still It is a good offering at an affordable price point for people looking for a no frills thermal paste who are interested in only normal computing and aren’t looking to overclock their processors.
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9) DEEPCOOL G40
A slightly more expensive offering then the DeepCool G15, the DeepCool G40 is an upgraded version of the G15 and provides better thermal conductivity. It has also got more stability at higher temperatures and provides a better offering for people looking to overclock their processors.
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10) Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut Liquid Metal
At last comes the big bad boy of thermal compound, Liquid Metal. With a thermal conductivity of 73 W/mk, it blows everything else out of the park. It’s thermal conductivity is multiple times more than even the best thermal paste. And so is the price, with 1g costing above Rs 2000, it is really expensive compared to even the premium thermal paste. For hard core PC enthusiasts this is an easy choice.
But be careful with this one, if you are not an experienced PC builder then probably stay away from this one. Along with being highly thermally conductive, it is also electrically conductive, so it spills on to other components, then it can cause short circuits and damage the system.
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Written by : Madhujya Hazarika
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This content is collaboratively crafted and vetted by Shubham, a Mechanical Engineering specialist. His passion for unraveling the intricacies of machinery and consumer electronics mirrors his avid interest in gaming. With his wealth of expertise, Shubham adeptly navigates readers through the complexities of audio, home appliances, and everyday products, guaranteeing a smooth and enjoyable shopping journey. For every product you read about on this site we do rigorous research and testing behind the scenes to bring you the best value for money options. For any query directly reach out to me at my personal Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shubhamgarg8024/
