Summary
CPU coolers usually come with some thermal paste applied at the factory or a small packet so that you can do it yourself. But is the stuff that comes with it any good?
Is Pre-applied Thermal Paste Good?
Thermal paste, also called thermal grease or compound, transfers heat from your CPU or GPU to a large heatsink with fans. The thermal paste’s thermal conductivity is a measurement of how well it transfers heat, and it determines how well the paste does its job.
Generally speaking, the pre-applied thermal paste on stock AMD and Intel coolers will do a decent enough job ofkeeping your processor from overheating. However, since these coolers are mass-produced and come with almost every processor, the manufacturers use the cheapest thermal paste that meets their minimum requirements to keep costs down. After all, enthusiasts who demand a better cooling solution or to overclock will purchase an aftermarket cooler.
Unfortunately, the pre-applied thermal paste on most aftermarket coolers isn’t always the best quality, either. But this depends on the manufacturer and cooler model. For example,Corsair’s iCUE H100i Elite Capellixlineup of liquid coolers comes pre-applied with high-quality Corsair XTM70 Extreme Performance thermal paste. If you’re upgrading to an aftermarket cooler, research the model or try the pre-applied paste first andcheck the tempsbefore deciding.
Another caveat with pre-applied thermal paste is age. If the cooler has been sitting on a store shelf for a year before you bought it, it may have slightly dried up and won’t perform very well.
Aftermarket Thermal Paste Is a Worthwhile Upgrade
The consensus is clear. You can find countless videos and articles online testing aftermarket thermal paste against the pre-applied stuff. Aftermarket thermal paste always comes out on top. In worst-case scenarios, the difference can be around 5°C under a full load. For context, that’s roughly the difference between thenew stock Intel cooler and the Cooler Master Hyper 612.
Thanks to the better thermals, this is actually a performance upgrade as well. Your CPU willboost to a higher clock speed, making it perform better in CPU-intensive tasks like gaming and video editing. For more details, check outQwerty Tech’s YouTube video. He compares the difference between the pre-applied and the affordable Arctic Silver 5 paste on the stock AMD Wraith Prism cooler.
You don’t even have to splurge on the most expensive paste or take a risk withliquid metal compoundsfor better temps. Even affordable pastes under $10 are significantly better than the factory-applied stuff. This means that a thermal paste refresh is the cheapest performance upgrade for a computer, especiallya laptop with aging thermal paste.
Once you’ve bought new thermal paste, you’ll have enough to apply a few times. Replace it every two to three years to keep your temps low. If you’re a DIYer, considerreplacing the thermal paste on your graphics card.
As a side note, theapplication pattern doesn’t really matter. I advise against using a spreader, though, as it may cause tiny air bubbles that could affect performance. A thick line in the middle or an X shape works perfectly.
It’s Still a Good Idea to Buy Extra Thermal Paste
Do you plan to build a PC? If yes, I recommend purchasing thermal paste, even if your cooler already has some pre-applied stuff. When building my first PC, I fumbled the cooler installation process and had to buy new paste before finishing the build. To prevent that from happening to you, always have some extra thermal paste lying around. To get the most out of your shiny new CPU, check outour list of the best thermal paste.
