RSplaneta/Shutterstock We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Thermal paste, the unsung hero of all PCs on the planet. Without it, the processors would burn. Since its introduction to the PC market, advancements have been made in thermal paste technology to ensure components stay cool, whether in conductivity or even more recent experiments, such as the addition of ceramic powder to increase the cooling capabilities of gray sludge. Thermal pads are relatively new on the scene, but expert testing has shown that thermal paste still cools more efficiently than pads, thanks to its ability to expand into areas where the pad cannot. However, these tests still found that the pads were only a few degrees hotter than the paste, making the margin of difference slimmer than ever. Over the past few years, as debates over how much thermal paste to use raged across the web, thermal pads came onto the scene. In the field of desktop computers, the option from the manufacturer Honeywell, the PTM7950, has become a recommendation for future processors and builders. So much so that major PC YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips now sells its own variation. Touted by Honeywell (the link will download the PDF to your device) as best for “high performance computing/enterprise computing”, PC gaming enthusiasts have also started recommending it. Some have found that thermal pads provide an easier method of application to complex hardware like graphics cards. What are thermal paste and thermal pads? Damian Pawlos/Shutterstock As PC components, especially powerful desktop processors, get hotter and hotter, it has become increasingly necessary for thermal paste to take center stage in PC discussions when choosing a build. Adding paste has been a common practice since the 90s, with some forum users claiming to have started using it on the Intel 386 processor. In some cases, such as embedded or industrial PCs, thermal paste will be used to dissipate heat through the case itself, like a giant heat sink. You can even replace the thermal paste in your laptop. A thermal pad is a slightly thick material made of silicone or paraffin wax, used in the same way as paste, to dissipate heat. Although thermal paste must be added by the user, pads are often already included on some shipping products. For example, AMD and Intel have now started including pads on their products because they are much easier to apply and cleaner for beginner PC builders. Thermal pads can be cut and shaped, as well as reused. The pads may warp over time, but you do not need to clean the entire pad to reuse them. Since their introduction, companies supplying parts and components for single-board computers or embedded systems have offered thermal pads for much smaller hardware. Thermal pads or paste? It’s up to you 9Robot/Shutterstock Ultimately, thermal paste versus pads is a long conversation that others have fortunately already gone through. Even though technology advances, thermal paste has the advantage of being just that, a paste, reaching places a thermal pad could never reach – like microscopic gaps. This is not to say that thermal pads should be ignored altogether. In real-world web testing on gaming PCs, temperatures remained solidly below threshold, despite the drawbacks. In 2024, CyberCPU Tech found that three different brands managed to keep CPU temperatures below 65 degrees Celsius (149 Fahrenheit). However, Gamers Nexus, in a test conducted in 2020, found that the Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut paste managed to beat the IC Diamond Graphite Pad by a few degrees in all benchmarks. In the 270 watt range, the thermal paste reached 28.03 degrees Celsius (82.45 degrees Fahrenheit) and the thermal pad reached 32.84 degrees Celsius (91.11 degrees Fahrenheit). Other tests over the years have all yielded similar results, with temperatures not rising uncontrollably, but a definite gap between the performance of the two materials. In most cases, this becomes an affordability decision. The Arctic MX-4 thermal paste will cost a maximum of $8.99, while the PTM7950 thermal pad can cost you between $10 and $25. Post navigation 4 Ways to Transform Your Old Monitors with a Raspberry Pi
RSplaneta/Shutterstock We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Thermal paste, the unsung hero of all PCs on the planet. Without it, the processors would burn. Since its introduction to the PC market, advancements have been made in thermal paste technology to ensure components stay cool, whether in conductivity or even more recent experiments, such as the addition of ceramic powder to increase the cooling capabilities of gray sludge. Thermal pads are relatively new on the scene, but expert testing has shown that thermal paste still cools more efficiently than pads, thanks to its ability to expand into areas where the pad cannot. However, these tests still found that the pads were only a few degrees hotter than the paste, making the margin of difference slimmer than ever. Over the past few years, as debates over how much thermal paste to use raged across the web, thermal pads came onto the scene. In the field of desktop computers, the option from the manufacturer Honeywell, the PTM7950, has become a recommendation for future processors and builders. So much so that major PC YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips now sells its own variation. Touted by Honeywell (the link will download the PDF to your device) as best for “high performance computing/enterprise computing”, PC gaming enthusiasts have also started recommending it. Some have found that thermal pads provide an easier method of application to complex hardware like graphics cards. What are thermal paste and thermal pads? Damian Pawlos/Shutterstock As PC components, especially powerful desktop processors, get hotter and hotter, it has become increasingly necessary for thermal paste to take center stage in PC discussions when choosing a build. Adding paste has been a common practice since the 90s, with some forum users claiming to have started using it on the Intel 386 processor. In some cases, such as embedded or industrial PCs, thermal paste will be used to dissipate heat through the case itself, like a giant heat sink. You can even replace the thermal paste in your laptop. A thermal pad is a slightly thick material made of silicone or paraffin wax, used in the same way as paste, to dissipate heat. Although thermal paste must be added by the user, pads are often already included on some shipping products. For example, AMD and Intel have now started including pads on their products because they are much easier to apply and cleaner for beginner PC builders. Thermal pads can be cut and shaped, as well as reused. The pads may warp over time, but you do not need to clean the entire pad to reuse them. Since their introduction, companies supplying parts and components for single-board computers or embedded systems have offered thermal pads for much smaller hardware. Thermal pads or paste? It’s up to you 9Robot/Shutterstock Ultimately, thermal paste versus pads is a long conversation that others have fortunately already gone through. Even though technology advances, thermal paste has the advantage of being just that, a paste, reaching places a thermal pad could never reach – like microscopic gaps. This is not to say that thermal pads should be ignored altogether. In real-world web testing on gaming PCs, temperatures remained solidly below threshold, despite the drawbacks. In 2024, CyberCPU Tech found that three different brands managed to keep CPU temperatures below 65 degrees Celsius (149 Fahrenheit). However, Gamers Nexus, in a test conducted in 2020, found that the Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut paste managed to beat the IC Diamond Graphite Pad by a few degrees in all benchmarks. In the 270 watt range, the thermal paste reached 28.03 degrees Celsius (82.45 degrees Fahrenheit) and the thermal pad reached 32.84 degrees Celsius (91.11 degrees Fahrenheit). Other tests over the years have all yielded similar results, with temperatures not rising uncontrollably, but a definite gap between the performance of the two materials. In most cases, this becomes an affordability decision. The Arctic MX-4 thermal paste will cost a maximum of $8.99, while the PTM7950 thermal pad can cost you between $10 and $25.
