Thermal Paste, also known as Thermal Compound or Thermal Interface Material (TIM), is a very integral product required for cooling PC Hardware. It ensures proper cooling of your CPU (Processor) or the GPU (Graphics Card). There are many great thermal paste options available in 2022. In this buyer’s guide, we show you the best thermal paste options available. You can use these for your CPU, as well as for replacing the thermal paste in a GPU. Multiple brands such as Cooler Master, Arctic, Deepcool and Alphacool have come out with many new and innovative thermal compounds. In this guide, we have researched on all of them to tell you about the best ones on the market. After selecting a thermal paste from this guide, you can follow our installation tutorial of thermal paste on a CPU.

Things to Remember before Buying Thermal Compound

1. Thermal Conductivity

Thermal pastes often list a certain thermal conductivity specification, that is measured in W/mK. This stands for watts per meter kelvin, and the higher this number goes, the better the thermal conductivity is. However, this isn’t the only metric for judging performance. There are thermal pastes with lower thermal conductivity, but better temperature results than others.

  • Things to Remember before Buying Thermal Compound

  • Thermal ConductivityPrice and Number of ApplicationsMake Sure Your CPU Cooling Is AdequateCheck For Electrical ConductivityBest Thermal Pastes to Buy in 2023

  • Arctic MX-6 (Most Versatile & Recommended)Noctua NT-H2 (Current Best from Noctua)Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut (Leading Performer)Prolimatech PK-3 Nano Aluminum (Best Expensive)Alphacool Apex (New Enthusiast-Grade Product)Cooler Master CyroFuze Violet (Current Best from CM)CORSAIR XTM70 Extreme Performance (Current Best from Corsair)Deepcool EX750 (Current Best from Deepcool)Gelid GC ExtremeThermalright TF9Innovation Cooling Diamond 7 Carat Electronics GradeSYY 157 Carbon Based TIMNAB Cooling NB Max ProHalnzlye HY 880 1g Thermal CompoundThermal Grizzly Carbonaut (Thermal Pad)Frequently Asked Questions

  • Thermal ConductivityPrice and Number of ApplicationsMake Sure Your CPU Cooling Is AdequateCheck For Electrical Conductivity

  • Arctic MX-6 (Most Versatile & Recommended)Noctua NT-H2 (Current Best from Noctua)Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut (Leading Performer)Prolimatech PK-3 Nano Aluminum (Best Expensive)Alphacool Apex (New Enthusiast-Grade Product)Cooler Master CyroFuze Violet (Current Best from CM)CORSAIR XTM70 Extreme Performance (Current Best from Corsair)Deepcool EX750 (Current Best from Deepcool)Gelid GC ExtremeThermalright TF9Innovation Cooling Diamond 7 Carat Electronics GradeSYY 157 Carbon Based TIMNAB Cooling NB Max ProHalnzlye HY 880 1g Thermal CompoundThermal Grizzly Carbonaut (Thermal Pad)

Different thermal pastes are priced differently, based on their target market. You will be able to buy certain top-quality thermal pastes from our list, under the $10 USD price point as well. But, you will only get them in small quantities (1 gram to X gram) that work for 3 to 5 applications. This is mostly based on how big your CPU’s surface area is.

3. Make Sure Your CPU Cooling Is Adequate

Make sure you invest in a good CPU cooler first. Before deciding to buy an expensive thermal compound, it’s important to have an adequate cooler which makes a major difference in your temperatures, versus a flagship thermal compound. The cooling capacity is defined by your CPU cooler way more than a thermal paste’s quality.

Most thermal compounds on the market are not electrically conductible. However, some others are, and you must keep this in mind. While installing thermal paste on your CPU, a neat installation is always preferred. But, if your thermal paste is in fact electrically conductible, you must be aware beforehand. When spilled on any PC component, an electrically conductible thermal paste can result in damage because of shorting. Hence, clean up the residue with isopropyl alcohol if needed. Don’t leave residue in the case of non-conductive thermal compounds either.

1. Arctic MX-6 (Most Versatile & Recommended)

  • Quantity: 2 to 8 gramsThermal Conductivity: Unspecified, Better than MX-5 (6 W/mK)Electrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 45000 poise

The Arctic MX-6 is the #1 pick for best thermal paste to buy in 2022. Given its versatility, and Arctic’s proven track record of thermal paste products, this one is the most recommended option for users looking to buy a new thermal compound. The MX-6 can be used on CPUs or GPUs with ease, with good results reported by users no matter what the scenario. Arctic says the compound can be applied on laptops and consoles as well. Arctic’s MX-6 is not electrically conductive, so you can install it with ease.

  • Quantity: 3.5 to 10 gramsThermal Conductivity: Unspecified, Better than NT-H1 (8.9 W/mK)Electrically Conductive: NoViscosity: Unspecified, 5000 poise for NT-H1

Noctua is a leading brand in PC Cooling solutions. They are a well known manufacturer of excellent system fans, air coolers, and also thermal pastes. This NT-H2 thermal compound is their latest entry into the market and it improves upon the previous-gen NT-H1 slightly, with a better thermal conductivity. While they don’t define how much better it is, you can have a look at the NT-H2 vs H1 performance comparison here. The key takeaway here is that it’s an all around better performer, with the maximum observed difference being 2 degrees Celsius.

  • Quantity: 1 to 10 gramsThermal Conductivity: 12.5 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 1200-1700 poise

Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut is a well known thermal paste that enthusiasts love. While most users don’t specifically need to buy this thermal paste, it is definitely great for people looking to get the lowest thermals. It’s not the most versatile option, since it has reportedly caused issues when applying it on GPUs. Thermal Grizzly says that it is resistant to drying out, with a specially designed composition that includes nano-aluminum and zinc-oxide. According to TG, it does not start drying out even at 80-degrees Celsius. Still, it is aimed towards overlockers who push for the maximum performance look for pure thermal performance in their selection.

  • Quantity: 1.5 to 30 gramsThermal Conductivity: 11.2 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 5000 poise

The Prolimatech PK-3 Nano is a unique thermal compound with a premium price. It has nano particles embedded in its composition, that supposedly act as ‘fillers’ for the minor air gaps between the processor and heatsink. This thermal compound is known within the enthusiast community, and the quality is simply excellent here. There are almost zero caveats with this thermal compound, apart from the fact that its smaller quantities are often out of stock and the 30g pack costs quite a lot. While this might be out-of-range for many, if you can afford it and want a thermal compound with zero issues & long term reliability, this is the one to go for.

  • Quantity: 4 to 100 gramsThermal Conductivity: 17 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 35~220*103 (mPa.s)

The Alphacool Apex is a new enthusiast-grade product, well known in the circles for its extremely high thermal conductivity of 17 W/mK. By combining the thermal conductivity with its unique composition, the Alphacool Apex is one of the best performing thermal pastes, period. The compound is imbued with nano particles that are designed to fill in microscopic gaps that exist between the CPU and the heatsink. The paste is quite thick with a high viscosity, and Alphacool recommends an applicator tool to be used for perfect application. This is not included in the packaging though. This viscosity has been designed for easy application in high-contact pressure scenarios.

This thermal compound is also available in bigger quantities, such as 20g/50g/100g containers. This makes the product a great choice for people who would like to purchase a good product for long-term usage and keep performing thermal paste replacement in any of their devices. It comes in a minimal, neat black syringe with blue accents of the logo. This thermal paste is a good high-end option for any purpose such as gaming consoles or graphics cards. It’s also not electrically conductible making it quite safe during installation.

ProsConsVersatile for any use (CPU/GPU)Expensive but worth it for enthusiast/high-end usersUsed for intense overclocking by enthusiastsNo applicator included, viscosity makes it hard to spreadLeading thermal performance suitable for the highest-end systemsUp to 100 gram quantity making it suitable for long-term

  • Quantity: 2 gramThermal Conductivity: 9 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: Unspecified, referred to as ‘balanced’

The Cooler Master CyroFuze Violet is their best offering, and a product that was released just this year. This high-end offering from CM is a purple colored thermal paste, and the box packaging looks quite attractive. The specially designed composition includes nanoparticles that help with ‘superior heat conductivity’. CM also says that this thermal paste won’t dry out, and has a non-corrosive as well as oxidation resistant formula. They also include an applicator tool as well as cleaning wipes for a neat installation. The viscosity hasn’t been mentioned, but it is described to be quite ‘balanced’ by being neither too loose nor too thick. While this should perform really well, there are other options with slightly better thermal performance. This makes the CM CyroFuze Violet a great premium option for most people, but not for the ones who are interesting in pure thermals.

7. CORSAIR XTM70 Extreme Performance (Current Best from Corsair)

  • Quantity: 3 gramsThermal Conductivity: UnspecifiedElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 1000 poise

CORSAIR made quite a comeback with their XTM70. This new thermal paste is a high end option with a demanding price tag. They brand it as an ‘extreme performance’ thermal paste, so let’s get into what makes it so premium. The proprietary composition is designed to be one of the best, giving extremely good thermal results and through user experience we can confirm this. Several stencils and cleaning wipes are part of the applicator kit, which makes the installation process quite better. According to Corsair, the low viscosity should help with installation. Combined with the stencil kit, this thermal paste does have a very unique way for the user to install their thermal paste, and with their process it ends up being the cleanest possible installation.

  • Quantity: 3 to 5 gramsThermal Conductivity: 6.2 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: Unspecified

Deepcool EX750 is branded as an ‘enthusiast-grade’ thermal compound. It is their highest end offering, and the brand has been well known for PC cooling solutions like AIOs, Air Coolers, and more. The EX750 is targeted to be one of the best, and you do get a high-performance thermal compound for a good price with this one. Deepcool says it is viable for any use, such as for CPUs or GPUs. The thermal conductivity is pretty decent at 6.2 W/mK. It’s quite a smooth paste, resembling the structure of gel. It will evenly spread by installing the CPU cooler in a careful manner.

The EX750 is available in up to 5 grams, which is slightly better than some other options in this list which are very good thermal pastes but they are not available in higher quantities. With the 3 gram quantity, you can get up to 6 CPU installations (for the bigger sized Raptor Lake/AMD 7000 Series CPUs), and at least double that number for standard CPU installations. Deepcool does say it is made with ‘industrial grade’ quality, and getting those kind of products in this price range is actually quite rare. It comes in a minimal looking blue colorway, but this is a recent design shift and you might not get the same packaging or color in the retail unit. You also get an applicator tool in the packaging.

ProsConsVersatile for any use (CPU/GPU)Cannot speak for long-term reliability (dry-out)Top-notch performance suitable for any system ‘Premium’ category thermal compound available at affordable priceIncludes applicator tool by default

  • Quantity: 1 to 10 gramsThermal Conductivity: 8.5 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 85000 poise

Gelid Solutions is a major brand well known by the overclocking & PC enthusiast community. The GC-Extreme is their highest-end thermal paste offering, and it has been used by the winner & finalist of MSI Master Overclocking Arena EMEA 2011. So, it has been around for quite some time and people do love the GC Extreme for its sheer thermal performance. People have also used this one for replacing thermal compound on their GPU. The GC Extreme does very well as a versatile thermal compound, and it is a well known option that’s been out for a while that even enthusiasts & overlockers do use.

10. Thermalright TF9

  • Quantity: 1.5 to 2.9 gramsThermal Conductivity: 14 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 85000 poise

Thermalright TF9 came out in 2022, so its another new option on the list. This brand makes several thermal paste products and has been around for quite sometime. The TF9 is a great option with overall performance meeting the same standards you’d expect to see in a quality thermal paste product. It is quite suitable for any build, and has a high thermal conductivity of 14 W/mK. Their thermal pate composition is made up of materials that don’t include metal, oil solvents, and is designed to be completely non corrosive. This thermal paste mentions an operating range of -250 degrees to +380 degrees (Celcius) and that’s actually quite high. It also isn’t electrically conductible, making it safe during installation.

  • Quantity: 1.5 to 4.8 gramsThermal Conductivity: UnspecifiedElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: Unspecified

The Innovation Cooling Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound has been around for quite some time, and is well known for its unique composition. The material includes ‘purified synthetic micronized diamond’, which has a conductivity of 2000-2500 W/mK. The thermal compound itself does NOT offer the same conductivity, but it’s just that the composition has embedded ‘micronized’ diamonds in it. These micronized diamonds have a very high conductivity and make the composition an innovative key part of this thermal paste. The brand says that being electronics grade, the IC Diamond Thermal Compound is safe to use in a variety of products – including CPUs/GPUs, gaming consoles, and laptops.

Quantity: 2 to 40 gramsThermal Conductivity: 15.7 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 2000 poise

13. NAB Cooling NB Max Pro

Quantity: 3.5 gramThermal Conductivity: 8.5 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 8500 poise

14. Halnzlye HY 880 1g Thermal Compound

Quantity: 1 gramThermal Conductivity: 5.15 W/mKElectrically Conductive: NoViscosity: 12500 poise

  • Quantity: Up to 38 x 38 x 0.2 mmThermal Conductivity: 62.5 W /mKElectrically Conductive: YesViscosity: N/A

The Thermal Grizzly Carbonaut is a unique option on our list, because it is not even a thermal paste in the conventional sense. A thermal paste is used as a material that is spread and exists between the processor, and the heatsink, for efficient transfer of heat. This carbon-based thermal pad is used for the same reason, and is installed the same way. You simply position the thermal pad on top of the CPU, after cutting it to the exact size needed, and proceed to install the cooler on top. The Carbonaut here has a temperature range of -250 to 150 degrees Celcius, which is quite high. The thermal conductivity of a thermal pad is also several times higher, at 62.5 W/mK. The way it interacts with the processor & heatsink is different though, so this extremely high thermal conductivity doesn’t translate directly into better thermal conductivity between the two surfaces.

Do remember that this thermal pad is an electrically conductible TIM (thermal interface material). You must be careful with where traces of it might go where your motherboard is, and generally avoid contact with the thermal pad against the motherboard’s surface. So what are the other advantages you get with a thermal pad? The consistency in performance remains the same over the years for a thermal pad. You can also re-use it on a different PC or after upgrading your computer. Since it is a thermal pad, there is absolutely no question of ‘drying-out’ either. Basically, if used correctly and not tampered with, a thermal pad can last the user for as long as they maintain it. This is an excellent alternative to thermal pastes, but it doesn’t perform as great as the best options from our list.

Is it OK to run a CPU or GPU without thermal paste?

What is the right amount of thermal paste to use?

For any thermal paste that you buy, it’s important to research on the experience of users with installing the specific thermal compound on their GPU’s die. This differs from product to product, and because certain top-end options aren’t suited for use in direct-die GPU application, the user must research beforehand to confirm the best thermal paste for their GPU.

Does thermal paste expire?

We hope that with this buyer’s guide on the best thermal pastes to buy, you were able to find a suitable product for your system. We have accessed each and every thermal paste available in the market, to find the best ones to recommend for a user. The new options released by popular brands such as Arctic, Cooler Master, Corsair, and Noctua this year have also been introduced in the list. Do make sure the thermal paste you buy is suitable for your use-case, since some thermal pastes aren’t the best to use in laptops or GPUs. Your system will remain cool for a long period of time with these thermal pastes. Even the budget-centric options we have included in the list are competent products, so you can be assured the temperatures will be decent no matter which one you choose to buy from this list.