It almost doesn't matter which CPU thermal paste you buy

Summary

• Testing different thermal pastes on the same processor showed minimal temperature differences, within 5% margin of error.
• Arctic MX-6 and Thermal Hero Quantum performed the best out of various thermal pastes tested.
• Choose a branded thermal paste that's easy to apply and non-conductive for a good experience in general computing.

Thermal paste is one of those things that often gets overlooked in a PC build, not on purpose but because many CPU coolers come with some applied. Buying a prebuilt system also has thermal paste installed, so those who need to pick and choose some thermal paste include system builders and anyone looking to reseat their CPU cooler. But how does one go about choosing the best thermal paste? Is there even a "best thermal paste"?

Putting thermal paste to the test

There's only one way to work out whether one thermal paste works better than another and that's to test them with the same processor and PC setup. Using one of our in-house test benches, I used an Intel Core i5-12600K and a few thermal pastes. Running the same benchmark test, it was interesting to see just how much of a difference (if any) would be detected by temperature readings. Using the same chip and different paste didn't show any notable gains or losses between brands and SKUs, at least with general computing for gaming and creative work.

I performed each test with a 360mm AIO liquid CPU cooler with the pump and three fans set to 100%. This provides the best performance, allows the thermal paste to work its magic, and removes the cooler as a possible bottleneck. I tried Arctic MX-6, Thermal Hero Ultra, Thermal Hero Quantum, EK-TIM Ectotherm, and Akasa Performance Compound 455 with the Intel Core i5-12600K. The results were unsurprising and nothing noteworthy with just about every thermal paste performing about the same, within a margin of error

For general computing, so long as you're using a branded thermal paste that's easy to apply and won't conduct electricity and damage your motherboard, you'll have a good time with just about any CPU. Arctic MX-6 and Thermal Hero Quantum performed the best out of the group, but even then the temperature difference was recorded within 5% or so. Pricing and performance are about the same as the more popular thermal pastes used for installing a CPU cooler.

Most thermal paste will last a couple of years, though I'd always recommend reseating the CPU cooler every two years and applying a fresh blob of thermal paste. It's only when you move into the enthusiast territory does thermal paste matter more. These systems are put under immense strain with heavier overclocks, the process of delidding, and plenty of power running through the processor. High-end and more expensive paste will work better to handle the heat.

Does the thermal paste pattern matter?

As well as thermal paste, the type of application or "pattern" has also been hotly debated within the PC community. It has been shown in a variety of tests, including some of our own when putting together this article, that the thermal paste pattern only has a negligible effect on CPU temperatures. So long as you're using enough thermal paste without going overboard, you'll be covering most of the CPU's integrated heat spreader (IHS) surface. I would recommend a single blog the size of a pea in the center of the processor IHS.

Thermal paste is simply present to create a complete seal between the IHS and the base of the cooler heatsink or water block. Manufacturing imperfections and other factors may result in a few grooves or cuts in either the IHS or cooler heatsink that are invisible to the human eye. It doesn't mean they're not there and such instances will trap air. This doesn't sound like an issue until you learn that air isn't a good thermal conductor. Thermal paste solves this by filling out the surface and any elements to prevent air from being trapped.

Buy some Arctic MX-6 and call it a day

Arctic has created some excellent thermal paste and the MX-6 is the latest and greatest the brand has to offer. It can be used on the CPU or GPU, isn't electrically conductive, and is easy to apply. It's a slight improvement over the MX-4, which is incredible since that thermal paste is a great performer on its own, and you could even use it on a console. It's all you need for even the most powerful desktop-class processors from AMD and Intel, so long as you're using adequate CPU cooling.