Status
Not open for further replies.
Feb 12, 2023
6
0
10
does liquid metal last much longer than thermal paste in long term let say would liquid metal be a better choice i know it also might on the brand but let say it was the same brand with liquid metal and thermal paste would the thermal paste have longer run
 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
If you don't get the installation of liquid metal right, you can and will short your components around the CPU socket. People who didn't know any better also managed to ruin their motherboard or their rams or both. Also, using liquid metal on aluminum parts is a big no-no.
 
This is one of those things that likely will not matter. A lot of people are just using whatever came applied to the cooler from the factory. Even people that know a bit more and buy special thermal paste will never touch it again until they swap motherboards or cpu.
The people that use liquid metal are a extremely tiny percentage of users, partially because it is so risky. These are also the type that will be constantly trying out new coolers,fans etc. They will unmount the cooler well before any paste or liquid metal is not usable.

Its not like most people are monitoring the temps and saying I see 1 degree more than I normally do so I have to repaste my cpu.
 

Karadjgne

Titan
Ambassador
Define last?

The gallium in liquid metal is parasitic. Basically over time it'll eat away at the metal surface it's on, and replace those molecules with a gallium alloy made up of the gallium and the surface. With liquid metal, it'll need redoing every 1-2 years as the liquid slowly sinks into the substrate. After 5-6 years ±, there's enough alloy that that process basically comes to a halt, you'll be moving onto a different platform by the time you even get close to redoing the liquid metal again.

The better standard pastes generally last 8 years ±, before the ethers and 'paste' part of the paste break down chemically enough that the silicates doing the actual thermal work become unreliable.

A well applied paste job, with good paste generally outlasts the time most ppl own that particular pc.

Liquid metals have a Thermal advantage over any paste, not in ability, but in speed. Metals transfer heat faster than silicates do. So it makes sense to use liquid metal Under the IHS vs Tim, where it doesn't need reapplication every other year since it only has a single surface to parasite from, so dimensions don't change. And that's assuming the cpu uses Tim and not solder.

Once that heat hits the IHS, it's out of the cores, and therefore immaterial to the cpu, so pastes work just fine and are more reliable, easier to use, safer all around, even if they give up a degree or five in temps.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: aberkae
Status
Not open for further replies.