[citation][nom]merikafyeah[/nom]Most people don't realize that thermal pastes aren't meant to be used for their thermal conductivity, as even toothpaste can work just as well for a short while. What you want in a thermal paste is longevity, in which case the paste that came with your cooler will do just fine. No need to spend $5 for less than an ounce of something that results in only a few degrees difference.And if a few degrees difference will make or break your rig, it's time to look way beyond thermal paste."Enthusiasts" need to read this: http://www.dansdata.com/goop.htm[/citation]
not sure why you got downgraded as you are spot on. Thermal paste is an insulator, not a conductor! It is ONLY used to get the tiny air pockets out from between the 2 sheets of metal, and to distribute the heat load more evenly on the heat sink.
In a normal rig, the 2-6*c difference between stock and quality paste really means nothing in the long run. Quality pastes will keep from caking longer, which is nice, but we are talking in the range of 8-12 years... even the cheap stuff will last much longer than your average game rig does before becoming obsolete (2-5 years).
But at the same time... thermal paste is cheap. When building a $500-1500 rig, why not spend an extra $5-10 on something 'special'? And that tube will last you just about forever (I am still working on my as5 tube I purchased some ~6 years ago).