Thermal paste recommendations for GPUs

Nov 2, 2018
2
0
10
Hi all.

My recently acquired used 6970 is running very hot, 95C playing CS:Source and 102C HL2 video stress test. Frames are great at 300FPS.
Upon arrival I took apart the card, blew out the heat sink, cleaned off the old thermal past from the GPU and removed the broken down VRAM pads. I applied new HC151 thermal paste to the GPU and VRAM.
I realize I may have made a mistake by applying thermal past to the VRAM and I am going to replace it with pads.

So here's my question:

Which non conductive thermal past is best for GPUs?
Which thermal pads are best for VRAM?

Thanks in advance.
 
Nov 2, 2018
2
0
10
Thanks R_1, I was also deciding between MX-2, MX-4 and Arctic silver as they all seem to be about the same value for money. That cheap HC151 is goin in the bin.
As for applying thermal paste to VRM, how bad is it?
It's a long shot, but does anyone know the thickness and spec of thermal pads on a HD 6970? I don't want to pull it apart again just to check if I don't have to as I'll be doing it to apply the new paste and pads soon.
Also, how bad is 95-102C for the GPU?
 

R_1

Expert
Ambassador
thermal paste is for filling small imperfections on the mating surfaces, thermal pads are meant for transfer across an air gap - where the surfaces cannot mate flatly.

the thermal paste will not stay where its needed, it will flow and the flow will create an air gap. comparing a thermal pad to thermal paste is like comparing apples to durian.
they are both fruit but one makes a stinky cobbler