Question thermal paste vs thermal pads for Noctua coolers?

[NautilusOctopus]

I will be replacing my CPU cooler soon and would like to know if it is better to use thermal pads or thermal paste for my noctua coolers

 

[AJNameS]

Well, usually something like MX-4 paste will be always better than the pads. Also everywhere I have seen a comparison between these, the paste is damn better.
When I saw my laptop having a pad, i made a metal-adding modification that allowed me to put thermal paste instead. And the temperatures are now 3-6 degrees lower.

 

[NautilusOctopus]

Well, usually something like MX-4 paste will be always better than the pads. Also everywhere I have seen a comparison between these, the paste is damn better.
When I saw my laptop having a pad, i made a metal-adding modification that allowed me to put thermal paste instead. And the temperatures are now 3-6 degrees lower.

nice. i will use the noctua NT-H1 paste then

 

[geofelt]

Use the paste that comes with the cooler. It works well.
I don't know that I would ever use some sort of a thermal pad with a cpu cooler. The closer you get to metal to metal contact the better.

 

[NautilusOctopus]

Use the paste that comes with the cooler. It works well.
I don't know that I would ever use some sort of a thermal pad with a cpu cooler. The closer you get to metal to metal contact the better.

Yeah I just don't want to put too much thermal paste. I always overdo things

 

[AJNameS]

You just put a quantity, that is enough to fully cover the contacting surface. Nothing more. Personally I at one stage start to remove it a little by little slightly, and when I start to see the surface because of having taken too much, then I put an extremely low quantity, just to fill the little gap, and I make the layer equable&equal with my lil instrument.
And this is enough-the contact surface of the processor is covered by a very thin layer of the paste.

I still remember that the guy who sold me the paste said it is for 2 uses. But maaan, pls, I used it 5-6 times already and the total quantity I bought is just half-used. (means 2 out of 4 g MX-4). -> 4 g can be enough even for more than 10 uses.
I also remember that when I took out my cpu fan just to 'refresh' my paste, it was like someone's been making a soup there. But I don't think you will go that far away after I told u how it can be properly dealed with.

 

[AJNameS]

Oh, my bad. XD I thought I am posting to another conversation about the paste and got confused. But, anyway, I think I wrote what you needed for to help you.

 

[geofelt]

Yeah I just don't want to put too much thermal paste. I always overdo things

Metal to metal contact between the cpu die and the cooler would be ideal.
But, the surfaces will have microscopic imperfections that can trap air.
Air is a very poor conductor of heat.
Paste is better, than air, but not as good as metal to metal.
Your objective is to fill the air pits but leave the metal contact where you can.
Too much paste is counter productive.
Most application methods work OK.
I like to put a rice sized drop in the center.
The heat and pressure will make it spread out without any air bubbles.
Covering the surface and smoothing it out method needs to be done carefully to keep things even and without bubbles.
Really, it is hard to use too little.

 

[AJNameS]

If we gotta honest, the difference between putting almost no to putting extremely too much, and between any other methods will most likely not have even one degree by Celsius difference, and on a hard-old system it hardly can go up to 2 degrees difference.
Now, I can't quit my spread-out way, but if you don't want to put some little time and effort, and if your hand cannot be precise and is trembling, just go for the droplet method.
Except for these two, all other methods are simply useless.

 

[rubix_1011]

There is little difference to application and I've actually tried many when I started doing cooler reviews for the site. I've even tried leaving the thermal paste spread from a previous install and simply supplementing with a tiny bit more compound before re-attaching another CPU cooler (or re-attaching the same cooler). This was done merely as a test; it isn't something I do when I'm performing actual load testing for review data...this was purely out of boredom one weekend.

I use the lentil-size blob for all CPUs except Threadripper. The trick is to make sure you follow an X-pattern as much as possible when you begin to tighten down the screws on the cooler. Doing this evenly allows the cooler to seat more consistently across the entire IHS of the CPU. Screwing one corner all the way down kind of squishes the thermal paste from one side to another as you work your way around, making for those un-even looking oval blobs you see when a cooler is removed.

For Threadripper, I use multiple small blobs of paste over the cooler, starting with a small bit in the center of the IHS, then all 4 corners, then droplets between . With very large CPUs like TR4, you almost have to think of them more as multiple CPUs under 1 IHS (which they technically are).

 

[AJNameS]

The method that has the biggest possible potential out of all is spreading+equalizing, as it can fill all the inequalities and imperfections of the two surfaces and the equal spread of a high-quality mx-4 or similar paste makes it literally the same as a perfected metal-to-metal contact, and when you tighten the screws well, or whatever holds the cooler to the cpu, there is totally no risk of air bubbles or whatsoever, the most prominent parts of the metal will be like having a perfect contact.
But when I see most people doing it, my hair straightens a bit. It is needed just to cover the contact surface, and nothing more - it has to be as less as possible, and equal, with a smooth layer at the final of the job. This method can be perfect, but is for people with patience and a precise hand, not for someone who would stir it like a mayonnaize.
The droplet method ensures that the paste will at least deal with the central part, which is the most important, and after this go relatively equally around it, till the borders of the cpu surface. But it would be a better idea if the surface was a circle, not a square. And for non-experienced users this has the small risk of putting too much or too low.
Depending on what you want and what you do, anything between the lazy droplet and the hard surfacing can do you the job. It is much more important not to put too low amount of the paste than putting too much.
And, as I said, there is no too much of a difference. You shouldn't be too concerned about it. If you put any amount around 1/10 of a 4 -mg MX-4 tube, it cannot be too much for a regular processor.

 

[NautilusOctopus]

There is little difference to application and I've actually tried many when I started doing cooler reviews for the site. I've even tried leaving the thermal paste spread from a previous install and simply supplementing with a tiny bit more compound before re-attaching another CPU cooler (or re-attaching the same cooler). This was done merely as a test; it isn't something I do when I'm performing actual load testing for review data...this was purely out of boredom one weekend.

I use the lentil-size blob for all CPUs except Threadripper. The trick is to make sure you follow an X-pattern as much as possible when you begin to tighten down the screws on the cooler. Doing this evenly allows the cooler to seat more consistently across the entire IHS of the CPU. Screwing one corner all the way down kind of squishes the thermal paste from one side to another as you work your way around, making for those un-even looking oval blobs you see when a cooler is removed.

For Threadripper, I use multiple small blobs of paste over the cooler, starting with a small bit in the center of the IHS, then all 4 corners, then droplets between . With very large CPUs like TR4, you almost have to think of them more as multiple CPUs under 1 IHS (which they technically are).

Can't do that on a noctua as there are only two mounting screws. should i tighten both at the same time or one at a time

 

[rubix_1011]

If you have an extra set of hands you could do them simultaneously, same with any cooler. Otherwise, the alternating method is the way to go, regardless.

 

[Terry1978]

Hi all used to use mx-4 very good paste needs replacing evry 6 months( when pc is runing like 8 hours per day) meaning cleaning the cooler surface part that contacts the cpu cover and the cpu metal surface ofc .
All depends on the quality of the cpu top cover and the quality of the cooler you are using the higher the quality (the more you pay for cooler and cpu the beter finsh the parts have that contact each othe thus less micro bumbs to fill with paste ) if you have a expensive cpu and expensive cooler the thiner the thermal paste aplication the beter if you have cheap parts cpu and cooler the more adjustment in thikness you will have to aply .
AJNameS hits it spot on i would folow his instructions and proceed ...

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

MX-4 paste doesn't need to be replaced every 6 months, I would say every 3 years or so. That's how often I've been replacing mine, and I pretty much do work on the PC most of my day. Do an intensive stress test every year and note the temps each time, if they're still fine, you're good.

Also, apply a pea-sized dot in the middle of the processor, it will spread perfectly on the entire IHS surface of the CPU. No need to spread, do crosses, put 5 dots or whatever. Just one pea-sized dot. The difference in temps between each method of application is very very insignificant.

And keep in mind that when it comes to thermal paste, less isn't necessarily worse.

 

[geofelt]

Can't do that on a noctua as there are only two mounting screws. should i tighten both at the same time or one at a time

Screw down just a bit at a time, alternating screws.
The objective is to get the cooler seated evenly.
Eventually, you will not be able to screw anything down more.
The springs are what keeps the proper pressure.
It is a reasonably fool proof system.

The supplied paste is quite good. No need for anything else.

 

[Terry1978]

MX-4 paste doesn't need to be replaced every 6 months, I would say every 3 years or so. That's how often I've been replacing mine, and I pretty much do work on the PC most of my day. Do an intensive stress test every year and note the temps each time, if they're still fine, you're good.

Also, apply a pea-sized dot in the middle of the processor, it will spread perfectly on the entire IHS surface of the CPU. No need to spread, do crosses, put 5 dots or whatever. Just one pea-sized dot. The difference in temps between each method of application is very very insignificant.

And keep in mind that when it comes to thermal paste, less isn't necessarily worse.

what temps do you have in room ?

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

what temps do you have in room ?

15 - 20C