Guru3D Thermal Paste Roundup 2019 - Thermal Grizzly, Thermaltake, Zalman

by Krzysztof Hukalowicz on: 08/23/2019 11:58 AM [

] 66 comment(s)

Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut

Name	Thermal conductivity	Density	Electrically conductive	Ease of use	Comments
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut	73.0 W/mK	6.24 g/cm³	Yes	Hard

Metal-based thermal pastes require a bit more expertise and caution during the application, and that is not just because they are electrically conductive. Firstly, the heatsink needs to be thoroughly cleaned with isopropyl alcohol before the paste can be applied. Then, you need to apply a very small amount of paste and spread it evenly with the provided brush. Luckily, the Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut comes with all the tools that make the application process as easy as possible; simply follow the instructions.

Keep in mind that you must not use it on aluminium heatsinks, as the liquid metal might damage them and leave black stains. Depending on your cooler, heatsink, and the rest of your rig, the Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut can lower your temperatures by over 10°C. Lower temperatures will allow you to further overclock your GPU and/or CPU, offering much better performance. With 73 W/mK, the Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut is the best thermal paste on the market right now. Those who wish to push their performance to the max should definitely give this metal paste a chance. Just be careful and take your time when applying it, and you won’t be disappointed.

Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut

Name	Thermal conductivity	Density	Electrically conductive	Ease of use	Comments
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut	12.5 W/mK	3.70 g/cm³	No	Easy

The Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut is known as one of the best non-conductive thermal greases out there (and also that's why it is daily used in my setup). It’s also one of the most expensive pastes. Priced twice as high as the Noctua NT-H1, yet it the pack contains 5.5 G of paste. The Thermal Grizzly is aimed only at hardcore PC builders.
Although pricey, the paste delivers what it promises. At 12.5W/mK it’s the most thermally conductive ceramic paste, and it doesn’t conduct electricity at all. It requires no curing time, it’s easy to apply, and according to other reviews, it provides you with up to 3-4° lower temperature than Arctic Silver 5 and Noctua NT-H1. If you apply the paste properly, the pack will be good for 20 applications max. You can also get the Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 11.1G version, which is even more cost-effective in the long run.

Thermaltake TG4

Name	Thermal conductivity	Density	Electrically conductive	Ease of use	Comments
Thermaltake TG4	n/a	n/a	No	Hard

There is no data for this product on the website. According to the manufacturer, it should have a long lifespan and high fluidity (therefore also be easy application). The weight is 1.5g so it should be fine for 5-6 applications on the CPU. It’s been designed for extreme performance. It’s quite thick and hard to spread.

Zalman ZM-STG2

Name	Thermal conductivity	Density	Electrically conductive	Ease of use	Comments
Zalman ZM-STG2	4.1 W/mK	n/a	No	Medium

With Zalman STG-2, the main advantages are high efficiency, ease of application, and an acceptable price. In the tube, there is 3.5 g of a product based on silver compounds that does not conduct electricity. STG-2 can work in temperatures from -40 * C to 150 * C, and its thermal conductivity is 4.1 W / mK.

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Guru3D Thermal Paste Roundup - Round 2 (2021)
It has been almost two years since we made part 1 of Thermal Paste Roundup. You gave us good feedback for it; thus, we have prepared the second round of that article. As a short reminder - you should already know that the TIM (thermal insulation material) is often overlooked when setting up the PC. Thermal paste is a compound that helps to fill the gaps between the CPU and a cooler that your eyes can't spot. Most users will choose the pre-applied paste or the one provided with a cooler, which should be good enough for the CPU's stock frequencies. The bigger a load of a processor is, the better paster would show its advantage. The last roundup was prepared in 2019. Now we have two years later and a head full of ideas to make it even more interesting than last time.

Guru3D Thermal Paste Roundup 2019
Thermal paste is an often-overlooked part of most computer setups. You can simply use the pre-applied stuff, or the thermal paste that comes with your motherboard, and still get reasonable processor t...