I thought those cheap thermal paste syringes were all the same until a server in Dallas kept overheating

Swapped out the generic stuff for some Arctic MX-6 and the temps dropped 12 degrees under load. Anyone else have a go-to paste for tough cooling jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrewr6513d agoTop Commenter

Wow, I learned that same lesson the hard way with an old gaming rig!

black.pat1d ago

Used to grab whatever cheap paste was on sale, figured it was all the same goop. Then my old HTPC started sounding like a jet engine, and the paste had turned into a chalky brick. Swapped in some Noctua NT-H1 and it's been dead silent for three years now. Totally changed how I see that little tube, it's worth the extra few bucks for sure.

bennett.riley13d ago

Arctic MX-6 is a total lifesaver for older hardware. I had the same thing happen with a media server, just like @andrewr65 mentioned. The cheap paste dried out into a crusty mess after a year. Swapping to a good paste made it run quiet again, which was a huge relief. What other pastes have you guys tried that last a long time?

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