Which thermal paste should I buy?

[Ensimilia]

Which thermal paste is best for overclocking my Intel dual core E8400?

I already got a good cooler (Scythe Mugen Max) but I ran out of thermal paste that was included with my previous cooler (TX3 EVO). I was thinking Arctic MX 4 or something. I prefer one of the cheaper thermal compounds but I am willing to spend € 20 on thermal paste if it really makes a big difference in overclocking to keep the temperatures down more.

https://www.alternate.be/Arctic/MX-4-Koelpasta/html/product/735366?tk=7&lk=6112

It needs to be from the Alternate website. :)

[zombie cat]

noctua make decent thermal paste.

https://www.alternate.be/Noctua/NT-H1-Koelpasta/html/product/31252?event=search

little bit more expensive.

[[AU] Tabris:DarkPeace]

Arctic Silver used to be the go back in my day, I dunno if you can still get the original though.

[Ensimilia]

Isn't Arctic Silver a little bit risky because it conducts electricity?

The Noctua paste looks good, and it's not pricey.

[[AU] Tabris:DarkPeace]

Arctic Silver is just the name of the product, it may contain small amounts of silver but barely enough to be conductive at 1.45 Volts or less.

That said, anything that contains trace amounts of metals will typically conduct electricity, but also transfer heat... that is why you need to be careful when applying thermal 'paste'.

[_I_]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Centurion:

Isn't Arctic Silver a little bit risky because it conducts electricity?

The Noctua paste looks good, and it's not pricey.

not even a little

as5 is not conductive, its actually capacitive (very good insulator)

for cheap paste, look for masscool starz 700, not far off from as5 and often under $5/tube shipped
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/231234882670?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82
or the cm paste included with their cooler is as good as as5

tx3 is not a very good cooler to be overclocking anything with
it has a limit of around 100w cpus
wont get a 4690k to 4ghz

[[AU] Tabris:DarkPeace]

Capacitors are conductors dude, you're thinking of resistors.

It's either a conductor, semiconductor, superconductor, or non conductive.
If it contains Aluminium Oxide then it will insultate electricity.
If it contains other metalic elements and impurities it will conduct.

[Rumpelcrutchskin]

https://www.alternate.be/Arctic-Silver/5-Koelpasta/html/product/31242?tk=7&lk=6112

It's most widely used thermal paste. MX-4 is not Arctic Silver or not even made by same company.

[_I_]

Początkowo opublikowane przez TabrisDarkPeace:

Capacitors are conductors dude, you're thinking of resistors.

caps are 2 conductors seperated by an insulator
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor

caps store a charge, if they conduct how would they hold it?

[[AU] Tabris:DarkPeace]

Anything that stores electrical energy temporarily in an electric field (using two conductors) is therefore a conductor.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor

Aluminium Oxide is an insulator... but thermal paste may contain other elements to aide thermal transfer. Those other elements are conductive.

Much like pure water DOES NOT conduct electricity, the impurities common within water DO conduct electricity though. So most lay people consider water a conductor of electricity. ;-)

[Samadhi]

Arctic Silver 5, OP.
Good quality paste, the best IMHO.

[_I_]

the leads on a capacator conduct, the dielectric (i.e. an insulator) does not
thats what causes the cap to store its charge

http://www.arcticsilver.com/as5.htm

Not Electrically Conductive:
Arctic Silver 5 was formulated to conduct heat, not electricity.
(While much safer than electrically conductive silver and copper greases, Arctic Silver 5 should be kept away from electrical traces, pins, and leads. While it is not electrically conductive, the compound is very slightly capacitive and could potentially cause problems if it bridges two close-proximity electrical paths.)

if the op has the cm paste, use that its just as good

[[AU] Tabris:DarkPeace]

Thanks _I_

[Ensimilia]

Ok Arctic Silver 5 it is then. :)

I was using the CM paste that came with the TX3 EVO but it's now all used up so that's why I'm getting new paste. But i'm not using the TX3 EVO anymore for overclocking, I have the Scythe Mugen Max for that now. ;)

[Samadhi]

Początkowo opublikowane przez _I_:

the leads on a capacator conduct, the dielectric (i.e. an insulator) does not
thats what causes the cap to store its charge

http://www.arcticsilver.com/as5.htm

Not Electrically Conductive:
Arctic Silver 5 was formulated to conduct heat, not electricity.
(While much safer than electrically conductive silver and copper greases, Arctic Silver 5 should be kept away from electrical traces, pins, and leads. While it is not electrically conductive, the compound is very slightly capacitive and could potentially cause problems if it bridges two close-proximity electrical paths.)

if the op has the cm paste, use that its just as good

its not "just as good", as independant thermal transfer tests illustrate.
I'm not sure why you cut and pasted that other stuff, but its irrelevant to this thread.
Also 99% of people couldn't care less about how a capacitor works. Also my motto is if you can't spell it, don't bother.

[76561198135154379]

Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut.