Whats the best thermal paste to use these days? Ive just got the last out of my no-brand tube of paste so want to order some more today. Also is TIM cleaner really worth it? I've always used a bit of rubbing alcohol or aftershave
The ArtiClean thermal paste remover smells really nicely of oranges, so there's that to recommend it As for TIM, lots of people recommend MX-2.
I go for mx4, a lot of people go for artic silver 5, they're all pretty much the same. Tim cleaner is good and it has plenty of other uses too. It's great for getting rid of the sticky residue you get from labels.
More important than having the best TIM is just using a good TIM and applying it properly. If you really "need" the extra couple degrees the best TIM provides over the other popular TIMs, then you really need to look at your case cooling because your case is not doing its job. TIM cleaner is nice and it works fine. But so does 91 - 93% Isopropyl alcohol and it is much much cheaper. I do recommend the higher concentrate Isopropyl alcohol over regular rubbing (~75%) alcohol because the weaker solution can leave a residue, a film over the mating surfaces. Don't use aftershave!!! They contain soothing oils and moisturizers that will certainly leave a residue on the mating surfaces.
I use whatever's at hand, last time I think it was some AS5 that had been lying around for a while, applied with the plastic-bag-stretched-over-finger-method(tm). I've never used TIM remover, I just thoroughly clean the area with the kitchen-roll-stretched-over-the-finger-method(tm).
CoolLaboratory Liquid Pro Best you can get, check the reviews your self. Its a good 4c better than anything else on the market. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111602693471?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT Comes with cleaner swabs as well
Arctic Silver 5 is very good. For every day stuff like replacing the TIM in laptops I use MX-2 as its ceramic based so if a little goes astray you dont have to run the risk of shorting something out.
Ending up ordering some Arctic Cooling MX-4 for a few pennies under £4, seemed the best for the price.
No. As others have said, use isopropyl alcohol - it's cheaper and just as effective. Personally, I use a dry cotton swab or the corner of a folded paper towel to remove as much thermal material as possible. Then I dip a cotton swab in the bottle of alcohol and carefully remove any remaining residue. Any alcohol left over evaporates quickly, leaving a nice clean surface.
Isopropanol for cleaning, Arctic Silver for the thermal gunk, mainly as I still have loads of the stuff.
Just found this over on Maplin, would this be fine to use to clear away old thermal paste? http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/servisol-isopropyl-alcohol-75ml-re87u
Would be fine, but it is cheaper elsewhere. Try eBay for example. I use MX-4, main as I have plenty of it and near pure Isopropyl Alcohol for cleaning. Never got on with IC Diamond, always took the IHS text off and the temps were not that much better than MX-4.
i use the acrticlean stuff and mx-4. It may only be my experience, but when cleaning the contact plate on my aio coolers, i initially used isopropylol and it reached the point where my coffee filter was coming back clean, but when i found the acrticlean and applied it before reinstalling my coffee filter picked up a load more dark grey/black residue. no idea how much difference it would make, but now i stick with the arcticlean stuff because i feel like it's working better even if the benefit is minimal. the mx-4 seemed to hold up in various reviews and i got a largish tube of it from amazon for not much cash which is still going strong after many uses.
I too use a cotton swab. Then a final blast of compressed dusting gas just before applying the new TIM so ensure no dust of cotton fibers are left behind.
That looks like an aerosol can - that is, the contents are under pressure and spray out. I would not use or recommend that. Just visit your local pharmacy or pharmacy section of your local Wal-mart or grocery store. They should have isopropyl alcohol and hopefully the 91 - 93% stuff.
