Looks like there is a thermal pad on the copper plate in my new H80i. Back in the day (when I was a lad) these things were thought rubbish and stuff like Artic Silver was the stuff of choice. Should I remove the pad and use a normal 'thermal' compound like AS, or should it be fine?
Err, didn't think the corsair all in one coolers used pads but I might be wrong, used to be they pre-applied some paste which was pretty reasonable paste but if you prefer to use your own thermal compound it will probably be a couple of degrees C cooler.
Definitely doesn't come with a pad, I remember reading it would come with shin-etsu paste on it which is one of the best paste.
provided you avoid the really cheap ****, the difference between most types thermal goo is negligible...
It's not a thermal pad it's a square of thermal compound that looks to be screen printed on or something. Either way the stuff on my H100 has proven to be perfectly adequate.
dow corning, not shin-etsu either way the stuff that comes with the h80i is as good as, if not better than the majority of after-market goop