The Best Easy-to-Apply Thermal Paste

It forgives a clumsy first application, and 4g covers several builds. On tube size it sits mid-pack at 4g: the XTM50 comes in at 5g, and the XTM60 comes in at 3g. You also get a consistency ARCTIC pitches at first-time builders.

Clean off old paste with isopropyl alcohol first, then apply a pea-sized dot or a thin line on the heatspreader; on large Intel chips an X or a line covers the longer die better. Worth noting: carbon microparticle formula. Another plus: electrically non-conductive, so spills are harmless. No other pick here cost less at our last price check, and the NT-H1 was closest.

Noctua rates it for up to five years on a CPU and about 15 applications on AM4 or LGA1700. It matches the NT-H2 on tube size (3.5g). It also comes with a recommended storage time of up to three years.

Clean off old paste with isopropyl alcohol first, then apply a pea-sized dot or a thin line on the heatspreader; on large Intel chips an X or a line covers the longer die better. Do not pre-spread it; let the cooler's mounting pressure distribute it. Before buying, weigh one limit: costs more than the MX-4 at the time of writing. Its price falls between the MX-4 and the XTM60, based on our last check.

Corsair pitches it at overclocking and says it resists drying and cracking over time. Its 3g tube size is the smallest in this group; the XTM50 leads at 5g. You get an an applicator card in the box here, which sets it apart from the NT-H2 and its a three cleaning wipes in the box.

Clean off old paste with isopropyl alcohol first, then apply a pea-sized dot or a thin line on the heatspreader; on large Intel chips an X or a line covers the longer die better. On price it sat third of 5, between the cheaper NT-H1 and the pricier NT-H2, at the time of writing.

Noctua rates it for up to five years on the CPU, which suits builders who set it and forget it. It matches the NT-H1 on tube size (3.5g). A three cleaning wipes in the box is unique to it among these picks, while the XTM60 uses an an applicator card in the box.

It also offers a recommended usage time of up to five years on the CPU and enough for around 3 to 20 applications. Clean off old paste with isopropyl alcohol first, then apply a pea-sized dot or a thin line on the heatspreader; on large Intel chips an X or a line covers the longer die better. Do not pre-spread it; let the cooler's mounting pressure distribute it. Its price falls between the XTM60 and the XTM50, based on our last check.

Its low viscosity fills fine surface channels, and Corsair says it contains no volatile compounds. Nothing else here matches its 5g tube size; the MX-4 comes closest at 4g. It also comes with zero volatile compounds, by the maker's claim.

Clean off old paste with isopropyl alcohol first, then apply a pea-sized dot or a thin line on the heatspreader; on large Intel chips an X or a line covers the longer die better. Only the NT-H2 came close to it on price at the time of writing; it cost the most of the 5 picks. There is no published rated service life figure, whereas the MX-4 offers up to 8 years.