The Best Thermal Paste Under $20

The 6g tube comes with a TG Spatula Pro and suits hot CPUs you do not want to remount often. Its 6g tube size is the largest here; the XTM50 comes next at 5g. It is the only pick here with an a TG Spatula Pro in the box; the Hydronaut has an a syringe in the box instead.

It also comes with a paste that does not harden over time. 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 Hydronaut came close to it on price at the time of writing; it cost the most of the 5 picks.

Its low viscosity fills fine surface channels, and Corsair says it contains no volatile compounds. On tube size it sits mid-pack at 5g: the Duronaut 6g comes in at 6g, and the NT-H2 AM5 comes in at 3.5g. It also offers 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. Worth noting: 5g is enough for several applications. When we checked, only the NT-H2 AM5 and cheaper picks cost less, and the Hydronaut cost more.

It comes in a syringe for precise placement and, by the maker's claim, does not harden over time. Its 3.9g tube size ranks third of 5 here, behind the Duronaut 6g (6g) and ahead of the NT-H2 AM5 (3.5g). You get an a syringe 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. Before buying, weigh one limit: costs more than the 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-H2 AM5 on tube size (3.5g). You get a three cleaning wipes in the box here, which sets it apart from the Hydronaut and its an a syringe 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.

It also comes with three cleaning wipes. The guard sits around an AM5 chip during application and lifts away, leaving the heatspreader cut-outs clean. Noctua rates the paste for up to five years on a CPU.

On tube size it ties with the NT-H2 at 3.5g. You also get the second generation of Noctua's NT-H1. 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. It gives ground on tube size, where the Duronaut 6g comes in at 6g.