The Best Thermal Paste With Spatula

The 6g tube comes with a TG Spatula Pro and suits hot CPUs you do not want to remount often. Nothing else here matches its 6g tube size; the Kryonaut 5.55g comes closest at 5.55g. It is the only pick here with an a TG Spatula Pro in the box; the Kryonaut 5.55g has an a syringe and spatula 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. It was priced above the XTM50 and below the Kryonaut 5.55g at the time of writing.

The 5.55g size suits overclockers who remount often, and the maker says it does not dry out at 80°C. It is popular with overclockers and suits standard builds too. The 5.55g size covers many repastes.

Its 5.55g tube size ranks second of 5 here, behind the Duronaut 6g (6g) and ahead of the NT-H1 SW (3.5g). You get an a syringe and spatula in the box here, which sets it apart from the MX-4 with spatula and its an a spatula 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. It was the highest-priced of the 5 picks at the time of writing, so the case for it rests on what it adds over the Duronaut 6g and the rest.

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-H1 SW 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. When we checked, only the NT-H1 SW and cheaper picks cost less, and the Duronaut 6g cost more.

Each pack carries an authenticity code, a useful check given how often MX-4 is counterfeited. On tube size it sits mid-pack at 4g: the Duronaut 6g comes in at 6g, and the NT-H1 SW comes in at 3.5g. It is the only pick here with an a spatula in the box; the Duronaut 6g has an a TG Spatula Pro in the box instead.

It also offers metal-free carbon microparticles. 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 cost the least of the 5 picks at the time of writing, with the NT-H1 SW the next step up.

Noctua rates it for up to five years on a CPU or GPU. On tube size it trails the group at 3.5g, while the Duronaut 6g comes in at 6g. You also get a rated usage time of up to five years on a CPU or GPU and wipes that remove old paste without a separate cleaner.

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. When we checked, only the MX-4 with spatula cost less, and the XTM50 cost more. Tube size is its weakest area, and the Duronaut 6g covers it better at 6g.