Thermal Paste vs. Reusable Graphite Thermal Pad Benchmarks (IC Diamond Pad)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- We're finally testing the IC Diamond Graphite Thermal Pad vs. thermal paste in a fully controlled bench, including torque pressure tests, 95W through 270W power loads, and more.
Support equipment purchases w/ a Chipset Metro poster: store.gamersnexus.net/product...
If we do an article on this one, we'll delay it a bit and let you know in HW News (or via twitter) once it's up. Trying to catch up on content lately!
Our CPU cooler review methodology is here: • Why Most Cooler Tests ...
Or written form here: www.gamersnexus.net/guides/35...
Find the IC Diamond Graphite Thermal Pad (40x40mm) on Amazon: geni.us/56kk27 (we used one size-appropriate for the Intel DT IHS)
Find Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut on Amazon: geni.us/Fsray
or Arctic MX-4 on Amazon: geni.us/k3kT6
Note that we have some additional methodological points made in this video that deviate from the norm, since the testing was different. We have some specific graphite thermal pad vs. thermal paste considerations we made. Coolers are declared in the charts or verbally. We also give a tour of the testing facilities and thermal room (which is kept at about 21C, but monitored every single second of testing and logged).
This testing looks at the IC Diamond Graphite Thermal Pad, specifically tested against Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut paste. A lot of the testing for graphite thermal pads has been within the enthusiast community from DIYers, so that has meant fairly limited sets of comparable data. To expand upon the great effort invested by the community, we ran the compound and pads through multiple mount/remount tests for endurance, varying torque settings, two different coolers (one was the Corsair A500, which is bad because of its unflat coldplate), and with heatloads ranging 95W, 150W, 200W, and 270W, establishing the thermal range against paste as the power increases. The dummy heater is a synthesis for the 9900K IHS and uses a monolithic source of heat. All we want is repeatable, reliable testing for the granularity required to see thermal interface differences. A "real" computer is simply too variable -- another discussion entirely, shown in our above methodology piece -- and so we would have neither the confidence nor accuracy to represent the interfaces correctly. With the dummy heater, we avoid those issues. This testing will theoretically scale similarly across AMD Ryzen CPUs, as it's ultimately just the efficacy with which heat is pulled away from the IHS. If you're looking for the best thermal paste for Intel or for AMD Ryzen CPUs, the end result is the same: Get heat into the cooler efficiently, and this test starts to establish a baseline for our future thermal paste tests.
Like our content? Please consider becoming our Patron to support us: / gamersnexus
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Graphite, Carbon, & Paste Thermal Interfaces
05:59 - Testing Basics, Torque, & Wattage
06:23 - Thermal Paste vs. IC Diamond Graphite Pad CLC 360
07:35 - Surface Flatness & Contact Issues Explained
09:30 - Corsair A500 Unflat Surface - Pad vs. Paste
11:16 - Low Mounting Pressure & Torque vs. Thermal Paste & Pad
14:00 - Thermal Testing Room Walkthrough
19:10 - Conclusion
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Testing, Editorial: Steve Burke
Video: Keegan Gallick, Andrew Coleman - เกม
Our CPU cooler review methodology is here: th-cam.com/video/fmTOJP4KOyk/w-d-xo.html
Support test equipment purchases via the GN store, like by buying a Modmat, Mouse Mat, or a limited Chipset Metro poster: store.gamersnexus.net/products/x570-chipset-metro-station-poster-18-x-24
EK AIO Tear-Down: th-cam.com/video/bAwYEBmSfvE/w-d-xo.html
Or written form of test methodology here: www.gamersnexus.net/guides/3561-cpu-cooler-testing-methodology-most-tests-are-flawed
erratum : at 13:04 the X axis is in Nm (Newton Meter) not nm (nanometer)
It is very reassuring when you go this far into your testing controls in the actual test video occasionally. You always reiterate to go check testing methodology but when you show it in video form everyone gets to actually see "Wow thats probably more of a scientific test than the manufacturers use". Really appreciate the extremely strict comparisons and not having to second guess your conclusions/opinions at the end.
Hi Steve, out of curiosity, what would the results or measurements be without any medium between the CPU and cooler? How would that compare against thermal paste?
A quick mention for your graph comparing the thermal intetfaces with different torques:
For shortening Newton (kgm/s^2) it is "N" instead of "n". Therefore in your graph "IC Diamond Graphite Pad vs. Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut Past | Torque Test | GamersNexus.net" (maybe the last is just your name) the unit of your Torque Driver Setting Axis should be "Nm", not "nm", with is short for Nanometer (10^-9 m).
Btw like your error-bars and would like to see more of them.
Especially in the 2 dimensional graphs you got here.
@@sripadhs
I agree this would be a nice to have for one video, but since it is very impractical for use (probably), it shouldn't be in every cooler review for every cooler. Just to impractical.
Love that GN follows the advice they give to manufactures about not releasing products till they’re 100% confident with their own videos. As always, this was well worth the wait!
Thanks for noticing! We promised to review this pad something like 2-3 years ago, but we just weren't ready or happy with our degree of accuracy until now. The nice thing is that now we can keep doing more interface/paste tests!
@@GamersNexus compared to Linus, you guys make him look like a 12 year old doing test
Jon Jones' Dealer Very true but Linus can’t keep a CPU cooler in his hand for more than 5 seconds anyway
@@GamersNexus quick comment btw. You look good in a undercut faded manbun my guy
I actually got featured in an ask gn episode way back asking for this review. I've since used one and switched back to paste but I'm still interested in the results and glad to see it finally done. Better late than never, thx gn :P
Edit: it's also nice to see there was a legit reason for the time and I did ask for "in depth analysis" and that's exactly what we got
"Right now you see an A500 mounted to it because I needed something bad" Noice!
When I heard that I was like "goddamn corsair can't possibly reply to this"
I mean, kinda throwing shade, but they also showed *why* its bad so its undeniable. Corsair cant be mad at anyone but themselves for not having an even coldplate.
Companies need good roasting
it is 100% true though. corsair's cooler was so uneven it made for a great thermal paste tester
A friend actually went and bought that cooler because 'it looks cool' . I forced him to return it by invoking the gods of testing, GN, and explaining he'd bought a turkey. Let him have the Fuma 2 I bought for a new build I'm still collecting parts for (he's under pain of death orders to replace that asap!)
Your testing methodology always blows me away no matter how many times I see it.
Agreed, however, the monotone bores me to death. I can never watch more than a few minutes.
@@ihateallofu8233 Comes with the territory and isn't changing.
Ihate allofU I’ll take monotone over Austin Evans style of over the top cornyness that’s become the norm on TH-cam. Nothing against him, because I do enjoy some of his content. He’s just the first tech person that came to mind.
@@bobbabouie91 Totally agree with you there.
@@GamersNexusEverything is bound to change. Someday you'll have to be a
Linus.
Damn, lol savage....."or of one consisting with Corsair's manufacturing ability".......
oof size: *Large*
That was hilarious :D
Laughed way too much about this
der8auer ok but what’s the significance at 9:01
@@der8auer Hi Roman!!! I would like to buy some Carbonaut could you tell me how many pads are in a pack? Is €25 a good price for a 38x38 pack?
"This setting is not realistic at all"
*stares in the Verge's AIO install that is full on missing a screw*
"We would pick paste...there's a few reasons for this. One is that [good] paste is just objectively better". That's a good reason.
And the pads don’t spread on toast
@@float32 the zestiest condiment.
To prevent heat ups. Eat thermal paste
They come in syringes, so just skip the whole digestion process and go straight for a vein.
@@Jaco_Schutte enema?
Considering that every time I use thermal paste, I get it all over my body, I think thermal pads are pretty promising.
I'm going to coat the thermal pad with thermal paste and get double cooling
It's the mechanics anti sieze equivalent
I think you are confusing thermal paste with tooth paste.
sounds hot.
As a lube? ^^
9:05 Love the A500 is being flanked by the Yeston GPU. Its clearly mad at the lackluster cooler
For real though, I wish I could just buy the cooler from that GPU. It's become quite the meme. 😂
The thumbnail gives me chills down my spine
All that thermal paste, scary.
As someone on the verge of a breakthrough once said, "it's good PC building practice to apply a little extra"
@@pseudingus the verge heheh
fucking triggered me lol
I just like that it's less messy. Literally only benefit, but not a small one. Especially for first time builders putting on this pad may seem less of a concern than "spreading the paste out correctly."
If you build your first computer it's actually good to have that "concern", because it forces you to research more and that will lead to better decisions. Like I was a first time builder 3 months ago and exactly these little questions that you ask yourself before even ordering parts makes you google shit tons and then through finding the necessary info you always also find other beneficial info, like for example I never even asked myself how strong I have to fasten the screws, but while looking for a guide on how to spread the paste I overheard that you should "make it a bit tighter than you think" and that sent me into another google spiral for info.
Another point is also that "hard things" are much more rewarding. I enjoyed researching and building my pc a lot and so do many people. Making it "easier" would, for me and many others, actually be a negative. Sounds weird, but I am sure you kow what I mean :)
For stock builds of most 125W TDP or less, with decent air or AIO CLC's, the pads won't likely be enough of a loss in heat transfer over paste to impact performance in a meaningful way, I think it's a good choice for most users. I personally like paste.
@@GuRuGeorge03 you're not alone, the difficulty is rewarding.
I get that, but thermal paste isn't like a difficult thing to do. A single drop of it in the middle, put the cooler on and bingo bango bongo. It's done.
@@nktslp3650 i found a bertical line is better and spreads out better aswell
It is actually much better than I expected!
It performs like cheap paste but it won't dry, so it's a nice alternative for low maintenance builds.
I've kept a pad on hand for testing motherboards/cpus to see if they're functional. IT IS SO CONVENIENT NOT HAVING TO CLEAN PASTE EVERY TIME.
I see it as a tool, not as something I'd run day-to-day.
Uhh at last.. was waiting for this for so long. Hope got Thermal Grizzly Carbonaut review. Thumb up*
Will Steve dare to make Roman feel the heat? We'll see.
Please please please review Thermal Grizzly's Carbonaut!!!!!
Thermal Grizzly's Carbonaut is supposed to have twice the thermal conductivity of ic diamond's pads!!!
"consisting of corsairs manufactering abilites" I needed that laugh today.
Even looking back at older videos I still learn something every time I watch a GN video. This came out around the time I built my first system and now I’m one of the go to friends in my group for PC stuff and dive headfirst into learning. You past present and future content brings so much to the table
Small observation about your graphs: nm is nanometers, Nm is Newton meters!
Nanometer is a measure of distance. Newton meter is a measure of mechanical force. That's why he mentioned it in relation to the torque driver he was holding. Certain coolers have instructions that specific.
@@artisan002 to be precise, Nm is torque that's why I mentioned it should be like that on the graphs!
@@artisan002 whoosh!
they are saying they used the wrong unit, unintentionally, in the graphs; which is an understandable, easy to make mistake. It is like mispeeling a word and not correcting it.
Your response ... is incomprehensible. Not what you said, but why you said it. The person obviously knows the difference between nm and Nm and the rest of your response seems intended for a completely different comment. Are you stoned? If so, share.
@@kuromurasakizero9515 Good god dude. Did you push your glasses up before you started that burn? Try to be calm. "Incomprehensible" is getting a bit hyperbolic.
@@apostolosnt Well, yes. A unit of force. But, I get what you're saying now. I'd missed the first line.
I was going to bed but then a GN video came across my notifications.....
Seriously. Goddamnit Steve. Now I'm losing sleep *and* regretting using an IC Diamond pad on my 9700k instead of paste...
lol same
i thought Steve's voice is perfect to lull you to sleep..? JK, great analysis as usual GN
*People about to go to bed. But DAMMIT when Tech Jesus summons you, you bring your ass to CHURCH.*
Amen!
The megabyte, the gigabyte, & the mighty terabyte; Bill Gates. IBM 8100:VV2136 Thou shalt not skimp on thy thermal compound
Your channel is what's great about TH-cam. You provide real world information that is actually helpful!
You go above and beyond to make sure it's as accurate as possible and as unbiased any human can be. I mean what enthusiast or person with a modicum of intelligence would not appreciate or find that valuable.
Well done to you and your team. Love the channel. Keep up the great work from an appreciative viewer on the other side of the planet.
Your product team is on fire!!!
Thank you!
This missed something I was really interested in. I have heard the *horizontal* conductivity of these graphite pads is significantly higher than pastes (over the same distance). With AMD CPUS using an offset chiplet design, specifically chips with a single offset chiplet like the 3700x, and the majority of coolers not being built for this new design, could a graphite pad provide better overall thermal dissipation compared to paste in this situation? I was excited to hear the dummy bench can simulate AMD chiplet heat points but disappointed that no testing was done in this area.
shortly after release of the current ryzens, different mounting orientations were testet for your mentioned reason. Result was no noticeable difference because of the good heat transfer between the heatpipes.
I think I've heard that some of these pre-cut graphite pads have higher Z conductivity, though that might differ by which one (maybe it was carbonaut that I'm thinking of).
There is also paper-like PGS (pyrolytic graphite sheet, like seen in this video th-cam.com/video/ZAEhyY1_czM/w-d-xo.html also quickly/easily cutting ice cubes with body heat) that you can get with higher XY thermal conductivity that *might* be useful for DIY cooling solutions where you spread the heat more (larger air coolers, external cooling, multiple air coolers passive or not etc). Would love to see testing to see it this is worth it or even viable, but maybe it's not GN's type of content.
Aye, as Rob stated Gamers Nexus did a piece on the Heat Pipe orientation myth which can be found: th-cam.com/video/O1WGlPrH4IU/w-d-xo.html Due to them debunking the myth and saying the only real factor of hindrance would be poor overall case airflow to orientation, or pulling heat directly off the back of a GPU, I highly doubt their results would vary much from this videos tests since the heat pipe direction would have no factor in it.
the thermal graphite pad that AMD used on the reference rx5k series for example is miles better than the IC diamond graphite pad but there's also a reason why it's not re-usable after you pull it off(it'll rip almost every time). i currently use the IC diamond graphite pad in my system with a zen 2 cpu and there's zero benefit to it over paste when it comes to performance. the only reason i still have it installed is because i'm lazy and don't feel like pulling my block off again and applying paste since i'm still under the 65C barrier to hit 4.2Ghz all core boost.. but my temps are still 2-3C higher than with hydronaut in my specific case which equates to my fans having to run about 5-10% higher rpm to make up for the difference. that being said though the graphite pads have saved my ass a few times when i've realized i've run out of thermal paste and didn't have any which is why i currently have it installed on this system since human malware made it impossible to get thermal paste shipped in a timely manner back in march when i was forced to remount my block. otherwise i usually just keep it in the case it came with and use it for testing.
why would that be different? correct me if I'm wrong or misunderstood your comment, but the orientation of the pad relative to the CPU and cooler doesn't change. and regarding the single offset chiplet, does it matter either? what you want in a thermal compound is the ability to transfer the heat from one surface to another, not to soak the heat in the thermal compound itself.
For future reference: nm is specifically nanometer and Nm is Newton meter.
Newton * meter
@@Hoshikani Since when do you multiply force by distance?
It's newton-meter, torque.
@@Spirit532 torque is measured by formulas that include both force (newtons, pounds) and distance (meters, feet).
Just like how speed uses distance divided by time (km/h)
@@Spirit532 Torque is force times distance from the center. Multiplying force by distance is correct, that is why it is called newton * meter. Newton - meter does not make sense, you can not subtract 2 different dimensions.
@@Spirit532 when you see a torque value, imagine someone using a wrench. a torque of 1Nm would be using 1 newton of force applied via a 1 meter long wrench, or 2 newtons and a 0.5m wrench, ect.
The attention to detail to get accurate results is just amazing. Nobody would dispute GN results given your track record and you guys still go above and beyond to do the best testing around. Shows how passionate you all are and really keeps bringing me back to the channel. Great work guys!
Yay. I've been waiting for this for like two years.
Reusability also includes never having to clean thermal paste :) i enjoy that a lot
After ripping my 2700x out of the socket twice using mx-4 I switched to an ic pad. I noticed about 2C of temperature difference, which is fine for me.
I am using a noctua nh-d14 which means I can't twist the cooler before taking it off so that I don't rip out the Cpu.
About the name of the pad: I think the company is called innovation cooling (ic) and the pad is called graphite pad. The diamond in the name describes the ic paste which includes diamond dust.
Thanks for the great testing!
I ripped mine out of the socket trying to pull the stock cooler. lack of space at the top of my case caused to cooler to get caught on the bracket. I ended up replacing the stock cooler.
You can 100% avoid this by just turning the heatsink before pulling it off. Also helps to let it warm up a bit before removing.
@@trazac not every coolers mounting mechanism allows you to twist it. I'm pretty sure I can't twist my noctua cooler when taking it off.
I couldn't twist the stock cooler because the top bracket gets caught due to severe lack of space. replaced the stock with an ac 34 that bolts in so it'll no longer be an issue. I even benchmarked the CPU to get the paste nice and soft beforehand. still bent enough pins I had to replace the cpu
You should know I subscribed because of the perfection of your testing methodology and your need to do this so well done. Keep on.
Much anticipated review! Thanks so much for getting to this!
Steve: "You're just not going to realistically encounter a scenario where a screw is tightened to one thread."
iBUYPOWER: We can achieve the impossible.
Well this aged like fine milk.
Alienware: "Hold my beer"
Should the graph for torque be in Nm not nm?
Yes. Thanks. It's definitely not in nanometers! Just used to typing "nm" from all the silicon.
@@GamersNexus, you should also be used to tipe "+" and 14, aren't you?
"nanometers phycological disorder" - Powered by mOaR SoLdIeRs
This is another excellent video from Steve and the GN team. Thanks so much for this because one of my friends and I were actually discussing pads vs paste literally last night! Love from Australia.
Only recently new to the team's channel, but damn if you guys aren't some of the most meticulous tech guys on the net. Thanks for all your care and attention to detail.
Great testing, much appreciated. A small thing to improve: in the Low Mounting Pressure graph, the correct unit for Newton meter should be N m, not nm (nanometer). Keep up the good work!
You know your own testing was solid when it lines up with what GN found, I was able to test the IC graphite asgainst arctic MX2 and found that IC graphite was 1-2 degreese worse consistently with a overclocked Ryzen 5 3600 and that for me is good enough considering its convenience.
I swear you have the best videos man. Super informative thank you for your time making this video
Well done. You guys really do, do the best most thorough, probably most accurate testing of really any of the TH-cam tech channels that I've seen. Consistently good reviews of whatever you're testing and I pay attention at least somewhat to most of the tech review channels (relevant to computer tech that is). The quality is appreciated. Accurate results are appreciated. I'm probably going to get some replies trolling my comment but hey, when its good, why not say so.
I love how serious GN is about accurately and quality, that's how I know when GN uploads a video it's gonna be good.
so nice that you guys got a great tool to know actual heatsink performance since the TPD is basically useless info
can you please make a comparison on the low profile cooler since I have been looking around and they either vary in performance either they all seem the same even some are bigger than other or they have a big difference
I just watched the old video on this, glad to see proper in-depth testing on it now!
Really appreciate how thoroughly you try to control variables from even something as small as a torque settings on screwdrivers. Team at GN you guys are amazing.
Seems like the graphite pad is an extremely good product.
They've actually been using thermal graphite pads in phones since iPhone 1. They conduct a heatspreader into the screen which is enough to keep the arm CPUs cool enough. You can find large sheets on ali for like $5. I can cut and cover almost 20 CPUs with it.
Its very thermally conductive. Reusable and doesnot make a mess
had mine since 2017. place it on and forget about it. reusable forever too as long dont do anything wreckless.
@@levynkhs8820 It's "too thick" to out perform a good paste though.
I have 2 of them. What I noticed is that after 1 year on my corsair water cooler; Temps started to go up quick. The pad requires a bunch of mounting pressure and if the screws stretch at all you have no contact.
23:49 getting a 'fine' from Steve is quite an accomplishment I'd say!!
I'm not sure if I've ever commented on one of y'alls videos before, but I had to comment on this one. Y'all have done a downright outstanding job on this testing, and it's something I didn't think would be enjoyable to watch beforehand. I'm glad to have been proven wrong.
Dude, this was so freakin' cool. Super interesting. Thankyall for taking the time to do this video.
as always, learning a lot
mind if I use some of your videos as a learning video for middle school children's about math in a real world use (and as a English course as well since I'm French and i will have to translate )
I've been waiting on this video for years! Finally! Haha. Jokes aside, Steve, why not do a video about the feasibility of these in laptops?
I’ve been waiting for this video! Finally some testing on these from a competent, non biased, and accurate source. Thanks GN
Wow best methodology ever !! You are on the Edge, It is not the first time I see thoses products tested but now I think I understand what I want to Know about .... Thank you
I've been waiting for this moment all my life, OH LAWD!
We promised this like 3 years ago. Sorry for the delay!
@@GamersNexus Thank you handsome
And it's still summer even.
Thanks Steve, I love how you do your very best to keep everything scientific and objective. This kind of integrity is rare.
The thermal compound testing methodology we’ve all been waiting for. Hoping for more videos with this setup and other compounds!
Thanks for all your hard work. I watch you every day on my longer than normal travel to work during covid. You are by far one of the best there is.
I personally love using graphite pads simply because I don't have to deal with the mess of the paste after the fact. Well worth the slight drop in performance.
Out of curiosity, do you guys validate your torque equipment every once in a while? I work with a lot of calibrated equipment and torque wrenches and torque screw drivers are far and away the most common thing to have fail for the values being out of tolerance.
Should be checked and certified every year for any legitimate business.
@@tacticalcenter8658 If the application doesn't require rubber stamping, you can self calibrate pretty easily using an electric torque meter.
@@zoravar.k7904 then who calibrates the torque meter? :D
@@sk8er100100 this must be why low tolerance applications are so tough lol
We calibrate most of the tools in the lab based on manf. recommendations and timelines.
That was a very in depth and scientific review of the IC Diamond Pad. I will be looking forward to more content like this, very well done. Thank you Gamer's Nexus, that is an awesome set up...
Good stuff hope to see more of this type of testing in the future.
I would like to see a similar review of the Indium sheets, particularly in regards to it's ability to wet other surfaces at room temperature.
That thumbnail brought back nightmares of the old "Too Much Thermal Paste" video from years ago. That one was brutal.
I love that video! 😍
Basically, until you are in a high wattage, high temperature (high performance) situation, the thermal pad will realistically work fine. It's when you really need to shave a few degrees off your operating temp that you need thermal paste.
I like the pads because they aren't messy, in application as well as in storage out of use. They also serve a wider array of purposes, such as nvme drives and gpu ram.
The effort this channel puts into its content is unreal well done guys you are leading the pack
Thunbs up.
Love this kind of content, can't wait to see more cooler reviews
I can say that with a 560mm rad using this pad doesn't really effect my temps that much. For those wondering why a 560mm rad the answer is: whisper quite pc.
Opposite actually. The bigger your rad is the more you shift the bottleneck towards the block, thermal interface and IHS. If your coolant is at ambient and you're hitting 95° you can't just spin up the fans and drop the temps. At some point adding rad space or fan speed only gets you insignificant improvements. And that's when you need to look at the block, delidding, liquid metal etc to push further. Modern CPUs have insane heat density, on my 3900X i have a delta of around 65-70 degrees between the coolant and the CPU, and with CPU only load a delta of around 4 degrees between coolant and ambient...
i assume you meant whisper quiet not whisper quite lol
overcompensation
@@Kineticartist It was 2am, me was tired!
With gargantuan size
Steve, would you be able to try a "lapped so flat they wring together" scenario with no thermal interface at all?
LTT tested that on an open bench, it's actually usable but still worse than TIM.
Yes! Been waiting for this and there's only one group I was waiting to test it!
As always I enjoy your thorough testing into whatever you do. Those thermal pads are perfect for me, I like to buy older hardware and these are easy to test and troubleshoot with. My main rig and other permanent builds use thermal paste though, for the better thermals.
What I really want to see is results after a year of use, when the paste dries up. The pad can make a lot more sense to use if it can get ahead of the paste in just a year.
Can you do a video on how much time affects different pastes and compare it to a pad?
Just for anyone reading this, I've had this thermal graphite pad on my 7700K for 3 years now. As far as I know it's as good as it is when it was new.
4.9GHz OC and my temps never go above 73C under full load. Cooled with H115i AIO. Idle temps are around 45C
I put whatever the top rated pad on Newegg was in 2019 on my i9700k while replacing the cooler (noctua dh-something) and after almost 3 years it's still performing amazing, even under heavy load it never goes above high 60's 😇
@@TechAndGamingSLA96 hahaha I posted my comment before reading yours, hell yeah dude 🥶😎
I have had this pad in my system for a year and a half. (R7 5800X 280mm aio) I works just as good as it did on day 1.
This is why I like the graphite pad, my paste kept failing in time(I'm no expert at applying it), the pad was an easy and clean install and I've had no more trouble with CPU(i7) temps since that day, years ago. After the thermal pad my temps dropped really low compared to what my previous normal was.
I bought the CPU and MOBO used and just thought it was a system that ran hot for some reason, it would start overheating after months and crashing during gaming, then new paste would bring it back down to its "normal" high temps. It may be why the person sold it to me so cheap.
I was thinking in my situation my CPU was warped instead of flat, with difficulty getting a good connection to the cooler and the pad helped perfectly connect the CPU to the cooler, it had a lot of coverage and compressed it down when tightening.
Reminds me of the XBOX 360 red ring of death days, a lot of those issues were supposed to be from warping and the thermal paste. I fixed my RROD by simply applying new paste but only lasted maybe weeks before it happened again. Would have been neat to know about thermal pads back then to see if it worked any better.
I like pad for laptop cpu. The pad last forever but Paste need to be reapplied every 4 years. This is important as laptop is much harder to service.
Also the panda gpu strikes again. Haha
That's a good point that we only briefly mentioned. Thanks for bringing that up. Serviceability of things like laptops is way worse, so it does make good sense there. Laptops are also notorious for garbage stock paste that eventually hardens.
That's an excellent point.
I also use the thermal pads for friends and family build so they don’t have to maintain it very much.
@@bradhaines3142 yeah. But some laptop are just PITA to remove the cpu and or gpu heatsink. Others will void your warranty if you do that.
Game Console's suffer the same bad serviceability as laptops, maybe pads could help that.
As always solid content!!! Ty for all the hardwork GN!!!!
While I find some of your fellow PC networkers fun and interesting, it is your Gamers Nexus videos that I find myself coming back to and watching in full, because you test thoroughly and provide facts and figures with everything you do. You might say, you put the science in computer science. I have made purchasing decisions time and time again, weighted heavily on the results of your testing work. You guys are awesome - both you and your super knowledgeable Linux buddy. You guys have amazing senses of humor as well, I love it all.
I started using this same pad last year after coming from Arctic Silver MX4 paste. My idle temps remained the same and my max temperatures only went up, literally, 2 degrees from the paste.. Not really a big deal in my opinion and now I don't ever have to deal with paste again. I even have my 8700k overclocked to 4.8ghz on all cores. When stressing the FPU in AIDA, my temps max out in mid 70s. And they never go above mid 60s when I'm not torturing the CPU. I really have no reason to use paste at this point. 🤷♂️
Some CPU's IHS are kinda flat. This helps a lot with heat transfer. Some other IHS are horribly far away from being flat and here probably the pads give better results. Using a decent paste on a flattened CPU IHS along with a flat cooler surface is always better than anything else but when the IHS's surface is curved then probably using a decent pad is advised. After lapping a CPU IHS there's only a thin layer of paste needed and the thermal transfer is high. The paste layer is so thin you can easily see through it.
I bought one several years ago and have been satisfied. Picked up a used cooler earlier this year and didn't even consider that without the pad I would have had to get some new thermal paste.
Excellent explanations of testing! Not everyone is as serious as you Steve, but I am glad you are. Too few get the real of what you do except the enthusiasts, but that is your target audience. Keep it up Steve. Your videos rock!
the level that you go to test these components is what gives me such faith in your content!
8:56 you got me laughing out loud with your cute pet card! Are more Chinese video cards incoming?
In summary - this thermal pad is "pretty not bad"
@@riccardocattozzo2579 Yeah, I hate having context for my thoughts.
You can usually skip towards the end and he sums up his thoughts a couple of times in a lot of videos.
Hell there’s sections in TH-cam now and they’re titled lmao it says CONCLUSION right there and there’s even a section for thermals...
Took a while to finally test this, but it was worth the wait. Very thorough job.
Thank you for this video! I also watched the Linus Tech Tips video on the Innovation Cooling Graphite Thermal Pads and I was immediately intrigued. I have even thought of replacing the old thermal paste in my consoles with these graphite pads as well. I may well have to reconsider after this. Keep up the good work!
I've been telling this to people from the start. There is no replacement, for Thermal Paste.
It rolls downstairs
alone or in pairs
and over your neighbors dog.
Whats great for a snack,
and fits in your pack?
Its Paste Paste Paste!
It's Paste, It's Paste,
It's Soft, squishy, its Great!
It's Paste, It's paste, its better than bad, its Paste.
Yes
Dude, lay off the paste! You're not supposed to smoke this stuff
Don’t ice the cake Stefan
One thing this patch can be good for let's say you're building a computer for your grandma, you know for a fact that she's not going to upgrade that computer for 10 years or more. Even the best thermal paste will eventually cure.
I built a home office PC for a friend last year who works from home. I used a pad and now she never has to bother with paste. I tested with good paste and the pad before I gave her the PC and at max temps, the pad was, literally, 2 degrees hotter. No big deal, in my opinion.
Or better yet, using the pad on your cousin's RRoD'd Xbox 360 (which is the newest console they own and yes they still play it, especially his young son as a Minecraft machine).
A desktop PC is at least relatively easy to disassemble, but a console is a completely different story.
I have no idea what paste I used back then, but my i5 2500K ran for 8 years with a mugen on it. Maybe by the end the temps weren't quite as good as at the beginning, I don't know, but it was never an issue... It was oc'd for the last two years or so too.
Mx 4 is rated to last 8 years. Also what sort of pc are you building where a few degrees over 10 years is a big deal for your grandma?
Zellonous if he is building a pc for grandma then its cost will not be as high, so no fancy coolers etc than can help with temps, so that extra reliability over the years can assure him the pc is not gonna auto up the fanspeed.
YESSSS Been waiting for someone to do a proper look/research into this!!!!! Thank you!!!
9:00 lol
Great test. And thanks for the many cpu cooler reviews you will make in the future.
C'mon Steve! That thumbnail is on the Verge of becoming a problem
I see what you did here
according to my personal experience, the pad only leads to 1 or 2 degree higher compared to paste. It is really good.
and it basically doesn't expire... where as that tube will be toast in about 2 years. considering most people dont build a new system for another 3 or 4 years... they'd have to buy another tube.
Tells me this stuff is great for my builds that don't look to get much work, like htpc's and media servers.
Thanks for the awesome as always content! Also, I want that torquing screwdriver hard.
I appreciate you quickly going over your testing setup, even if it's not a super thorough look at it, it's nice to see that you're trying your best to control for as many variables as possible by using dedicated equipment. Props to you guys.
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Based on your methodology, I'm going to assume that an offset die design like Ryzen 3000 desktop which has a high heat density/load on one side (CPU chiplet(s)) and a low heat density/load on the other (I/O die) is either mitigated by the IHS dissipating heat more evenly into the thermal interface material, or simply not drastic enough of a difference to make a meaningful impact on a test like this.
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I know for example something like the Ryzen 3 3300X typically runs warmer than the Ryzen 3 3100 when normalised to the same clock speed despite both being 4C/8T CPUs, simply by way of the 3300X being a 4+0 CCX configuration instead of a 2+2 like on the 3100 and thus having a higher density of active silicon when all threads are stressed.
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You did mention that you can change your heater setup out for one that's analogous to a modern AMD chip with three heat elements, but I believe that was the only mention of such a configuration unless I just missed it somewhere else in the video.
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Also can I just vent my frustrations at TH-cam not allowing blank lines between paragraphs in comments - it makes it rather difficult to write a reasonably detailed comment that maintains some level of readability.
08:58 - OwO
The biggest issue is that this test doesn't factor in hot spots, which are one of the biggest advantages of the graphite pads.
This testing setup is awesome thanks for sharing!
i want to thank you for such a fine comparative video.
I'll take the convenience over a 1-2° difference.
I like working with old pcs and i keep swapping cpus, etc. I have a ton of old cpus that i can now buy for $.50
This video was great fun and useful to watch. Thanks, Gamers Nexus.
Super thorough, appreciate you work.
Very very very good video Steve! This is extremely informative and replicable.
I have always taken comparison test videos on TH-cam with a grain of salt until now. I’m a test engineer at a medical device company who writes, tests and writes the reports that get submitted to the FDA for device approval. Of the few "computer info" channels I watch, (which you are one of 3) your approach is probably the closest to how a proper validated test should be run. What amazed me was that you actually did think of validation. The one small step I would add is to validate the test method itself. There is a chance that validating the test would show if there is a discrepancy in the way the test is being performed or the way the test was written. Have 2-3 people do the whole test step by step from a written protocol without further instruction and not let each teste see the others testing. you should ideally have the results within a small tolerance or margin of error of each other between the testers. any obvious discrepancies are quickly found and corrected. You can really fine tune this but that should really be enough to see if the test produces the same results no matter who the tester is.
I’m not sure what your background is but you most definitely have that analytical way of thinking that makes you great for this job and I hope you keep on keeping on!!
I respect your methodology and the effort you guys went too.
I like the way you've treated this more like a science experiment, than a review/comparison;
I'm actually impressed! 👏👏
Also, extra plus, for the cute pet meme. 🤣
I was literally searching for a comparison of this just yesterday :D
Thats why i love your channel, as a computer scientist, we need this kind of methodology!
I’ve been using one in my htpc for almost a year and I’m happy.
Was thinking about using pads to mount SOT-227 power transistors to avoid dried-up paste induced burnout after a decade of service. Thanks for testing, highly appreciated!
Aw man, been waiting for this kind of vid from GN