Rant: I finally switched from a cheap thermal paste to a good one and the numbers don't lie

I was using that generic white paste for years because it was cheap and I thought it was fine. Last month, I did a full rebuild on a gaming rig and decided to try Arctic MX-6 on a whim. The before and after is crazy. On the same CPU under the same load, my idle temps dropped from 45C to 32C, and under stress it went from hitting 85C to maxing out at 68C. That's a 17 degree difference just from the paste. I feel dumb for not making the switch five years ago. What other 'good enough' habits are we all still stuck on that actually matter?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.jade1mo ago

What about the mounting pressure? Could that explain most of the difference?

grantthomas1mo ago

Remember that time my tire blew out?

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