I like to use Vegemite.
http://www.dansdata.com/goop.htm

Failing that, I use whatever cheap zinc oxide formulation I can find.

whatever is cheapest.

Seriously it does not matter very much.

I use MX-4.

The Antec Diamond stuff is good if you can get it on sale for half price, mx-4 like Phil said is great, I like Ceramique 2 myself. Pretty much anything is better than nothing. Used toothpaste once on a P4, worked great and had no issues.

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

I use MX4.

Me too.

gdjacobs wrote:

I like to use Vegemite.
http://www.dansdata.com/goop.htm

Heh heh. Sounds like a plot point from a cheezy movie.

"The tournament starts in ten minutes, and my rig is fried! What are we gonna do?"
"I have an idea! But whatever you do, don't do That Thing, or the whole thing will blow!"
...
"Oh no, Evil McBadguy is gonna win! I have no choice! I have to do That Thing!"
"Noooo, the vegemite can't take it! What have you done!?"

Arctic MX-4 for low mounting pressure and Gelid GC-Extreme for high mounting pressure.

MX-4 is pretty good for general use and very easy to work with, i'd recommend it.

I've used Arctic Silver for years but I'm getting tired of how difficult it is to clean and also to remove from fingers as it is both thick and sticky. I've recently switched to Noctua NT-H1. I'm also considering buying some Arctic Ceramique as I just recently glooped some AS5 into a processor LGA socket.. and it was NOT fun to clean out.

The ceramique is really difficult to clean just to warn you. Not terrible, it just seems to really be sticky ya know?

Arctic Silver 5 used to be my go-to, but Arctic Cooling MX-4 is alright too. I've discovered that dielectric grease for car ignitions will work in a pinch if you can't find any proper thermal compound.

In a pinch you can use the ointment for diaper rash (high content zinc oxide).

If I'm switching cpus, there's usually enough residual Arctic Silver on the bottom of the heatsink that I can redistribute it with a finger and it's enough to not have to reapply.

I second Gelid GC Extreme!

Gelid GC Extreme because it is one of the very best and it is easy to clean up plus there is really no cure time unlike as5. I use the cheap stuff on older hardware if it doesn't have a exposed die.

I buy of toothbrush pouch sized pack of MG Chemical paste as I very often swap processors units. It's cheap and score higher on review than single use arctic silver seringe.

Well for me it depends.
If I want the best temps I got for liquid copper, mx4 or nh-1.
If it's for someone else's pc or temps aren't a big deal I used what ever is available and cheap.

If it's for a sub zero run I use dimastech Thermal Grease. It's about 9$ for a 100g so I use it when temps are not a big deal too.

Is it worth trying any brands other than MX-4 or Arctic Silver 5? There are tons of different types of thermal compound out there and it would be nice to know what situations different brands are suited for.

mr_bigmouth_502 wrote:

There are tons of different types of thermal compound out there and it would be nice to know what situations different brands are suited for.

They're for when you have too much money and a burning anxiety that can only be soothed by the promises of marketers.

I'm surprised no one mentioned play-doh so far.. 😁