I don't know which thermal paste to get.

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Zandy12

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May 16, 2017
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Hi. I'm working on my first build and am nearly complete with it. I wanted to get thermal paste however there's a lot of options to get online and I honestly don't know which one to get . here are my specs:

CPU: Intel i7-7700k
CPU cooler: coolmaster hyper 212 evo
Mobo: MSI Z270 gaming m5
GPU: Evga sc gtx1070 8g
PSU: Evga 650w
Storage: Intel 600p 512gb m.2
RAM: G skill ripjaws V 16gb (2x8gb) DDR4-2666
Case: Deepcool Tesseract ATX mid-tower

Thank you in advance for your answers. I'm just looking for a good thermal paste to get for the Intel i7-7700k to over clock and maintain normal temps while running with the 212 evo.
 
Solution
synphul
The paste the comes with the cooler should be fine but don't be too discouraged if overclocking doesn't go very far on the 212 evo. Not with that cpu, it's already clocked pretty high out of the box and hyper threading caused 4 core cpu's to run a bit hotter than an i5. Ambient temps will play a key role as well. Just can't expect much from a low budget cooler. It's a good cooler for the price, doesn't make it a great cooler in general.

The h7 is a better option but still a budget cooler. Overclocking generally requires a bit more cooling capability. To give an idea, the 212 evo is rated to cool 180w of power. Larger coolers like the dark rock pro 3, noctua nh-d14 etc cool on a level consistent with 250w tdp worth of cooling or...
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James Mason

James Mason

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Jan 2, 2014
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About the various methods of applying thermal paste: https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/Thermal-Paste-Application-Techniques-170/
(Making an X shape is "the best")
If you want "the best" thermal paste as well: https://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Grizzly-Kryonaut-Grease-Paste/dp/B011F7W3LU
But if you want slightly worse but still good options: https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-Compound-Performance-Heatsink-Interface/dp/B0045JCFLY
Same as above: https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NT-H1-Thermal-Compound-Retail/dp/B002CQU14A

The 212 Evo is kinda old and not super great anymore for an "high end" system like yours.

A CM Master Air Pro 4 is the more modern version of it: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vcrcCJ/cooler-master-masterair-pro-4-667-cfm-cpu-cooler-may-t4pn-220pk-r1

But a Cryorig h7 is a better alternative: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/93Crxr/cryorig-cpu-cooler-h7
 
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Z

Zandy12

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May 16, 2017
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Thanks! Do you recommended using the thermal compound that already comes with the 212 evo for the i7-7700k?
 
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BigBoomBoom

BigBoomBoom

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Apr 9, 2017
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The paste that come with the cooler. You are unlikely to see more than 2-3C different with that cooler, or most AIO/Air. It's only when you come to LN2 that it becomes apparent as most pastes don't even work at that temp.
 
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X

XxDarkMario20xX

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Feb 3, 2016
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That is upto you if you would like to use the paste that already comes with the 212 but if you like to try and find better thermal paste online then I would go on what James Mason has posted. I used cool master paste on my CPU and it is working keeping the temps down!
 
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synphul

synphul

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Mar 11, 2011
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The paste the comes with the cooler should be fine but don't be too discouraged if overclocking doesn't go very far on the 212 evo. Not with that cpu, it's already clocked pretty high out of the box and hyper threading caused 4 core cpu's to run a bit hotter than an i5. Ambient temps will play a key role as well. Just can't expect much from a low budget cooler. It's a good cooler for the price, doesn't make it a great cooler in general.

The h7 is a better option but still a budget cooler. Overclocking generally requires a bit more cooling capability. To give an idea, the 212 evo is rated to cool 180w of power. Larger coolers like the dark rock pro 3, noctua nh-d14 etc cool on a level consistent with 250w tdp worth of cooling or more. That's more in line with overclocking an i7.

As5 is decent but it's also an older paste and while it's fine there's nothing that makes it the end all be all. Several pastes out perform it but overall when 30-40+ thermal compounds have been tested against one another the temp difference is minimal, 1-3c or so. If you want better temps you don't need a better paste or even adding another fan to the 212 evo. You need a better cooler, more heatpipes, more cooling fins and more surface area to displace heat.

Think of it like this, a 212 evo runs around $25. Add another inexpensive fan for $10, some aftermarket paste for $5-7, you've turned an inexpensive cooler into a $40+ cooler and only knocked maybe 3-4c off the temps. Invest in a decent cooler for overclocking performance at around $60-65, you'll get noticeably better cooling and it comes with decent paste. No need to buy additional things.
 
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Solution
Z

Zandy12

Prominent
May 16, 2017
4
0
510
Thanks everyone for the answers. I have decided to invest in the Noctua DH-15 air cooler and am going to get the Cooler Master High Performance Thermal paste. I was gonna get Article mx-4 but as one of the posters it won't make much a difference, rather prioritize the air cooler you have. I agree the 212 evo is out of date and isn't a good cooler to get for the Intel i7-7700k.
 
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BigBoomBoom

BigBoomBoom

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Apr 9, 2017
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No, NH-D15 comes with NT-H1 tube enough for 3-4 uses, you don't need to buy extra paste. It's better than most of the CM paste with the exception of CM Master Nano Maker. You don't need to buy more paste.

Also your RAM is rather tall, make sure the big D15 fit. You only have 168mm cooler clearance so you're unable to raise the front fan much. If your ram height conflict with the front fan just get NH-D15S, or keep the D15 but remove the RAM heatsink/fin.
 
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