Noctua announces new thermal pad for AMD chips in partnership with Carbice — product will work with processors in AM5 and AM4 sockets

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Noctua will be the only seller of Carbice pads for the retail DIY market

Noctua NT-CP1 AM5/4 thermal pad
(Image credit: Noctua)

Noctua is making its debut in the thermal pad market through a new partnership with experienced manufacturer Carbice. Noctua has announced it will be the exclusive distributor of Carbice pads for the retail market, starting with the NT-CP1 AM5/4 Carbice carbon nanotube thermal pad. Noctua will be presenting the NT-CP1 at Computex starting tomorrow and will launch the product in September.

As the name suggests, the new Noctua-branded thermal pad is optimized specifically for AM5 and AM4 AMD Ryzen CPUs, featuring a surface area that perfectly matches the IHS of CPUs that fit in both sockets.

The pad is made from carbon nanotubes that are designed to improve thermal conductivity over “hundreds and thousands of thermal cycles”. The carbon nanotubes achieve this by slowly conforming to the microscopic crevices of a CPU’s IHS. The pad is reinforced with an aluminum backbone that is sandwiched between the carbon nanotubes and protected on the surface with a nanoscale polymer coating.

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Noctua NT-CP1 AM5/4 thermal pad
(Image credit: Noctua)

Shot of the aluminum backbone sandwiched between the carbon nanotubes of the NT-CP1

Similar to outgoing thermal pads, the NT-CP1 is a maintenance-free solution that will last the lifetime of the CPU it is cooling. This is optimal for PC builders who want a permanent solution, unlike thermal paste, which typically needs to be replaced every three to five years. Thermal paste loses performance as it ages because repeated thermal cycles causes the paste to dry up.

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The NT-CP1 represents the first thermal pad that Carbice is bringing to the DIY market. The company actively makes thermal pads for satellites, aerospace, and pre-built PCs (through a partnership with CyberPowerPC). It also recently announced a partnership with AMD, and is supplying its Ice Thermal Pad with the re-released Ryzen 7 5800X3D. Dr. Baratunde Cola, CEO of Carbice, notes that the company chose Noctua specifically to partner with due to the company’s widespread trust in the DIY community. Noctua will also assist Carbice in developing future thermal pads, suggesting that we could see an Intel version of the NT-CP1 in the future.

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Aaron Klotz
Aaron Klotz
Contributing Writer

Aaron Klotz is a contributing writer for Tom’s Hardware, covering news related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.

20 Comments Comment from the forums
  • hotaru251
    iirc didn't these type of pads need placed a specific way as they would function worse if placed in the wrogn direction? (i.e. the "right" side being placed north instead would eb worse)
    Reply
  • umeng2002_2
    No, it's the way they are manufactured. The installation direction shouldn't matter.
    Reply
  • usertests
    hotaru251 said:
    iirc didn't these type of pads need placed a specific way as they would function worse if placed in the wrogn direction? (i.e. the "right" side being placed north instead would eb worse)
    They're claiming new carbon nanotube technology in this, so all assumptions could go out the window. It needs to be tested.
    Reply
  • Rand0m_Guy
    I want to see this tested against the Grizzly Kryopad.
    Reply
  • DingusDog
    It will be interesting to see how these compare to something like TG phase change TIM.
    Reply
  • Kamen Rider Blade
    LTT Labs Carbice pad article with early results.
    TL:DR;
    Here are some early results for Carbice.
    It doesn't beat PTM7950, it's a few degrees worse.
    But it has the "longevity" working for it.
    Unlike TIM which usually last about 5 years.
    Or Phase Change Pads last about 7 years.

    This is a more "Permanent" solution.

    Good for cooling things you don't want to mess around with.
    (E.g. North/South Bridge ChipSets).

    Changing the TIM or Phase Change Pads on a CPU is easy and common enough like getting oil changed for your car.
    Reply
  • InfiniteWeatherMan
    Should be interesting to see thermal temps on the 5800X3D since its bundled with CPU on its release. How much difference would temps be versus just conventional thermal paste..
    Reply
  • Rand0m_Guy
    InfiniteWeatherMan said:
    Should be interesting to see thermal temps on the 5800X3D since its bundled with CPU on its release. How much difference would temps be versus just conventional thermal paste..
    Go read the link Kamen posted, temp wise TIM and PTM both beat this, the real win is the ease of installation and longevity.
    Reply
  • Sedare
    Admin said:
    Noctua has entered the thermal pad market in partnership with thermal pad maker Carbice, featuring the new NT-CP1 designed for AM5 and AM4 Ryzen CPUs.

    Noctua announces new thermal pad for AMD chips in partnership with Carbice — product will work with processors in AM5 and AM4 sockets : Read more
    So could you use this like the graphene pads where you can use it over and over again when testing heat sinks or CPUs, or is it just meant to be once and done like the Honeywell stuff?
    Reply
  • bit_user
    hotaru251 said:
    iirc didn't these type of pads need placed a specific way as they would function worse if placed in the wrogn direction? (i.e. the "right" side being placed north instead would eb worse)
    No.

    I have tested Thermal Grizzly's KryoSheet on a Ryzen 7 5800X and found it slightly worse than Arctic MX-6, but I kept it in place due to the durability claim.

    Rand0m_Guy said:
    I want to see this tested against the Grizzly Kryopad.
    I think you mean Thermal Grizzly KryoSheet.
    https://www.thermal-grizzly.com/en/kryosheet/s-tg-ks
    They require a little bit of care to install, but I used the included plastic film to position it and then used two drops of the included oil on the corners to keep it from slipping out of place, while the heatsink was being lowered onto it.

    Sedare said:
    So could you use this like the graphene pads where you can use it over and over again
    Contrary to what some have claimed, Thermal Grizzly's KryoSheet should not be reused. I'd be surprised if Noctua's were reusable, as mounting it will break many of the nanotubes, and neither the article nor the press release say anything about reuse. I take that as a sign that it's not reusable, or else they'd have probably highlighted it.

    Here's Igor's review:
    https://www.igorslab.de/en/thermal-grizzly-cryosheet-in-lab-and-field-test-durable-all-purpose-weapon-with-minor-limitations/
    Reply