Pastes: Just For Fun
Toothpaste
I made the mistake of buying a premium toothpaste with blue stripes through it. A cheap white paste would have probably fared better. Yes, you can use this stuff as a thermal compound, though its long-term stability is questionable and we wouldn't recommend it for overclocking. If all of the shops around you are closed, though, and you want to play a little Battlefield 4 on a new machine, you could probably get by for a couple of days.
| Toothpaste | |
|---|---|
| CPU Water Cooling, High Pressure | 41.8 ΔT (22 °C ambient) |
| CPU Air Cooling, High Pressure | 48.7 ΔT (22 °C ambient) |
| CPU Air Cooling, Low Pressure | 49.1 ΔT (22 °C ambient) |
| GPU Cooling | Not measurable (overheats) |
| Electrically Conductive | Slightly (depending on composition) |
| Viscosity | 2 (1-10, lower numbers mean easier to use) |
| Ease of Use | 9 (1-10, higher numbers mean easier to use) |
| Application Hints | This paste seems best suited for the "lentil ball" method, but should be used only in emergencies |
Denture Adhesive
If you don't brush your teeth but do live with your grandma, denture adhesive could stand in for toothpaste during those same couple of days. Again, this is not a long-term solution. But then again, neither were grandma’s teeth (or yours, if you don't grab some toothpaste). Be careful with this adhesive. After burn-in, the cooler may stick to the heat spreader and prove hard to remove.
| Denture Adhesive | |
|---|---|
| CPU Water Cooling, High Pressure | 38.2 ΔT (22 °C ambient) |
| CPU Air Cooling, High Pressure | 43.5 ΔT (22 °C ambient) |
| CPU Air Cooling, Low Pressure | 45.2 ΔT (22 °C ambient) |
| GPU Cooling | 85.5 ΔT (22 °C ambient) |
| Electrically Conductive | No |
| Viscosity | 4 (1-10, lower numbers mean easier to use) |
| Ease of Use | 7 (1-10, higher numbers mean easier to use) |
| Application Hints | This paste seems best suited for the "lentil ball" method, but should be used only in emergencies |
Like ledpellet I too am curious about these diamond compounds. Wonder if it offers similar results to the Coollaboratory products with an easier application, or if the results simply don't justify the price. E.g in Australia, Innovation Cooling IC7 Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound Paste - 1.5G can be found for as much as $25. The cheapest I have managed to find it for is $15. For that price it would want to be good considering the leading GELID GC Extreme, can be found for around $8.
Opened it up; thermal compound was as hard as a rock. has to pocket knife blade and sand it down.
So for longevity it sucks. That is something to consider, not just initial performance, but performance months and years down the road. Especially for laptops that aren't designed to be opened up frequently for repasting.
After trying Liquid Ultra many times and having it fail on me, I've put on Arctic MX-2 that has a supposed 8 year durability rating. Initial performance is great, we'll see how it lasts (been 3 weeks so far).