Most of what you wanted to know about TIM but we’re too afraid to ask. I’m not talking about Tim Cook, or Tim Sweeney. Talking about the gooey stuff every builder should get right so they can squeeze every megahertz out of their CPU while keeping it cool. Shut your mouth! But I’m only talking about Thermal Interface Material.
I should say that if you’re doing a build you should know the risks involved. If you’re trying to improve a rig, or even a laptop, GPU, or anything with paste, there’s risks involved. You could damage your equipment or yourself. Disclaimer: The FPS Review, or it’s staff, does not accept any responsibilities, or liabilities for damages to, or limited to, equipment, property, person(s), or warranties, in using this information. Use at your own risk!
I have to give credit to Krzystof Hukalowicz over at Guru3d for this impressive undertaking. TIM really is an integral part of doing a build as it helps both in the longevity of the CPU but also with the performance of the rig so getting it right is a great way to start. It takes a special kind of person to want to be throttled. On the extreme side of things their metrics showed a difference of 6 degrees Fahrenheit between products on an air cooled a 9900k @ 5Ghz. That is significant for those of us still using air.
I’ve seen some reviews out there cover 1 or 2, maybe a few more, but never 20 so this is informative for beginner and advance builders. Looking thru the thread there’s already users speaking up about other products they plan to add in later. They cover metrics about types such as metal, ceramic and carbon based with thermal conductivity, density, electrically conductive, even ease of use which provides a nice breakdown most will find useful.
Tell us about your experiences with different products. Feel free to diverge into the realms of prepping GPUs, or CPUs, for liquid cooling as it is often a needed step. Share stories about simply trying to improve cooling for either desktop or laptops. Just because it came from the factory does not mean its always the best.