But is the stuff that comes with it any good?
Is Pre-applied Thermal Paste Good?
After all, enthusiasts who demand a better cooling solution or to overclock will purchase an aftermarket cooler.
Nor Gal/Shutterstock.com
Unfortunately, the pre-applied thermal paste on most aftermarket coolers isn’t always the best quality, either.
But this depends on the manufacturer and cooler model.
Another caveat with pre-applied thermal paste is age.
Thermal Grizzly
Aftermarket Thermal Paste Is a Worthwhile Upgrade
The consensus is clear.
you’re free to find countless videos and articles online testing aftermarket thermal paste against the pre-applied stuff.
Aftermarket thermal paste always comes out on top.
In worst-case scenarios, the difference can be around 5C under a full load.
For context, that’s roughly the difference between thenew stock Intel cooler and the Cooler Master Hyper 612.
Thanks to the better thermals, this is actually a performance upgrade as well.
For more details, check outQwerty Tech’s YouTube video.
Even affordable pastes under $10 are significantly better than the factory-applied stuff.
Once you’ve bought new thermal paste, you’ll have enough to apply a few times.
Replace it every two to three years to keep your temps low.
If you’re a DIYer, considerreplacing the thermal paste on your graphics card.
As a side note, theapplication pattern doesn’t really matter.
A thick line in the middle or an X shape works perfectly.
If yes, I recommend purchasing thermal paste, even if your cooler already has some pre-applied stuff.
To prevent that from happening to you, always have some extra thermal paste lying around.
To get the most out of your shiny new CPU, check outour list of the best thermal paste.
