ARCTIC MX-4 (previous edition) - Quality thermal grease for all CPU coolers, extremely high thermal conductivity, low thermal resistance, safe use, long durability, 4 g

My AMD 8320 processing in my PC was consistently reporting CPU temperature's in the high 60's and 70's, despite everything being pretty much stock and not overclocked, so I suspect new thermal compound was need to bring the temps down. Despite working in the IT field I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to thermal compounds, so purchased this on the back of a number of excellent reviews. The price was good and delivery time quick (think it was about 3 days from ordering via standard delivery - I didn't go for Prime as I wasn't in a huge hurry and the Prime option from another supplier was a couple of pounds more for the same product.It's dead simple to apply and use - there's plenty of you tube videos if you are unsure but basically clean the surface of the processor and the heatsink well first, apply a pea sized blob and you're done. Don't try to spread it with a credit card or similar, there's no need and that can introduce air bubbles which render it inefficient.As I suspected the MX-4 has done the trick and the CPU temperature is now way lower than is was, sitting in the low 40's now even when under stress.One word of warning, I had real issues separating the CPU from the heat sink as the manufacturer had used thermal adhesive to stick the two together. It was stuck so hard that when I tried to pull it apart it actually pulled the CPU from the motherboard instead, bending a number of pins in the process! It was still a nightmare to prise the two apart, even when off the motherboard, and then I saw had bent pins all over the shop much to my dismay. After a few minutes swearing and panicking I was able to realign them with the old credit card trick to straighten them, but it was a proper heart in mouth moment for a while there!

Before ordering this stuff, running a benchmark test within Intel(R) Extreme Tuning Utility it would report a highest CPU temp of between 90-92 degrees Celsius. Fan speed at full tilt.Even under general non-intensive usage, the laptop's cooling fan was spinning at noticeably higher speeds for longer & longer time durations to the extent it started to become annoying. At first I thought it was a BIOS update that messed with the fan's sensor. Something wasn't right. The uber-high RPM speed of the fan started generating a screeching sound indicating something was up with its bearings, cue time to open the laptop up and take a look.Cooling fan had very minimal dust on blades but certainly no real reason to cause an impairment in cooling.So I decided to take the opportunity to remove heatsink, clean-up previous compound and apply some Artic MX-4.(I also took the opportunity to refurbish the fan by disassembling it, recoating the bearing surface with a drop of machine oil and put it all back together again whilst I wait for a new heatsink/fan assembly to be despatched from another vendor).Everything was put back into place with MX-4 riding between the CPU and heatsink, Intel's XTU benchmark test was now reporting 80 degrees C maximum.I ran the stress test, highest it ever got was 81 and with fewer instances of thermal throttling.Impressed with the result given that it was achieved using all the original parts. Perhaps the slight refurbishing of the cooling fan played a part, but I attribute it largely to Artic's compound.Research shows there are other cheaper or more exotic thermal compounds. I had narrowed my choice to Artic MX-4 or Thermal Grizzly's Kryonaut with its even higher heat conductivity of 12.5 W/m.In the end given it was for use in a laptop that wasn't going to be overclocked, I opted for the friendlier, more consistent Artic MX-4, no fear of electrical conductivity and the advertised stable 8 year application lifespan.For just under £5 for 4g tube, I think a 10-12 degrees temperature drop is a great result without having to worry about a yearly re-application.Cooling fan now spins at even lower & quieter speeds whilst maintaining good temperature range.Update:Replacement heatsink/fan unit arrived. Everything removed and cleaned up, MX-4 reapplied and getting the same temperature drop, so the improvements I've witnessed are due to the Arctic MX-4, so I wholeheartedly recommend it as a safe way of making sure your CPU is given a good start in life.

This was the first time I ever replaced the compound on the processor and the heat sink. I was not sure which compound to buy and how I would fit it.The biggest challenge when I did research on the web was what to use to remove the existing compound. Most Youtube videos advice using "rubbing alcohol" or "isopropyl 70% alcohol". I looked these up and they worked out expensive including postage, if I was going to buy from a reliable source, other wise you cannot be sure what you are getting.In the end I had some purple methylated spirit (which is available at most hardware shops and I even saw it in my local Sainsburys for less than couple of pounds), it worked a treat and I was able to clean the processor and the heat sink easily using ear swabs and "Plenty" kitchen paper towel to dry. I allowed methylated spirits to evaporate and then applied this compound to the processor.Getting back to this compound, it was easy to apply - put a blob in the middle of the processor about the size of a pea. put the heat sink, etc job done!I have noticed the fan does not come on as often, so I assume the compound is doing its job.

Drawing from my own experience, I purchased it to replace the thermal paste in my laptop, and it worked exceptionally well. It reduced the temperature by several degrees, vastly improving the performance. The previous thermal paste was of poor quality and poorly applied. Switching to MX-4 made a significant difference, and the quantity provided is substantial—I doubt I'll need to buy more for a lifetime! It's user-friendly, effectively fulfilling its role. The quality is excellent; I've used it on my family's and friends' PCs without disappointment. Highly recommended.

Pretty much the best thermal compound you can get, easy to apply and keeps those temperatures under control, also good value for money compared to some other compounds you can get.