Hi there! If you‘re a hardware enthusiast like me, you may have heard the news that Arctic has discontinued their popular MX-5 thermal grease product after just over a year on the market. This decision makes way for their new MX-6 compound launching soon.
In this guide, we‘ll dive deep on everything you need to know about these industry-leading thermal interface materials (TIMs) – what they are, Arctic‘s history of innovation, why MX-5 is being replaced so quickly, and how to apply thermal paste like a pro to maximize performance.
What is Thermal Grease & Why Does it Matter?
Simply put, thermal paste is a specialized "goop" applied between high-performance computer components like CPUs, GPUs, and the heatsinks used to cool them. This layer fills microscopic gaps in the mating surfaces, increasing heat transfer efficiency.
Without thermal grease, small air pockets would insulate parts of these chips. Temperatures can spike well over 100°C, leading to instability, throttling, and reduced lifespan. No bueno!
But by filling surface imperfections with thermally conductive materials, more waste heat flows into attached heatsinks rather than becoming trapped near hotspots. The result? Lower peak temperatures, faster sustained clock speeds, and plenty of headroom for overclocking adventures!
| Component | Max Temp Without Paste | With High-Performance Paste |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 105°C | 85°C |
| GPU | 110°C | 92°C |
Now that we know why thermal paste matters for maximum speeds without melting delicate silicon chips, let‘s look at the history of Arctic‘s renowned MX line.
The Evolution of Arctic‘s MX Thermal Compounds
Since 2011, Arctic has delivered some of the computer hardware world‘s most efficient and cost-effective thermal paste solutions, starting with the release of their inaugural MX-1 product.
Each new generation has built on the strengths of previous versions – improving real-world performance, stability, and ease of application while maintaining aggressive pricing. Their MX thermal greases quickly earned a reputation as the premiere budget-friendly products for PC builders, overclockers, and gamers.
Let‘s take a high-level look at how Arctic‘s thermal compounds have progressed over the past decade:
| Product | Release Year | Key Improvements |
|---|---|---|
| MX-1 | 2011 | Initial offering focused on affordable pricing and stability |
| MX-2 | 2012 | Refined viscosity and spreadability |
| MX-4 | 2013 | Lower thermal resistance, wider temperature threshold |
| MX-5 | 2021 | Industry-leading 12.0 W/mK thermal conductivity |
| MX-6 | 2022 | Up to 13% better performance, formula tweaks for durability |
With a strong lineage and continual incremental innovation across over a decade, Arctic has cemented itself as one of the most trusted names in cooling. But even with MX-5 receiving strong reviews last year, the company is already replacing it after just 18 months…
Why Retire MX-5 So Quickly?
Given MX-5‘s meteoric rise to become Arctic‘s most advanced thermal interface material ever – with best-in-class thermal performance meeting or exceeding far pricier competitors – its sudden discontinuation after barely a year of availability surprised many hardware insiders.
However, user reports began surfacing in early 2022 citing quality and consistency issues with some production batches of MX-5. In certain cases, the high-performance compound was drying out and hardening within just months rather than maintaining effectiveness for 3-5 years as expected.
While Arctic made replacement tubes available for impacted customers, the company decided retiring MX-5 altogether avoids any long-term brand damage. And with new CPU and GPU architectures launching demanding even better coolers, Arctic engineers were also eager to push thermal innovation further rather than rest on previous laurels.
Enter MX-6 – preparing to deliver incremental but meaningful advances building on lessons from its popular predecessor. Let‘s peek at what we know so far!
Introducing Arctic‘s Next-Generation MX-6
Details on MX-6 remain limited as retail availability is still ramping up globally. But early product demos, testing, and Arctic‘s announcements paint the picture of a reliable thermal compound evolution:
- At least 13.0 W/mK thermal conductivity – up from MX-5‘s 12.0 rating to potentially match the venerable Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
- Further lowered thermal resistance improves real-world cooling capacity
- Redesigned polymers extend operational life without drying/hardening prematurely
- Same non-electrically conductive, non-capacitive formula safe for direct CPU & GPU application
- Sold in convenient 4g syringes for precise application
I expect independent testing to prove MX-6 as an extremely cost-effective path to extracting maximum safe performance from coming CPU and GPU upgrades like Intel‘s Raptor Lake or AMD‘s Zen 4.
And for tech enthusiasts still riding older platforms, applying some fresh MX-6 thermal paste can restore cooling efficiency after years of dried out old goop degrading performance.
Next, let‘s run through best practices for applying thermal paste so you can be ready to harness MX-6‘s upgrades whether deploying a new system or prolonging the life of aging hardware.
Applying Thermal Paste – Key Techniques & Advice
While Arctic winding down MX-5 availability nudges many PC builders toward revisiting thermal paste application, proper techniques remain critical no matter which solution you choose. Let‘s examine professional methods to avoid bubbles, overflow, corrosion, and other pitfalls!
Prep Work
Before applying fresh paste, clean off old dried material using these steps:
- Remove CPU cooler and/or GPU air cooler assembly to access each die surface
- Carefully separate delicate components from sockets/slots when possible
- Use coffee filters and 99% isopropyl alcohol to gently remove aged paste
- Allow all surfaces to fully dry for at least 60 minutes
CPU Application
Next, use these numbered tips when applying new thermal compound to maximize CPU cooling:
- Place a rice grain sized dollop of paste directly in the center of the CPU heat spreader
- Maintain light consistent pressure seating the cooler, without sliding laterally
- Alternate tightening each screw to promote even mounting force
- Do NOT fully tighten one fastener before moving to the next
- Inspect paste spread after removing cooler – coverage should approach, but not overflow, edges
I suggest anywhere from 0.2g to 0.8g of paste based on cooler size. Too little risks hotspots while excess oozing out also impairs performance. Arctic includes simple plastic spatulas with MX-6 to help spread product evenly across CPU dies measuring anywhere from about 25mm2 up to 200mm2 today.
GPU Application
Applying thermal compound to modern graphics cards and gaming consoles requires special care for their direct die cooling designs:
- Set bare GPU directly on flat surface and dispense a 3-4mm diameter dot of paste in center
- Lower cooler straight down without sliding to prevent smearing
- Alternate tightening corner screws to limit lateral die stress
- Use minimal force and check often for imprinting marks during pressure mounting
The key is allowing gravity to gently squeeze the paste outward. Any lateral motion risks concentrating it to one side or even rupturing filter caps surrounding the delicate silicon.
Curing Time
Regardless of using MX-6 or another thermal paste, allow at least 24 hours for the interface material to fully spread into surface microstructures and stabilize chemical bonding. The compound may seem dry externally much faster, but internal cross-linking continues improving performance for days. Jumping the gun on testing leads to inaccurate temperature readings.
Extreme Overclocking Demands Exotic Thermal Solutions
While Arctic MX delivers excellent value and quality for most PC enthusiasts, hardcore overclockers pursuing benchmark world records often demand extremely exotic thermal pastes.
Formulations with embedded gallium microbeads and even diamonds conduct heat many times better than traditional metallic oxides and carbon powders. Products nearer the cutting edge also take electrical conductivity into account – enabling tighter cooler contact without short circuit risk.
Let‘s compare sought-after solutions chasing peak speeds against MX‘s recent 13.0 W/mK thermal conductivity rating:
| Product | Base | Particle Material | Thermal Conductivity | Electrically Conductive? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut | Silicon grease | Aluminum Oxide | 12.5 W/mK | No |
| Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra | Gallium, Ceramics | Pure Metal Alloy | 35 W/mK | Yes |
| Thermalright TFX | Silicone grease | Graphite, Graphene | 17 W/mK | No |
Brands like Thermal Grizzly and Coollaboratory occupy an extreme performance niche where even marginal cooling gains require meticulous application and risks like electrically conductive compounds short circuiting intricate silicon components.
While out of reach for typical users focused on gaming or productivity, these thrilling options offer a glimpse into the outer limits of thermal engineering.
The next time your frame rates struggle to climb any higher or rendering tasks bog down to a crawl, consider freshening up dried out old thermal paste with some Arctic MX-6 before resorting to more drastic upgrades!
I hope this guide gives you confidence to achieve the very best performance possible from your PC by applying thermal compounds like a seasoned professional. Let me know if you have any other questions!
