ARCTIC MX-6 (4 g, incl. 6 MX Cleaner) - Ultimate Performance Thermal Paste for CPU, Consoles, Graphics Cards, laptops, Very high Thermal Conductivity, Long Durability, Non-Conductive

I've always been an Arctic Silver 5 guy. After nearly 2 decades of perfecting the amount, application style, etc., I found that I was getting far better temps than any reviews.But I decided to give this MX-6 a shot with my new THERMALRIGHT Aqua Elite 360 V3 AIO and, I mean, what can I say? Excellent performance. I can't compare it to Arctic Silver 5, as this was my first installation and application, but I have a feeling I'm going to stick with MX-6 as I don't have to worry about any electric conductivity. Never had an issue, sure, but it's a possibility.Anyways, It's a very thick paste. I didn't get a spreader with my purchase, so I tried to use my finger and it was so thick, I couldn't properly spread it. Eventually got it to where I felt comfortable and am having FAR better results than I expected. Is this the end of my decades old AS5 love? Probably.

This stuff worked great for re-applying the thermal paste on my original 23 year old Xbox. It’s thicker than other thermal pastes and has a viscosity of chewing gum so it’s not easy to spread and had to use my fingers to spread and tamp instead of a spatula but it’s probably more effective than thinner pastes. The cleaning wipes immediately removed the old paste but they do have a strong odor in fact my wife threw a fit that it smelled up the whole house and opened all of the windows so keep that in mind if you use them to have adequate ventilation. I’ll have to use it on my PS3 when the wife’s not home though lol.

Gran calidad, mejora mucho las temperaturas, los paños tienen un quimico muy fuerte pero cumplen su funcion

Other thermal paste gets hard in the tubes and becomes clumpy and unusable. I had this one for like 2 years after using some and the rest is still like wet diarrhea, which if you don't know is the perfect thermal paste texture. Good paste

This is a paste and is spreadable with a little effort. It may seem like a small syringe, but believe me there is plenty in there for multiple use uses.

I've known about Arctic for awhile but only recently became a customer after purchasing a tube of MX-5 and then a P12 fan, shortly after. My experience of applying another company’s paste on an install is limited to only a couple of other brands as thermal paste application isn't exactly one of my pastimes, so I'm going to compare & contrast this w/ MX-5, which this is not only the successor of but also the replacement. This review will also discuss what seems to be the consensus "best" paste by overclocking enthusiasts, YouTubers, and "influencers", etc. A product which despite its YUGE following and noteworthy sponsorship, has a FAR too little discussed caveat (a dealbreaker, IMHO, which has significant implications for the IHS/die it's been applied on, and even includes the potential for post-install 'maintenance'). Also, I don’t have any info in regards to performance data (CPU upgrade so unfortunately no baseline), so if you're looking for metrics, you'll have to look elsewhere (Tom's Hardware is a good start). If you'd like to go straight to the review, then skip the following paragraph.After researching way too many thermal paste comparison tests, MX-5 was at or near the top of just about every single one it was included in and for those that it wasn't (due to being too new), MX-4 consistently ranked as one of the better pastes but when taking into account its age, durability, value and how much newer the products it was competing against were, MX-4 was a solid competitor and offered a compelling package at an affordable price. A couple of contenders at the top included Thermal Grizzly's Kryonaut, and the two offerings from Noctua (H1/H2). Personally, the main appeal to Arctic's formulas for me was its longevity, which they claim lasts as long as 8 years, with the only option coming close to approaching that long being Noctua. Even then, (while still impressive) they could only reach 5 years. It's no coincidence these two belong to what I consider to be the top three cooling companies in the industry, IMO. The third is Scythe (in no chronological order), a Japanese company known for making EXCELLENT heatsinks and tremendous case fans, and whose Fuma 2 happens to be the cooler I chose in this case (no pun intended), which sat on top of these pastes in my build. While I am def not gonna pay Thermal Grizzly's ridiculous prices ($10/gram for an application, maybe 2 if conservative) out of priniciple, most importantly was for every 5 star review of Kryonaut (including its appropriately named "EXTREME" version) by someone claiming they achieved their lowest recorded temps with it, there would be a few 1-2 star reviews complaining about it drying out, and even turning hard after removing the heatsink. What was most concerning tho, was the fact that this was happening in under a year, usually within months. Their own product page states "Kryonaut uses a special structure, which halts the drying out process at temperatures of up to 80° Celsius", while also mentioning "that this thermal grease was created especially for cryogenic applications." So yeah, even tho they admit this crucial detail themselves, to say that this is a frequently overlooked aspect (judging by the consistent surprise in negative reviews, yet still seeing it recommended by others all too frequently) would be putting it kindly. I don't mind paying a few extra bucks for a quality product as evidenced by MX-6's price increase, particularly compared to MX-4 (at launch this was $10 for the 4g tube of MX-6 + 5 wipes), but there is certainly a limit, and ESPECIALLY so if the product has to be replaced at least ONCE a YEAR. Ain't nobody got time for that.While I can unequivocally say that this is better than MX-5, that is a pathetically low bar and hurdle to pass, one that is more indicative of its predecessor’s failures than anything else. I’ve already mentioned why I’m unable to measure performance, but what I CAN compare are the physical characteristics, especially as it pertains to MX-5, and to a lesser degree MX-4. This MX-6 seems almost like a hybrid of MX-5 and MX-4, but leaning significantly more towards the former. It's still very sticky, just not AS sticky, which helps with the application. MX-4 was much more akin to a normal paste, smooth and easy to move around. This is a THICK paste, substantially thicker than its predecessors, but still stringy enough to spread around unlike MX-5, yet not nearly as easy as MX-4 (but at least still doable, and can be achieved with some time). It’s hard to gauge MX-5 because it’s simultaneously viscous and watery, which I believe is due to the separation (and reason for its recall) if not entirely then at least partially, which made it weird to spread and resistant to emulsify. Spreading it with the spatula was almost like dipping a recently used paintbrush in water, then attempting to paint a clean surface with it. Or, like using a basting brush (aka pastry brush, TIL), the ones that come with BBQ sauce in those gift sets, to glaze meat but w/ barely any sauce left. And that’s if you’re even able to spread at all (it’s somewhat doable, depending on your experience ofc, but you’ll def need a tool like a spatula or credit card and a lot of patience, along w/ time). Another difference is the color. MX-4 is the typical gray, while MX-5 was like a light, almost turquoise blue. MX-6 returns back to the (more pleasant if not dull) gray, a welcome change IMO. Something I noticed and thought was interesting is that Arctic advertises this by stating it has 20% better performance than MX-4, although this could be simply due to MX-5 no longer being in production means the former is the closest product in their lineup to compare with. One aspect different from its predecessors is that it does NOT come with the spreading spatula for some reason.Due to the chiplet design of Ryzen on AM4, I used that tool to spread a very thin layer, referred to as the "spread method", predominantly around the edges of the IHS. Then, I use a miniaturized version of the "X" method, that doesn't go all the way to the edges. Another way to achieve a similar result (either in conjunction with or instead of) is to simply blot the corners on the X with a dot, as thick as necessary (for Ryzen on AM4, slightly thicker than the line). Finally, I place a decent sized blob (aka the pea method) in the center. I have no scientific knowledge or verifiable proof that this works best, and you could remove one (if not two) of the three options and still obtain good coverage. Everyone has their own little quirks, routines, opinions and even philosophies on thermal paste, but due to the processor design I find this is what works for me and after taking off the heatsink, all of my previous applications have had complete coverage. AMD actually recommends a pentadot, which helped form the basis of mine after seeing how it provided decent outer coverage. If it were an Intel (Alder/Raptor Lake) or even a Threadripper, I'd prolly just use the X method due to the rectangular shape and call it a day. Actually, a technique comparable to what I mentioned a few lines above that could really be beneficial for Intel's processors in particular, is in addition to the "X", place a dot in the center of each side where huge gaps of empty space remain (esp on the longer sides) due to its square shape. It's kinda hard to explain via text but think of it as placing a dot at the end of each line of a "+" sign, and what you're left with (including the existing "X") almost looks like a symmetrical "*". Does that makes sense? I hope it does. Anyway, most people seem to prefer and recommend the pea method by itself which is fine too. Whatever floats your boat, or tickles your fancy.Back to the MX-5, which was like straight up glue, even during application, and ESPECIALLY AFTER. During the install, it didn't take long for me to realize that what I feared most wasn't getting it on: rather, it was getting the paste OFF. I ran stress (torture) tests, specifically Prime95 until my processor reached 95C and stayed there for about 30 minutes before shutting down and then was very careful removing the cooler, making sure to twist it side to side while pulling. Yet despite all that, it still took the CPU off with it, so after removing the cooler, I was still unable to separate the CPU using anything, including dental floss (both Glide and regular), eventually warming it with a hair dryer for about five minutes or so (a heat gun should obv work, just be careful w/ the distance at very high temperatures and constantly move it around). I gave it another try w/ the regular floss and finally, I was able to remove the CPU w/o any bent pins.While I'm mentioning all this in case anyone else reading this used glue (aka MX-5) or is stuck in a similar situation, it's also for those considering the wipes for this purchase. So if you’re contemplating wondering whether you should purchase 5 of them for about a buck (esp if worried about stuck thermal paste glued onto your cooler), then it likely — although not necessarily — means you have a use for it, and so if this is true, then my answer would be an emphatic YES! They're pretty large and good sized once removed from packaging, have plenty of liquid that won't immediately dry out so you have a few minutes, and each one goes a long way. Just be warned they have a weird and pugent smell. Personally, something as minor as that is never a reason for me to avoid a product if it performs better than a non-smelling product, but I keep seeing this mentioned in reviews and even being a dealbreaker, so thought it should be noted. A single wipe goes a long way, which is why I believe that if you have a need for it, it's worth purchasing due to the value provided for a single dollar and some change.Anyway, if you made it all the way here to the end, then I hope this was helpful. Good luck on your install.Cheers

Dropped my xtx temps by 15-20°CPlace a pea-sized amount in the center of the die and let pressure from the back plate spread it when you tighten it back on. I tried the full coat method before and it was way less effective.

Wipes are great for cleanup and paste keeps my components cool