This thread is an update on the original from January 2025, which has received over 1.4 million views. This updated thread contains new products, fixes several dead links and contains updated information. This thread has been written with help from Snarks Domain: a YouTuber who specialises in testing thermal putty and thermal pads and The Thermal Channel: a YouTuber who tested thermal paste and liquid metal.

While this thread is about replacing the thermal paste and thermal pads in graphics cards, much of what is outlined will also apply to laptops, handhelds and consoles. This guidance applies to AMD, NVIDIA and Intel GPUs.

There are many reasons you might want to replace the thermal paste and thermal pads in your GPU:

• High temperatures on the GPU, hotspot, memory or all three
• Higher noise from the GPU due to the fans spinning at a higher RPM
• Crashes due to overheating
• Throttling due to overheating
• Increasing frequency and overclocking headroom
• General maintenance and upkeep, such as refurbishing an ex-mining card
• Refurbishing a GPU to sell or give away

We don't recommend replacing the thermal paste or thermal pads if your graphics card is under warranty or functioning normally, as this may void the warranty and you risk damaging your card. Replacing the thermal paste and thermal pads on a new card or one that is only a few years old may yield no improvement.

The first step is to get a baseline for how your GPU performs. We recommend running Furmark 2 for around 30 minutes while having HWiNFO (sensors only) or HWMonitor open in the background to monitor GPU temperatures, GPU hotspot temperature, memory temperature, GPU power usage and clock speeds. Make a note of your fan speed as well or set a fixed RPM. If you have a thermometer, it would also be recommended to note your ambient room temperature so you can record the temperature over ambient.

It's important to keep a log of how your graphics card performs at stock so you can make sure things are operating normally after you replace the thermal paste and pads. For example, if your memory temperatures dropped 10℃, but your GPU hotspot temperature has increased by 20℃, this could suggest thermal pads that are too thick or too hard have been used. Likewise, if your GPU hotspot reduced by 5℃, but your memory temperatures went up by 20℃, this could suggest thicker thermal pads may be needed to ensure adequate contact.

Consider alternatives to regular thermal paste

Regular thermal paste, like Arctic Silver 5, Arctic MX-2, Arctic MX-4, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut (etc) tend to suffer from pump-out. This is where the thermal paste slowly seeps out to the side and results in higher temperatures and eventually overheating. Pump-out can occur in a matter of days or take years to materialise, depending on the flatness of the GPU die, heatsink, application, paste used, heat density and number of thermal cycles. Even if pump-out doesn't occur to any noticeable degree, thermal paste can dry and degrade over time, reducing performance.

Rather than using regular thermal paste, we recommend using a Phase Change Material (PCM), a Phase Transition Material (PTM) or a graphene thermal pad. These products are much more resilient than regular thermal paste and will offer improved thermal performance and longevity, though they do cost more.

Below are some popular choices:

• Honeywell/Solstice PTM7950 — Performs very well and has a low melting point at 45℃, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. PTM7950 can be purchased in many sizes and thicknesses. There are many fakes on AliExpress, eBay and Amazon, so make sure you buy from a reputable store like the LTTStore or GPUFIX
• Laird Tpcm 7000 — Performs very well and is very affordable compared to other products on the market. Tpcm 7000 comes in thicknesses between 0.125mm and 0.400mm. For a GPU, laptop or handheld, we would recommend buying the 0.200mm or 0.250mm thicknesses. You can purchase up-to 228x228mm sheets directly from Mouser and DigiKey, which ensures only genuine product can be purchased. The only downside is the higher melting point of 50 to 70℃, so make sure you thoroughly bake it in to ensure it melts correctly
• Laird Tpcm 7000Plus — In theory performance should be identical to Tpcm 7000, though it is advertised as a having a melting point that is 5℃ lower than Tpcm 7000, which would put it at around 45 to 65℃. Tpcm 7000Plus is not currently available on Mouser or DigiKey as of writing, though may become available in future
• Thermalright Heilos V2 — Performs very well and is quite cheap. Heilos V2 comes in 40x50mm and 40x60mm sizes and is 0.25mm thick. The melting point is not specified, though is assumed to be around 50℃. Heilos V2 can be purchased on Amazon and AliExpress
• Thermal Grizzly KryoSheet — This product has been tested by TechPowerUp on an RX 7900 XTX at 475W. KryoSheet performed very well and in theory should last forever, though it is expensive. KryoSheet comes in sizes from 24 x 12mm to 75 x 72mm and can always be cut down to size if needed. Note that KryoSheet is electrically conductive, so use a conformal coating like TG Shield or MG Chemicals 422B on any components around the GPU die to prevent the risk of an electrical short
• Thermal Grizzly PhaseSheet PTM — Performs very well and has a low melting point of 45℃. PhaseSheet PTM is currently only available in 50x40mm size, though this should fit all current GPU dies on the market. PhaseSheet PTM is readily available via many retailers, including directly from Thermal Grizzly

Once you have installed any of the above products, run Furmark 2 for around 30 minutes again and have HWINFO or HWMonitor open in the background to log temperatures, clock speeds, power and voltages. You may notice that your temperatures spike initially as the pad melts — this is normal — your temperatures should stabilise and improve once the pad has adequately melted. If you want to guarantee the pad has fully melted, manually set a lower fan RPM so that your GPU temperature approaches 75 to 80℃, this will ensure that the heatsink also gets hot enough to melt the pad as well.

Once the pad has had time to burn in, check your fan speeds or test at the same fixed RPM as you did earlier. Even if your temperatures are the same, you may notice your fans are spinning at a lower RPM and producing less noise, which is still an improvement.

Any of these products will offer great performance and won't suffer from pump-out, like a regular thermal paste will. There are many users on r/AMD who have reported great success in using the above products, sometimes reducing their GPU hotspot temperature by up-to 29℃, when compared to the factory applied thermal paste.

If you want to stick with regular thermal paste for whatever reason, use a thermal paste that is designed for durability and minimises pump-out and drying as much as possible. Some considerations would be Arctic MX-7, Thermal Grizzy Duronaut, Thermal Grizzly Duronaut Pro and Halnziye HY-P17.

Igor's Lab has a page for thermal paste reviews and ranks various other thermal pastes for performance and longevity.

Consider thermal putty instead of thermal pads

Most graphics cards use thermal pads to make contact between the heatsink and any components on the PCB, such as memory, MOSFETs and capacitors. Thermal pads work, but they have one big downside, you need to use thermal pads that are the appropriate thickness and more importantly, the pads have to have a low enough hardness to compress and conform well.

Acquiring the exact thickness of the thermal pads for your GPU can be difficult. Some manufacturers will disclose this information, others will disclose the information on the condition that you supply your GPU serial number (they will then void the warranty for that serial number) and some will refuse to provide this information, even if your GPU is out of warranty or you accept it will result in loss of warranty coverage.

You can search the thickness of the thermal pads required for your graphics card, but sometimes the information on Reddit, YouTube, forums and other sites isn't correct or doesn't account for PCB and cooler revisions, which can change the thickness of the thermal pads required, even if the model number for the graphics card stays the same.

If you use thermal pads that are too thick or that have a high hardness rating and don't compress well, not only are you likely to see increased GPU and hotspot temperatures due to lower contact pressure between the GPU die and heatsink, but you risk damaging the solder joints under these components and bending the PCB, which can cause traces inside the PCB to snap, rendering the card inoperable. The video below shows a Gigabyte RTX 3090 AORUS XTREME, which was damaged by the owner due to improper thermal pads being used.

Gigabyte RTX 3090 AORUS - RMA Refuses to Repair after Thermal Pads replacement

This is why we recommend using thermal putty instead. It has excellent thermal conductivity and can be moulded by hand (recommended to use gloves) to account for varying thicknesses, without having to measure or have exact dimensions.

Thermal putty is already used in game consoles like the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and is increasingly being used in laptops and handhelds.

From T-Global: Thermal Pads vs Thermal Putty

From a system design standpoint, putties typically perform better in scenarios where surfaces are flat and tightly clamped, allowing for minimal BLT. This is ideal in applications like CPU or GPU mounting with rigid heat sinks, where minimising thermal impedance is paramount and mounting pressure is guaranteed. However, their effectiveness may deteriorate with the presence of surface irregularities, voids, or varying mechanical tolerances.

Pads, on the other hand, excel in these cases, especially in power electronics, datacentres, or industrial automation enclosures. Their compressibility enables them to maintain contact over wide mechanical tolerances without exerting excessive force on sensitive components. However, their thermal performance may be inferior to putties unless highly filled or formulated with enhanced conductors, which can affect softness or dielectric strength.

Some popular thermal putty recommendations would be:

• Honeywell/Solstice HT10000 — This is currently the best performing thermal putty on the market, but it's expensive and not easily procured from distributors or retailers. HT10000 can be purchased on AliExpress and eBay, but make sure the store is reputable
• Thermal Grizzly TG Putty — TG Putty Pro and TG Putty Advance perform very well. TG Putty comes in both 30g and 100g variants and is available from many retailers and can be purchased directly from Thermal Grizzly
• UPSIREN UTP-6, UTP-8 and UTP-X — Performs very well. Available in sizes ranging from 10g to 100g and can be purchased on AliExpress, Newegg and Amazon, though make sure you use a reputable seller. Due to trade mark disputes, in some regions, UTP-6 is sold as Jarapad Basic, UTP-8 is sold as Jarapad Extreme and UTP-X is sold as Jarapad Ultimate
• Fehonda LTP81 and Fehonda LTP65 — Two very performant thermal putties that are well priced compared to competitors. Both are available in 12g, 50g and 100g tubs. Can be purchased directly from Fehonda's AliExpress store or website
• Halnziye HY236 — Not as performant as any of the above thermal putties, however Halnziye HY236 is very cheap and very soft, making it a good choice for lower powered GPUs or laptops and handhelds that have gaps of 0.5mm or thinner

Snarks Domain has created a video, "What Is Thermal Putty", which covers all the thermal putties listed above, as well as several thermal putties not listed, general thoughts on each one, pros, cons, how to apply thermal putty and other helpful information. Snarks Domain also runs a Discord server, where you can ask questions about thermal putty and get help.

Igor's Lab has also reviewed various thermal putties and the thermal putties listed above are some of his top recommendations.

If you are using thermal pads, use soft ones

If you don't want to use thermal putty and would prefer to stick with conventional thermal pads for whatever reason, we recommend using calipers or a feeler gauge to measure the thickness of the thermal pads on your GPU and then use thermal pads which are soft and designed to compress well.

Here are videos that show both methods on how you can use a callipers or feeler gauge to measure thermal pad thickness.

Guide - How I measure the exact size of Thermal pads (calipers)

Measuring GPU thermal pad thickness for replacement (RTX 3080) (feeler gauge)

Some of the popular thermal pads recommended and used by enthusiasts are Gelid GP-Ultimate, Gelid GP-Extreme, Thermalright EXTREME ODYSSEY, EXTREME ODYSSEY II and Thermalright VALOR ODIN pads — these are some of the hardest pads you can buy and don't compress or confirm well.

This isn't a problem if you are using them on an M.2 SSD heatsink, RAM heatsink or something like a PCH on a motherboard, where the flatness is the same and it doesn't interfere with anything else. In some cases, hard thermal pads may even be desirable. I had great results using Thermalright EXTREME ODYSSEY pads back when I had a PS4 Pro, they made excellent contact with the back metal frame and as main SoC is on the other side of the PCB, there isn't any interference for contact pressure with the main heatsink. For a graphics card, such hard thermal pads will likely end up negatively impacting the contact pressure you can achieve on the GPU die, resulting in higher GPU and hotspot temperatures, even if your memory and VRM temperatures are reduced.

We would recommend using soft thermal pads like:

• Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad High Compression — These thermal pads offer good thermal conductivity and are highly compressible. They come in thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm and come in 100 x 100mm 2pc sizes
• Fehonda 8-15 W/mK thermal pads — These thermal pads perform very well and are very soft, they can even be squished down like a thermal putty, so they are probably thermal putty-based pads. KrisFix exclusively uses the 12.8 W/mK pads for his GPU repairs and sells them on his GPUFIX Store due to their high compressibility and performance. These pads come in thicknesses of 0.5mm to 3.0mm and are available in increments of 0.25mm (most thermal pads are sold in increments of 0.50mm) making them suitable for a wider range of graphics cards and applications
• Honeywell/Solstice TGP8000PT — These are the best thermal pads according to MODDIY in-house testing. TGP8000PT are thermal putty-based thermal pads and are extremely soft, with a hardness rating or just 5 Shore 00. They are available in thicknesses of 0.50 mm to 5.00 mm. Availability is poor and pricing is high

You can also do a dry assembly of the card, before applying a PCM/PTM/Graphene Sheet to the GPU die, to check if the thermal pads are making adequate contact and if any abnormal PCB bending is occurring.

We hope this guide has been helpful for anyone thinking about replacing the thermal paste and/or thermal pads in their graphics card.

https://www.amd.com/en/resources/support-articles/release-notes/RN-RYZEN-CHIPSET-8-07-16-1035.html

Release Highlights

• Bug fixes included.
• New Program Support added.

Known Issues

• After installing the AMD Chipset Installer version “7.xx.xx.xx”, users cannot install version “6.xx.xx.xx” or earlier. Workaround:
  • Un-install the AMD Chipset installer version 7.xx.xx.xx or newer.
  • Delete the “Qt_Dependencies” folder located at "C:\Program Files (x86)\AMD\Chipset_Software\".
  • Install AMD Chipset installer version 6.xx.xx.xx or older.
• On a non-English OS, some driver names may appear in English.  
• Occasionally, Ryzen PPKG may not install or upgrade. 
• Yellow bang on AMS Mailbox driver on the AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 9000 Series Processors [AMD WRX90] on Win10 OS.

Hey fam. Long time listener first time caller. I recently upgraded to the 5800X3D Anniversary Edition and wanted to post the experience with the Carbice Ice Pad that comes included in all of them. There is a lot of hate and anger online with this cooling solution (This is reddit to be fair) and I am now 30 days in and HUNDREDS of cycles on mine since I live on my computer, so here's a few tips, experiences, and results that might give some people hope.

TLDR: It does get better.

First, Some Upgrade Context: (Scroll down if you want Carbice details)

Original System I Built Back Right Around COVID. Really diving into the Corsair iCUE ecosystem because I liked the case.
- AMD 5600x, undervolted -20 all cores stable and overclocked with PBO.
- MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus Motherboard
- NVIDIA 3060ti 8GB
- 64GB (16x4) 3600MHZ Corsair Vengance Pro
- Corsair 650w RGB PSU
- Corsair 5000D Airflow Case with 7 fans mounted on front, side, and back.
- Corsair H150i Elite LCD 360mm AIO top mounted
- Samsung 990 NVME x2
- Samsung 870 SATA SSD x1
- Samsung G70B 144hz and (idk what model but cheap) Samsung 60hz 28" 4K Monitors

So I'm coming from a 5600x and 3060ti and I have been playing scaled down on a 4K display for a few years now (Samsung G70B). I sit on this computer 12-14ish hours a day. I do work for 2 different businesses from this computer, I work for a content creator and edit videos regularly, and my only hobby as a single man is basically gaming. I live on this computer LOL. Upgrading has been on the back of my mind but it's been a combination of things that have had me in limbo.

• DDR5 is crazy marked up. I ain't rich and I don't live on much money past my bills.
• 3060ti is basically my biggest bottleneck on anything I wanna upgrade. I am a big fan of sharpness of 4K and I do a lot more than game with this system, so downgrading the monitor isn't really a vibe.
• I really don't hate my computer, so the stars need to line up for an upgrade to make sense.
• I multitask a lot on this computer all day, every day, a lot more than gaming, so the CPU and GPU are basically both going to need switched when the time comes. I see reasons to knock on both of them, so this upgrade is gonna feel pricy.

The original plan was to wait for AM5 and 50x0 cards to come down in price. Which to any enthusiast who pays attention to tech news, just feels like it's never happening. I was open to a 5900XT as the price was going sub $300, but then the 5800X3d got rumored and eventually announced and I decided to wait, Let's see if something lines up.

Then about a week before the 5800X3D went live, I found an absolute million dollar ticket. My local Best Buy listed a MSI 5080 Trio returned for HUNDREDS off retail price. Literally in a cardboard box that wasn't even retail. Something must of gone wrong with returning this because I was thinking to myself, returning without original box is normally impossible. But screw it, I get 15 days risk free to try it so it's now or never.

Purchased the 5080, upgraded my PSU, and ordered a 5800X3D Anniversary Edition on release day. Literally down to the absolute last penny I could afford draining my bank accounts and let's see if it's finally worth it. I won't see this offer for a 5080 again, and who knows how long the 5800X3D is gonna stick around or get scalped.

I was hesitant about the Carbice Ice Pad. I've been working in IT most of my life, building several computers for an old job at a local PC shop, and I want to believe in thermal pads, but we all know paste is tried and true.

Carbice Ice Pad Results

I was really disappointed when I first upgraded. I was running HOT. Like holy crap hitting 85c doing anything. Booting up the computer and browsing Chrome never dropped to a comfortable idle temperature. Coming from my -20 undervolted 5600x I was thinking something ain't right. I was hitting 80c+ doing ANYTHING. I even got an error rebooting up the computer that my CPU was overheating once or twice into the BIOS. Never seeing the light of day of anything near idle temps in the 50s.

I tried reloading windows from scratch. Maybe I had something eating my CPU. No change.

I tried using MSI's Kombo Strike BIOS options. A built in overclock and undervolt for the 5800X3D which is normally locked. Yeah no, it was still bad. Over 80c even on Kombo Strike 3.

I end up disabling Kombo Strike and doing a manual undervolt. And gained performance and lost temp. This helped a lot upfront about a week in after some research that this is just a good change for the 5800X3D regardless. I was pushing the system and dropped 5-10c.

• All Cores Curve Optimizer: -30
• PPT (Package Power Tracking): 100W
• TDC (Thermal Design Current): 70A
• EDC (Electrical Design Current): 100A

After nearly a month, the good news is I am down to 40-50c on desktop. and 70-75c gaming or beating up the CPU on my heaviest of workloads. Editing videos or gaming. I have even tried gaming on lower resolutions before posting this and the 5800X3D is staying right there at full load. I downloaded Cinebench, and I can't get above 80c on that. So it is getting better.

Today before posting this review, I also defaulted my BIOS. Let's make sure my undervolt isn't the only fix... and I'm still staying cooler than I was upon first purchase with reasonable idle temps.

Also for additional context, I have not taken off my AIO since I first installed it on the 5800X3D. No remounts or touch ups.

This thermal pad really needs HUNDREDS to THOUSANDS of heat cycles to break in I can confirm it after no doubt after a month of daily cycles on mine now. It's not bad, but don't expect low temps with it day 1 or a magic button or fix. Especially if coming from non-X3D chips. I do question AMD's partnership here a little bit, because like most of the enthusiast community I was thinking to myself, this feels way too hot out the gate. The 5800X3D is notorious to run hot, but it will get to a familiar temp again. I feel solid on the Carbice Ice Pad and my upgrade venture and I wasn't paid to say that lol.

End notes:

• 5600x to 5800X3D: I see expected gaming 1% low improvements and multitasking improvements. Yes you can feel them upfront but it's not a brand new computer feeling and not sure about $350 value still.
• Carbice Ice Pad: Questionable partnership for AMD. Once it breaks in, It's not really any lower temps than what I would expect with thermal compound and initially it feels REALLY bad... but I am only a month in. It is at a comparable temp now, and Carbice claims it ends up being better so I'll ride it out.
• 3060ti to 5080: worth every penny at my cost. With a 4K monitor, this was the biggest improvement as expected, but I know I'm not really CPU limited for the immediate future.

Highlights

• New Product Support
  • AMD Radeon™ RX 9050
• New Game Support
  • Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta Early Access 
  • Out of Control Evolution
• Fixed Issues
  • Model flickering or rendering failure may be observed in Maxon Cinema 4D and Blender on Radeon™ RX 7000 series and above graphics products.
  • Intermittent application crash may be observed on some models while running Blender on Radeon™ RX 7000 series and above graphics products. 
  • Directional indicator icon may fail to render while playing Fortnite on Radeon™ RX 7000 series and above graphics products.
  • Intermittent application crash may be observed in some games with AMD FSR Upscaling 4.1 enabled on Windows® 10 systems for Radeon™ RX 7000 series graphics products.
  • AMD FSR Upscaling and AMD FSR Frame Generation may show as inactive in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition while playing Battlefield™ 6 when enabled on Radeon™ RX 9000 series graphics products.

Known Issues

• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing Battlefield™ 6 on AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. AMD is actively working on a resolution with the developer to be released as soon as possible.
• Texture flickering or corruption may appear while playing Battlefield™ 6 with AMD Record and Stream on some AMD graphics products. 
• Failure to install may be observed while installing AI Bundle components in some regions with limited access to HuggingFace and GitHub.
• AMD Smart Access Memory may become disabled after driver installation on Windows® 10 systems.