In the game console world, thermal paste rarely (if ever) causes overheating. It’s usually something else causing your console to overheat such as dust or a faulty fan.
First, make sure that your CPU cooler is attached and firmly in place. It should be in a diagonal X shape and have no visible gaps between it and the motherboard.
What is thermal paste?
Thermal paste is a silvery-gray substance that you apply to a processor before installing a CPU cooler. It helps transfer heat from the processor to the metal base plate or water block of the CPU cooler, which dissipates that heat. Without thermal paste, the processor would get much hotter than it should. This can lead to stuttering, throttling, and random shutdowns.
There are many different kinds of thermal paste. Some are more efficient than others. To determine the best kind for your computer, look at tests comparing different brands. The best brands have a lower change in temperature between idle and stress test.
Liquid metal compounds offer better heat transfer than traditional pastes, but they also harbor dangers. They’re electrically conductive, so a single drop can cause damage to motherboards and processors. Depending on the brand, they can also be difficult to apply. This makes them unsuitable for beginners, who run the risk of part-damage if they’re not careful.
Liquid metal compounds
Liquid metal compounds are made of actual metals like gallium and mercury, making them much better conductors of heat than the silicone-based polymers used in thermal paste. They can provide up to 73 W/(mK) thermal conductivity which is significantly higher than the 0.5-12.5 W/(mK) that traditional pastes typically offer.
These compounds can be messy to use though and require a lot of attention to ensure that they are applied correctly. Since they are also electrically conductive, any spills can short circuit your motherboard and potentially kill your processor if you aren’t careful.
They are generally only recommended for extremely high-end builds that need the best performance possible. Even then, they are usually only worth the risk if you are overclocking and using a good air or water cooling setup. They tend to be more expensive as well. Thankfully, Phobya LM manages to break this trend by offering great liquid metal compound performance at bargain prices.
Traditional pastes
Changing the thermal paste in an Xbox can be a bit tricky and requires opening the console. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, or your console is still under warranty, you should take it to technical service.
Traditionally, thermal pastes consist of a base matrix and a thermally-conductive filler. The matrix is often a polymer such as epoxies, silicones or urethanes, while the filler can be any of a number of materials, including carbon micro-particles, boron nitride, aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide and zinc oxide.
Many pastes will list a certain thermal conductivity specification, often measured in W/mK (watts per kelvin). However, there are many other attributes to look out for too, such as the cure time and specific gravity. Cure time is the amount of time it takes for the particles in the paste to flow into the microscopic gaps and reach peak performance. The lower the cure time, the better the paste. Similarly, the higher the specific gravity, the thicker and heavier the paste.
Conclusions
When it comes to Xbox thermal paste, there are many different options to choose from. Some are better than others, but all will help to keep your console cool. Changing the thermal paste on a regular basis is necessary to avoid overheating, which can be caused by a number of factors, including age and dust accumulation.
In our tests, the Aeronaut paste performed very well, never getting warmer than 57degC. This is a great choice for those on a budget or just needing a basic paste that will do the job.
If you are more concerned about safety, you might want to consider a thermal pad instead of a traditional paste. Although not as effective, they are much safer and can be applied very quickly. However, it is important to remember that they may not be as durable as a traditional paste and may require more frequent replacement. Regardless of which solution you choose, it is vital to follow the instructions carefully so that you don’t harm your CPU.