Thermal paste
pcA thermally conductive compound used to enhance the thermal interface between heat-generating components and heat sinks.
expanded
Thermal paste, also known as thermal compound or thermal interface material (TIM), is applied to the surfaces of heat-producing components such as CPUs or GPUs and their respective heat sinks. It functions by filling the microscopic imperfections on both surfaces, improving thermal conduction and aiding in the dissipation of heat to prevent overheating, thus maintaining the performance and longevity of the components in computing systems.
examples
Application of thermal paste on a CPU with a specified thermal conductivity.
When installing a new CPU, such as the Intel Core i9-12900K, thermal paste is applied to achieve optimal thermal transfer between the CPU and heat sink. Proper application can reduce the thermal junction temperature by approximately 5°C to 10°C (9°F to 18°F).
Using thermal paste on a GPU for thermal management.
During the upgrade or maintenance of high-performance graphics cards, like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, thermal paste is used to ensure efficient heat transfer to the cooling solution. A high-quality thermal compound can offer thermal conductivities up to 12.5 W/mK.