ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

Posted by: Sahil Mannick on: 29-07-2010 [ 18 comment(s) ]

When ARCTIC announces a new thermal paste, enthusiasts take heed. So let's see how their new MX-4 compares.

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Tagged as: ARCTIC

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

marsey99 Posts: 22 Joined: 2010-08-09

#6397 Posted on: 09.08.2010 12:47:31 its interesting to see arctic aim their new tim at the more budget minded but i cant help feel the naming of this will lead to some unhappy customers who expect 4 to be better than 3 would there be any chance of you getting your hands on some id7 to see what performance you get from it and compare it to those others listed in the results?

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

Helios1234 Posts: 2570 Joined: 2009-02-17

#6422 Posted on: 09.08.2010 14:46:30 Quote: Originally Posted by marsey99 its interesting to see arctic aim their new tim at the more budget minded but i cant help feel the naming of this will lead to some unhappy customers who expect 4 to be better than 3 would there be any chance of you getting your hands on some id7 to see what performance you get from it and compare it to those others listed in the results? I've tried to, I've pm'd the IC Diamond guy on Aria but I haven't heard back or received anything. I will do my best to add as many thermal pastes though, I've got a bag full of them.

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

Notleh12 Posts: 36 Joined: 2010-08-10

#6467 Posted on: 10.08.2010 05:09:10 Thermal paste comparisons at [H]ardOCP: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/...hootout_q209/4

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

SpeedSpeed Posts: 31 Joined: 2010-08-15

#6696 Posted on: 15.08.2010 14:06:54 Quote: Originally Posted by marsey99 its interesting to see arctic aim their new tim at the more budget minded but i cant help feel the naming of this will lead to some unhappy customers who expect 4 to be better than 3 would there be any chance of you getting your hands on some id7 to see what performance you get from it and compare it to those others listed in the results? Very true, seems a silly naming system. They could of called it something like MX-3 Lite!

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

DaTLiTe Posts: 341 Joined: 2009-05-31

#6706 Posted on: 15.08.2010 15:25:47 Phew... just got myself some mx 3 and saw this. MX-3 performs very well but the darn sticker on the tube doesnt hold down well. But anyways to the review, very interesting with the naming. i would prefer MX-3 LT, that seems to be the naming of things

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

Helios1234 Posts: 2570 Joined: 2009-02-17

#6714 Posted on: 15.08.2010 16:13:33 It won't be long till we get the MX-3 GTX/XT/XXX Edition etc

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

marsey99 Posts: 22 Joined: 2010-08-09

#6736 Posted on: 15.08.2010 18:08:35 thanks for the link but h's tim review is quite old now and i was after another trusted site to compare the icd stuff

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

Helios1234 Posts: 2570 Joined: 2009-02-17

#6737 Posted on: 15.08.2010 18:10:09 Quote: Originally Posted by marsey99 thanks for the link but h's tim review is quite old now and i was after another trusted site to compare the icd stuff I have some IC Diamond waiting to be tested!

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

PeterStoba Posts: 20 Joined: 2010-08-09

#6751 Posted on: 16.08.2010 12:42:29 Quote: Originally Posted by Helios1234 I have some IC Diamond waiting to be tested! Good to hear! Always nice to have a wide range to compare to. I agree with what everybody has said, quite odd that it doesn't perform better than MX-3, as that's what people would expect...

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

olavamjelde Posts: 43 Joined: 2010-08-13

#6754 Posted on: 16.08.2010 15:22:00 hm, I thought I had a problem [img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs156.ash2/41118_10150226189275504_775685503_14094790_2179115 _n.jpg[/img] I didnt know which to use, lol.. so I used the OCZ Freezer Extreme.

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

J888wwww VTZ Newbie Posts: 3 Joined: 2010-08-21

#6965 Posted on: 21.08.2010 15:42:09 Someone mentioned that the sticker doesn't adhere to the tube, this just lend to baffle the grey matter inside my cranium as to how it would affect the function of the thermal paste. Secondly, the other link is more precise as it compares more products over a longer period of time, even tough it is still too short a time-scale. IIRC, AS5 needs approximately 200 hours to cure to become fully effective, so the comparison on the 48 hours mark is inaccurate/inappropriate. You would go changing the thermal paste every 48 hours ? Quote: Originally Posted by PeterStoba I agree with what everybody has said, quite odd that it doesn't perform better than MX-3, as that's what people would expect... There are other reviews/comparisons which determined MX4 is equal to MX3 at idle and superior at load

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

Helios1234 VTZ Newbie Posts: 2570 Joined: 2009-02-17

#6966 Posted on: 21.08.2010 16:04:51 Quote: Originally Posted by J888wwww Someone mentioned that the sticker doesn't adhere to the tube, this just lend to baffle the grey matter inside my cranium as to how it would affect the function of the thermal paste. Secondly, the other link is more precise as it compares more products over a longer period of time, even tough it is still too short a time-scale. IIRC, AS5 needs approximately 200 hours to cure to become fully effective, so the comparison on the 48 hours mark is inaccurate/inappropriate. You would go changing the thermal paste every 48 hours ? There are other reviews/comparisons which determined MX4 is equal to MX3 at idle and superior at load Thing is, I'm not gonna wait a whole week just testing Thermal paste, that's why I only recorded after 48 hours as it shows whether there is potential curing required. It's not as if it will suddenly get better at the 200th hour. People might as well get a solution that just works straight away and will get them good results without waiting. AS5 is old and should be left to rest in piece. Also many reviewers have found the same thing that the MX-4 is about the same or performs a degree or so worse. Check Tweaktown. I would have liked to see the MX-4 performing better so I could use it myself but Thermalright's Chill Factor II is just better!

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

Mishima Administrator Posts: 4368 Joined: 2009-07-28

#7043 Posted on: 24.08.2010 13:00:54 The pastes I've used in the last year or so don't require curing... its a thing of the past AS5 is OLD!!

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

J888wwww VTZ Newbie Posts: 3 Joined: 2010-08-21

#7045 Posted on: 24.08.2010 13:19:40 Quote: Originally Posted by Helios1234 Thing is, I'm not gonna wait a whole week just testing Thermal paste.... If the AS5 is not allocated time to cure as specified, then it invalidates the AS5 comparison. Quote: Originally Posted by Helios1234 AS5 is old and should be left to rest in piece. I'm not saying AS5 is better, but just because it is an "old product" does not necessarily make it a "defunct" product. There has to be a point where a product cannot be "bettered" ? ie: there has to be a time where the 100m record time cannot be broken ? I had used AS5, also MX3 on the same laptop but on different dies (had not wanted to waste the remainder AS5 thermal paste). After eight Months, I decided to replace the thermal compounds and noticed the MX3 had dried/become brittle, whereas the AS5 remained in paste form albeit it seemed a little more thicker/denser in texture than when new. This is the reason which I reverted back to using AS5, as the paste seem more competent/adequate/reliable in the long term. Until someone proves a better alternative (manufacturers will always promote their "new product" to be superior), I will remain loyal to AS5. Then again, this is only my personal opinion, each to their own. Edit: Next time, I will use Innovation Cooling Diamond, for my search of a better thermal compound.

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

Helios1234 VTZ Newbie Posts: 2570 Joined: 2009-02-17

#7046 Posted on: 24.08.2010 13:25:48 From the HardOCP results, you can see that the AS5 is bested by even the MX-2 after 120 hours and we know from our own results that the MX-3 is superior to the old MX-2. I've never noticed the paste drying up personally but if the AS5 works for you, then there's no reason not to use it .

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

J888wwww VTZ Newbie Posts: 3 Joined: 2010-08-21

#7060 Posted on: 24.08.2010 20:40:39 It doesn't matter how many times the question is asked "Which is the best Thermal Paste ?", the simple FACT is that ALL results from different reviews will vary dues to application (too little/too much paste, even/uneven spreading, time factor, etcetera etcetera). I surmise that your results may vary and that's the only answer which I can whole-heartedly offer. It may be an annoying/irritating answer to receive, but the truth of the matter is that your results with the same thermal paste may vary.

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

gt_junkie VTZ Newbie Posts: 563 Joined: 2009-02-12

#7063 Posted on: 25.08.2010 07:59:48 I agree, but I'd say it's far from an annoying or irritating answer - you're just outlining the pitfalls of reviewing in general. Variation will occur accross virtually all component specific reviews due to system differences, ambient temp differences, production differences, different application methods... the list goes on. Obviously thermal paste is no different which is why variation occurs - even between results across reviews using the very same product. All in all reviews must be considered not only for the pure result but for the effects of the components used and general deviation caused by those differing variables. gt

ARCTIC MX-4 Thermal Paste Review

Notleh12 VTZ Newbie Posts: 36 Joined: 2010-08-10

#7140 Posted on: 26.08.2010 16:13:38 has anyone else noticed the disturbing trend in thermal paste packaging? The first time I received my teeny-tiny AS5 syringe that cost me $10 i thought, "WTF?! This is tiny!" but at least they were honest and you know how much you have. Nowadays the syringes are huge, but they are only like 10% full. WTF? Stop trying to fake us out with these empty syringes, lol.

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