Arctic’s MX-series thermal compounds are among the many hottest, amongst PC builders, and the corporate’s MX-5 is extensively thought-about one of the best thermal grease that it produces. However earlier this week MX-5 standing was modified to end-of-life at the corporate’s web site (as found by @momomo_us) as apparently it’s readying all-new MX-6 thermal paste.
The most important shock is that Arctic discontinues its MX-5 nearly 1.5 years after its launch in early 2021 and weeks earlier than AMD and Intel are set to begin promoting their Ryzen 7000-series ‘Raphael’ and thirteenth Technology Core ‘Raptor Lake’ processors with elevated most processor energy. But, two photos of the Arctic MX-6 packages posted by @momomo_us, a high-tech leaker with status, point out that the brand new thermal grease is incoming.
Arctic’s MX-5 thermal grease is comprised of aluminum oxide, aluminum powder, aluminum nitride, polydimethylsiloxane, magnesium oxide and boron nitride. The paste consists microparticles which fill cavities on the floor of CPU warmth spreaders in addition to cooler bases. Thermal conductivity of the MX-5 is 8.5 W/m-Ok and it has a temperature vary between -40 and 180 levels Celsius, which primarily signifies that it isn’t designed for excessive overclocking. It has a viscosity of 550 pascal seconds, which is beneath that of MX-4, however it’s nonetheless straightforward to use.
Arctic launched its MX-5 in 2021, however its thermal conductivity didn’t change from MX-4 launched in 2019. Whereas 8.5 W/m-Ok is just not dangerous in comparison with low-cost and mainstream thermal greases, it’s significantly beneath thermal conductivity of market leaders like Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut and Kryonaut Excessive which can be designed with excessive overclockers in thoughts. Basically, the MX-5 shoed superb efficiency below regular circumstances, in line with our ranking of the greatest thermal pastes for CPUs round, however it appears to be like like Arctic has one thing higher, which is why it replaces the MX-5 whereas preserving the MX-4 afloat.
Arctic’s MX-5 didn’t exchange the MX-4 and the 2 pastes continued to co-exist up till just lately, although the brand new one typically carried out higher than its predecessor. In contrast, the MX-6 really replaces the MX-5.
We do not but know precisely what to anticipate from MX-6, however our hunch inform us that this can be a one more all-around performer from Arctic, however maybe designed to raised go well with the upcoming CPUs from AMD and Intel. In any case, the brand new thermal grease ought to be accessible shortly, so we’re going to discover out quickly sufficient.
