The most gifted thermal paste on Amazon Canada is Silicone based?
**The Most Gifted Thermal Paste: A Comprehensive Review**
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### Introduction: The Popularity of a Silicon-Based Thermal Paste
According to Amazon Canada, there is a thermal paste that stands out as the most "gifted" product on their website. However, by "gifted," they don't imply it has any extraordinary abilities; instead, it refers to the fact that this thermal paste is frequently sent by friends via Amazon. This raises several questions: Who actually sends thermal paste to their friends through Amazon? And why is this particular thermal paste silicon-based?
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### Understanding Thermal Paste: Conductive vs. Insulating Materials
It might seem counterintuitive, but the creator was initially under the impression that silicon is a thermally insulating material rather than conductive. To clarify, when you apply thermal paste between a CPU and a cooler, the goal is to use a substance that allows heat to transfer efficiently from the CPU to the cooler, dispersing it into the air. If a thermal paste were insulating, it would prevent this heat transfer, potentially leading to overheating or even fire hazards.
The creator questions why silicon-based thermal pastes are popular despite this misunderstanding. While many entry-level thermal pastes use silicon as their base, higher-end options often avoid it, advertising themselves as carbon-based instead. This distinction suggests that silicon-based thermal pastes may not perform as effectively in terms of heat conductivity.
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### Testing the Thermal Paste: Setup and Methodology
To determine how this silicon-based thermal paste compares to others, the creator conducted a series of tests using Arctic MX4 as the reference point—a reliable and popular thermal paste. The testing setup included an Intel i5 7600K processor overclocked to 4.5 GHz and a Cooler Master Hyper 212 with an RGB fan as the cooler.
The tests were designed to maximize CPU temperature under stress. All fans were set to run at maximum RPM continuously, regardless of system temperature. The creator used HWMonitor 64 to record temperatures over 15 minutes, taking both average and final readings.
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### Application Process: Comparing Ease of Use
One significant difference between the two thermal pastes was in their application. Arctic MX4 is straightforward—simply squeeze out the desired amount, and that's what you get. In contrast, the silicon-based thermal paste was much more liquid, making it challenging to control the flow onto the CPU. Despite efforts to wipe away excess, there was likely a larger quantity of the silicon-based paste used compared to MX4.
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### Test Results: Performance Analysis
The test results revealed a notable difference in performance between the two thermal pastes. The silicon-based product performed significantly worse than Arctic MX4, with temperature differences ranging from three to four degrees. This is a substantial margin, highlighting the importance of using a thermally conductive material for effective heat transfer.
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### Value Proposition: Quantity vs. Quality
While the silicon-based thermal paste offers 20 grams for $9, Arctic MX4 provides only 4 grams for $10. At first glance, this might seem like a better value. However, the creator argues that from a consumer perspective, this doesn't hold much weight. The amount of thermal paste required is minimal, and a single tube of Arctic MX4 has lasted over four months with about 20 applications—still leaving half the tube unused.
The creator questions whether consumers would benefit from having more thermal paste, especially since it's not something that needs frequent reapplication. This leads to another question: Why are people in Canada specifically sending this thermal paste to their friends?
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### Conclusion: Unraveling the Canadian Preference
By the end of the video, the creator remains unsure why this particular thermal paste is so popular among Canadians. Is there a cultural or humorous reason behind it? The creator leaves this as an open question for the audience.
They encourage viewers to like, subscribe, and share the video with friends who might be sending thermal paste to each other. Until the next video, they bid farewell, leaving room for further exploration of this intriguing topic.
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