Best thermal paste for modern AMD and Intel processors?

Question

Ive been building rigs since the Athlon days so I thought I knew my stuff but man these new chips are driving me crazy. I just put together a 14900k build for my editing suite here in Phoenix and even with a 360mm AIO the temps are spiking way faster than they should. I used my old reliable Arctic Silver 5 because thats what Ive always used but I think it might be too thin or something? Or maybe the heat density is just too high now.

So I was thinking maybe I should switch to something thicker like Kryonaut but then I heard about the pump out effect where the paste just gets pushed to the edges after a few heat cycles and honestly I dont have time to keep repasting this thing every three months. My logic was that a high conductivity rating is all that matters but now Im seeing people talk about phase change pads like the PTM7950 and it is making me second guess everything.

I need to get this stable by Sunday for a client project and Im willing to spend like $25 on a tube if it actually works. Is there a specific brand that handles the uneven IHS on these LGA1700 or the weird offset heat on the new Ryzen chips better? Just super frustrated because I feel like a newbie again trying to figure out why my temps are hitting 95c instantly...

Make_A_Ge · Accepted Answer

Saw your post earlier while I was finishing some work and wanted to weigh in. I've been building for decades too and yeah, the 14900k is a different beast compared to the old Athlons. I used to swear by the old reliable stuff but these new chips are so dense they just cook thinner pastes and push em right out. Before I suggest a specific paste tho, are you using the stock LGA1700 mounting bracket or did you swap it? I've found that those stock brackets can actually warp the CPU slightly in the middle, which makes it almost impossible to get good contact regardless of what paste you use. If your IHS is bowed, even the best paste wont save you. For my editing rig, I moved away from the thin stuff because I'm paranoid about long-term stability and wanted something I dont have to touch for years. I've been really satisfied with these:

Thermalright TF8 Thermal Paste 2g

This stuff is thick like clay but it stays put. It basically refuses to pump out. I saw a huge drop in spikes once I swapped to this.

Noctua NT-H2 3.5g Thermal Paste

This is my go-to for client builds. It's super reliable and I havent seen any degradation after a year of heavy use.

Thermalright LGA1700-BCF Contact Frame

Honestly, this made a bigger difference for me than the brand of paste. It keeps the chip flat so the cooler actually touches the whole surface. I've been very happy with the TF8 specifically because of that high viscosity. Its kinda a pain to spread—I usually warm the tube in my pocket for ten minutes first—but the results are worth it for the peace of mind.

ojenhnwmfr · Answer

Unfortunately Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 1g was a total letdown for me. Switch to Honeywell PTM7950 Phase Change Pad 0.2mm instead. TL;DR: Phase change pads handle high heat density way better than paste.

Ramm.Daamen.WWa · Answer

Regarding what #2 said about the 14900k being a beast, I totally agree, tho I politely disagree that you need to go the pad route yet. I have been super satisfied with Noctua NT-H2 3.5g Thermal Paste on my last few LGA1700 builds. It works well because it stays put and handles that high heat density way better than AS5. TL;DR: Use NT-H2. It is cheap, reliable, and wont pump out like other high-end pastes.