We’re heading for Germany, where a small revolution is underway. A company is designing a new thermal paste. It applies like nail varnish, but contains metal!
Thermal paste: liquid metal applied like nail varnish?
Admittedly, the paste application method is not new: Zalman already offered something similar with its ZM-STG1. However, this mode of application offers better control and more precise application than the classic “hazelnut”. In fact, if too much is applied, when the cooler is mounted, the pressure causes it to get all over the socket.
But what interests us here is the product’s composition. Although we don’t know exactly what it’s made of, we do know that it includes metal. Ultimately, it could well behave like liquid metal and offer equivalent thermal conductivity.
The real novelty, however, is that it can be applied “in layers”. Once the medium has evaporated, if we notice that a little is missing in a particular area, there’s nothing to stop us from applying a second layer. Unfortunately, the surfaces of both processor IHSs and heatsink bases are not perfectly flat. Sometimes, hollows form and no contact is ensured at this point, which has a negative impact on temperatures.
However, we don’t yet know whether this paste will be compatible with aluminum heatsinks. As a reminder, liquid metal is clearly not recommended for these heatsinks. The indium they contain corrodes the aluminum and, over time, your heatsink is ready for the dustbin!
