Last updated: April 2026
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Your CPU shouldn’t be running hot, but somehow, it is.
Everything looks fine. Decent cooler, good airflow… yet temperatures are higher than expected, and performance starts dropping under load.
I ran into the same issue while testing different setups, and the problem wasn’t the cooler; it was the thermal paste.
That tiny layer between your CPU and heatsink can make a bigger difference than most people think.
So which one actually works best, and does it really matter which paste you use?
In this guide, we’ll break down the best thermal pastes you can buy right now, compare real-world performance, and help you choose the right one to lower temps fast.
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Does the Thermal Paste Really Matter?
A weak thermal paste choice can quietly push your CPU temperatures higher than they should be, even in a perfectly built PC. When building a PC for the first time or upgrading your CPU, you must choose the right thermal paste for it.
Thermal paste is a crucial component that ensures efficient cooling for your CPU. If temperatures get too high, you may experience crashes, system reboots, and CPU throttling, where performance is reduced to control heat.
If you want to learn more about CPU temperatures and ideal ranges for idle and load states, you can check our guide on CPU temperatures.
A good thermal paste acts as a bridge between the CPU and the cooler, filling microscopic gaps to improve heat transfer and keep temperatures under control.
When I first started building PCs, I used a cheap, unbranded thermal paste, just a random white compound with no real specs.
At first, everything seemed fine. But under load, my CPU temperatures were higher than expected, and over time, things got worse. The paste dried out quickly, and I had to reapply it almost every month just to keep temperatures under control.
When I switched to using better thermal pastes, things started to get better.
That experience taught me something important:
Not all thermal pastes are the same.
Quality thermal pastes don’t just improve temperatures; they last longer, stay stable under heat, and help your CPU maintain consistent performance over time.
Next, I’ll show you the best thermal paste on the market to never make the same mistake I did.
The Best Thermal Paste For CPU Under $20
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut (~$9 for 1g)
Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut thermal paste is a product engineered for overclocking purposes and demanding workloads. It’s a thermal paste commonly known in the overclocking community, and they use it to reach CPU clock speed best records because it has a thermal conductivity of approximately 12.5 W/mK, which is amazing actually.
This thermal paste is good at filling the microscopic gaps between the CPU and the cooler, and that ensures an amazing heat transfer. The Kryonaut thermal paste is electrically non-conductive, which will guarantee your CPU’s safety and will not short-circuit your CPU if it melts down in case you put a little too much.
The Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut thermal paste keeps your CPU under temperatures of 80°C and prioritizes your CPU’s performance and normal clock speeds, and keeps you from throttling.
The Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut thermal paste is an amazing product, but it comes with an expensive price tag per gram. This product is for people who want to play with their CPU, overclock it a little, and tweak its clock speeds.
The Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut comes with a price tag of (~$9.24 / 1 g), and you can buy it from here.
Arctic MX-4 (~$6 for 4g)
Arctic MX-4 thermal paste is one of the most popular thermal pastes on the market. The MX-4 is cheaper than Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut and easier to apply to your CPU; its composition is carbon-based microparticles that fill the microscopic gaps between the CPU and the cooler’s heatsink. It is electrically non-conductive, which will guarantee your CPU’s safety.
The Arctic MX-4 maintains an efficient heat transfer due to its thermal conductivity, which is approximately 8.5 W/mK it’s pretty decent actually, but there is no comparison between Arctic MX-4 and Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut, the latter wins obviously.
It keeps your CPU under temperatures up to 80°, and that depends on your cooling solutions, CPU’s power consumption, and your environment temperatures. The Arctic MX-4 prioritizes your CPU’s performance, normal clock speed, and keeps you away from throttling.
The Arctic MX-4 is a solid choice for gamers who want to play AAA video game titles and professional workstations. It’s the best choice for people focusing on the ease of thermal paste application, long-term durability, and excellent balance between performance and cost per gram.
The Arctic MX-4 comes with a price tag of (~$1.5 / 1 g), and you can buy it from here.
Arctic MX-6 (~$9 for 8g)
The Arctic MX-6 thermal paste is engineered based on an improved formula over the MX-4. It is one of the most popular thermal pastes on the market in 2026, and it costs quite the same as the Arctic MX-4.
It is user-friendly when it comes to applying it to your CPU. The composition of The Arctic MX-6 is carbon-based microparticles that fill the microscopic gaps between the CPU and your cooler’s heatsink. It is electrically non-conductive, which will put your CPU’s safety first.
The Arctic MX-6, like its youngest brother, maintains decent heat transfer due to its thermal conductivity, which is approximately 9 W/mK. It’s pretty decent, actually, but there is no comparison between the Arctic MX-6 and Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut; the latter wins by default.
It keeps your CPU under temperatures up to 80°C, and that depends on your cooling solutions, CPU’s power consumption, and your environment temperatures. The Arctic MX-6 prioritizes your CPU’s performance, maintaining normal clock speeds and preventing CPU throttling.
The Arctic MX-6 is the best choice for people playing AAA video game titles and working with professional applications. It’s the one to go for when people prioritize ease of application, long-term durability, and an excellent balance between performance and cost per gram.
The Arctic MX-6 comes with a price tag of: (~$1.1 / 1 g), and you can buy it from here.
GD900 (~$4 for 4g)
The GD900 thermal paste is a cost-effective option for budget-conscious users. It is one of the most popular budget thermal pastes on the market in 2026. It costs less compared with the thermal pastes we got so far in this blog post.
It is user-friendly when it comes to applying it to your CPU. The composition of The GD900 is metal oxides with smaller particle sizes, microparticles that fill the microscopic gaps between the CPU and your cooler’s heatsink. It is electrically non-conductive, which will put your CPU’s safety first.
It maintains an acceptable heat transfer due to its thermal conductivity, which is approximately 5 W/mK, and may not be your choice if you do heavy workloads on your machine. There is no comparison between the Arctic MX-4, Arctic MX-6, Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut, and GD900; the latter loses by default due to its limited thermal conductivity.
It keeps your CPU under temperatures up to 85°C, and that depends on your cooling solutions, CPU’s power consumption, and your environment temperatures. The GD900 prioritizes your CPU’s performance, normal clock speed, but it may not keep you away from CPU throttling.
The GD900 is the best choice for budget-conscious users who are on a tight budget to build a decent gaming PC, not a high-end gaming PC. It’s the one to go for people focusing on user-friendly thermal paste application, long-term durability, low cost per gram, and decent, acceptable performance.
The GD900 comes with a price tag of: (~$1 / 1 g), and you can buy it from here.
Best Thermal Paste For CPU Comparison Table
| Thermal Paste | Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut | Arctic MX-4 | Arctic MX-6 | GD900 |
| Thermal Conductivity | ~12.5 W/mK | ~8.5 W/mK | ~9.0 W/mK | ~4.9 W/mK |
| Price per Gram | ~$9 | ~$1.5 | ~$1.1 | ~$1 |
| Key Features | High performance. Extreme overclocking. High durability | Long-lasting. Easy to apply. Low viscosity. Non-corrosive | Improved fomula over MX-4. High thermal dissipation | Budget-friendly. Large quantity. Easy to apply. Non-corrosive |
| Electrically Conductive | No | No | No | No |
| Best for | Overclocking. High-end gaming PCs | Budget builds. Moderate gaming | High-performance systems. Mid gaming PCs | Budget builds. General pc use cases |
Best Thermal Paste For CPU – Test Results
To evaluate the performance of each thermal paste, we tested them on an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU paired with an AMD RX 6800 XT GPU to simulate real-world gaming workloads.
All CPU tests were performed under stress using Cinebench R23, while the GPU was stressed using FurMark for 15 minutes. The GPU fan speed was locked at 2000 RPM to maintain consistent cooling conditions.
Note: All temperatures are average values measured during the stress tests. CPU temps reflect the CPU die temperature under load.
| Thermal Paste | Avg CPU Temp | Avg GPU Temp | GPU Core Clock | Notes |
| Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut | ~74.5°C | ~64°C | ~2182 MHz | Best for overclocking |
| Arctic MX-4 | ~76°C | ~66°C | ~2164 MHz | Easiest to apply |
| Arctic MX-6 | ~74°C | ~66.5°C | ~2152 MHz | Best price/performance |
| GD900 | ~78°C | ~67°C | ~2148 MHz | Decent budget choice |
Key Takeaways:
- Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut: Lowest CPU temperature, ideal for overclocking.
- Arctic MX-6: Balanced performance and value.
- GD900: Higher temps but good for budget builds.
Which One Should You Choose?
The Thermal Grizzly’s Kryonaut is for people who want to play with their CPUs, overclock them a little, and tweak their clock speeds. This thermal paste is a solid choice if you want to be part of the overclocking community.
The Arctic MX-4 is a solid choice for gamers who want to play AAA video game titles and work with professional applications like Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and 3D software like Blender.
The Arctic MX-6 is the best choice for people playing AAA video game titles every day and working with professional applications, ensuring the best performance possible for the price you pay.
The GD900 is the best choice for budget-conscious users who are on a tight budget to build a decent gaming PC, which is obviously not a high-end gaming PC with the latest technologies available in the market.
If you want to better understand CPU heat behavior, check our guide on safe CPU temperatures, idle vs load ranges, and how to prevent overheating.
