Warning: I spent 3 months using thermal paste from a repackaged tube and ruined a build

I used to buy those cheap multi-pack thermal paste tubes on Amazon since they were like $8 for 5. Last week I pulled apart a customer's gaming PC that kept overheating and found one of those tubes had separated into liquid and chunks. Turns out the stuff was repackaged from some bulk factory and had no quality control. I tested two builds side by side with Arctic MX-6 vs the cheap stuff and saw a 12 degree difference under load. The cheap paste literally dried out after 6 months. Has anyone else run into fake or expired thermal paste from those multi-pack deals?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena88615h ago

Lol I once used mayo in a pinch and honestly it worked better than some of those cheap tubes!

sethb4511h ago

My buddy Tom tried this exact trick after he ran out of lube for his bike chain while on a group ride. He said the mayo held up for about 10 miles before it started smelling like a bad egg salad sandwich in the sun. He still swears by it for emergencies though (just not in high heat).