Introduction
So we have seen incredible high performance CPU coolers and silent fans etc; but we have never really stopped and thought about what goes before that. That is to say “What about the Thermal Paste?” You all know the stuff, the annoying liquid which seems to ruin everything it touches that it shouldn’t. It is essential to maximise the performance of coolers. I have today a product that hopes to improve not only the heat throughput to the cooler but also boasts long-term stability and non electrical conductivity. I introduce Noctua’s NT-H1 thermal compound.
About Noctua
Noctua aims at establishing a new level of quality and performance “Designed in Austria” through paying attention to the users’ needs in a market burdened with all kinds of frills and furbelows and providing sound-optimised premium components, which serve their purpose in a smart, precise and reliable manner.
Specifications and features
| Volume | 1.4ml (for at least 15 applications) |
| Specific Gravity | 2.49 g/cm³ |
| Colour | grey |
| Recommended storage time (before use) | up to 2 years |
| Recommended usage time (on the CPU) | up to 3 years |
| Peak operating temperature | -50°C to +110°C |
| Recommended operating temperature | -40°C to +90°C |
| Excellent performance | NT-H1 consists of a hybrid compound of different micro-particles, which has been specifically optimized for use in PC environments. Thanks to its extremely low thermal resistance as well as excellent pliability and spreadability, NT-H1 achieves outstanding results. |
| Maximum ease of use & efficient dosage | As NT-H1 spreads very well under pressure, there’s no need to smear it over the heat-spreader. This reduces both the consumption of paste and the time spent on the installation process: Put one drop of NT-H1 onto the centre of your CPU, install the cooler and that’s it! |
| Top-performance right from the start | NT-H1 reaches its full performance extremely fast and doesn’t require a longer “burn-in” time. |
| Excellent long-term stability | NT-H1 doesn’t contain any solvents or other substances with low flash point and provides excellent long-term stability. Due to the compound’s exceptional curing, bleeding, dry-out und thermal cycling characteristics, NT-H1 can be used for several years without any problems. |
| Not electrically conductive, non-corroding | NT-H1 possesses a very low dielectric constant and a high dielectric strength. Therefore, there’s no danger of short-circuits even in case of direct contact with components or conducting paths. Fully compatible with all materials commonly employed in PC environments, NT-H1 is suited for use with aluminium and copper coolers. |
| Suitable for compressor cooling | NT-H1 is perfectly suited for use with compressor coolers. Even at the very lowest temperatures, the paste delivers full performance and remains easy to clean off. |
Info above from www.noctua.at
Packaging
The NT-H1 paste arrived in a clear plastic wrap-round packet with a cardboard insert.
The cardboard insert indicates the features and specifications of the product in over 6 different languages. It also incorporates a crash guide on how to correctly apply the thermal compound.
Unlike other products of its size it hasn’t been vacuum packed which means that it is easier to open the packaging and actual get to the product without shredding your fingers.
The Product
Once it is out of its wrapping it is possible to see that the thermal compound comes in a pretty standard sized syringe for today’s market, which is brilliant as that is pretty large. It contains enough for 15 applications, but if used sparingly you could probably get about 19-20 uses from it; and in this “financial crisis” surely that’s cost-effective.
As you can see it is of an identical size to Gelid Solutions’ GC1.
The paste itself is of a silvery grey colour and is fairly viscous.
The syringe in which the compound is stored is fairly wide; the application nozzle is also quite wide which means that although it allows for an easy flow of the paste it isn’t the most accurate or localised dispersion possible. The paste is quite thick so it does take a while to get the best coverage possible but if you have a special spreader this makes things easier.
Testing and results
To test thermal paste we apply the same sort of routine that is used to test CPU coolers and that is:
All of the testing is carried out with the side panel of the computer case on. All case fans are installed and are on their maximum settings. Ambient was 21C. To test we boot the PC up and measure temperatures under idle and load states.
When performing the idle test we leave the PC to do nothing for about 30 minutes then take several temperature readings over a short period of time and calculate an average (all figures are rounded up to the nearest whole number).
For testing under load states we use a CPU loading program to load both cores to 100% to create maximum heat output and then take several temperature readings over a short period of time and calculate an average.
In the interest of a comparison the NT-H1 compound will be compared to the stock heat paste.
Note: The stock AMD cooler is used for all testing.
| Stock Paste Idle | Stock Paste Load | NT-H1 Idle | NT-H1 Load |
| 44°C | 56°C | 40°C | 49°C |
As it is possible to see above the NT-H1 paste is by far and away the better conductor of heat. When at idle states it is 4 degrees cooler than the stock paste and at load states it is still 6 degrees centigrade cooler.
Cost
This product can be found retailing from as little as £4.89 at many retailers, which considering its performance compared to the stock paste is a pretty acceptable price.
Conclusion
In conclusion the Noctua NT-H1 thermal compound is not only a vast improvement on what is the standard paste for most users -i.e. stock paste- but it is relatively inexpensive and you get a lot of it for your money.
In short this is one of the bests compound I have ever used and I do not hesitate to award it 9 out of 10 and to recommend it to anyone.
Pros
- Great Performance
- Low cost
- Lots of it
Cons
- No spreader
We would like to thank Noctua for providing us with this review sample.
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