- Review -

05.11.2009 HiTechLegion.com

The performance of the Noctua thermal compound was quite outstanding, compared with the other compounds tested. The temperatures were a degree cooler under idle and load than the next closest compound, Arctic Silver 5, when tested at the stock speeds. Under overclocking, the results were even more profound, with a full two degrees cooler under idle testing and a three degree difference under load with the next closest, Arctic Silver 5. These results demonstrate the excellent cooling capabilities of this thermal paste. This performance is also noteworthy in that the paste requires absolutely no burn in time before standard use, unlike other popular compounds such as Arctic Silver 5. [...] The application process is quite simple, with little in the way of messiness or oily behavior. The compound spreads evenly under heatsink installation with little mess. The non electrical conduction is a nice attribute should a slight mess occur, with no fear of any short circuits because of the paste. The real beauty comes after extended use and then taking the system back apart. In many cases the paste cakes onto the heatsink and CPU die, making it a real chore to clean off. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with the NT-H1 compound from Noctua. Clean up is a breeze with no caked on residue that clings to the CPU and heatsink for dear life.

"Noctua NT-H1 thermal compound has to be one of the best pastes I have used in my years of computer repair and building. The thermal performance is quite impressive, given that there is no required burn in time as I am typically accustomed to. The feature for me that sticks out the most, however, is in the actual use of the product." (Tom Burdak, HiTechLegion.com)