A heat sink thermal pad is a small pad used with a CPU and heat sink to improve thermal conductivity. It is less messy than thermal paste but less effective, and can cause the CPU to overheat. Thermal paste is preferable for high-end machines.
A heat sink thermal pad is a small, usually square pad that is typically used with a central processing unit (CPU) and heat sink to create a better thermal conductivity system. This is often used in place of thermal paste as it is less messy than paste and is sometimes included with a newly purchased heat sink rather than thermal paste. However, a heat sink thermal pad is typically less effective than thermal paste, so any computer user looking to overclock their CPU should consider using paste instead of a pad.
Inside a tower computer, or case, the CPU is connected directly to the motherboard. As the computer runs, the CPU can heat up very quickly, and without proper cooling, the computer may shut down or fail to boot properly, and the CPU can actually melt inside the computer. This cooling is typically achieved by using a heat sink, a device attached to the CPU that transfers heat away from the CPU and disperses the heat throughout the computer, where it exits the tower by fans on the case.
In order for heat transfer to occur properly between the CPU and the heat sink, they need to make contact as tightly as possible. Microscopic defects in the surface of the CPU and heat sink, however, reduce this contact and decrease the effectiveness of a heat sink. A heat sink thermal pad or thermal paste is used to fill any of the gaps from these defects and create more effective heat transfer. The heat sink thermal pad is placed between the CPU and the heat sink and creates a more flawless connectivity.
One of the main reasons a heat sink thermal pad is typically less effective than thermal paste is that the pads are often made from graphite or a similar substance that doesn’t provide the heat transfer that other materials do. Thermal paste is a very sticky, gel-like compound usually made from silicone and zinc oxide. Other materials such as ground metals or even silver can also be used to increase the heat transfer of the thermal paste. These materials are not typically used in the making of a heat sink thermal pad, and the cheaper pads are often made with less effective materials.
Newer or more expensive types of heat sink thermal pads can be made using phase change materials that will actually melt the first time the computer is used and the CPU starts to heat up. This creates a connection similar to that achieved using thermal paste and can improve the heat transfer between the CPU and the heatsink quite effectively. For computer users running a high-end machine or an overclocked CPU, thermal paste is still generally preferable to a heat sink thermal pad. However, only one or the other should be used, as both can reduce the effectiveness of the system. A pad should only be used once.
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