12.4 W/m·K thermal paste: restoring the contact between the chip and the heatsink

On a console or PC more than three years old, the original thermal paste has dried out. It turns powdery, no longer carries heat to the heatsink, and the machine starts overheating: fan at full speed, throttling, shutdowns. This grey thermal grease is used to restore that contact on reassembly, after disassembly or cleaning.

What it does

• Stated conductivity of 12.4 W/m·K: figure provided by the manufacturer, well above an entry-level paste.
• Five sizes: 1 g for a single chip, 4 g and 8 g for several machines, 15 g and 30 g for a workshop or a long-lasting supply.
• Fine-tip syringe: controlled application in the centre of the die or the metal lid, without spilling onto neighbouring components.

What it doesn't do

• It is not liquid metal. On a very hot bare chip, the temperature drop achieved is more modest than with a liquid alloy.
• It does not replace thermal pads. Thick pads (memory, power stages, contact plates) are replaced separately: a paste cannot fill a gap of several tenths of a millimetre.
• The 12.4 W/m·K figure is manufacturer data. We have not measured it in a laboratory ourselves.
• It will not fix a clogged fan, a blocked heatsink or a worn solder joint: if the machine overheats for one of those reasons, the paste will make no difference.
• The manufacturer does not publish a detailed technical data sheet on the composition. Apply a thin layer and avoid any overflow onto the circuit board.

Compatibility

Any chip topped with a heatsink: home console APU (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Switch), retro handheld console SoC, desktop or laptop PC processor and graphics card. However, it is not suitable where the manufacturer has specified a thick pad, nor for factory-bonded heatsinks without paste. Disassembling a console still covered by the manufacturer's warranty voids that warranty.

Skill level required

No soldering. You need to disassemble the machine down to the heatsink, remove the old paste with isopropyl alcohol, let it dry, then apply a thin layer and reassemble to the correct torque. Have a suitable screwdriver set ready (security Torx on most home consoles, Phillips on a laptop), a spatula or a flexible card, and cleaning supplies. Count on an intermediate-level job: the application itself is simple, it is the disassembly that requires method.

In the box

• 1 syringe of thermal paste — 1 g, 4 g, 8 g, 15 g or 30 g depending on the chosen variant.

Neither a spatula nor an alcohol wipe is guaranteed by the supplier: plan to provide them yourself.

Product page checked on 19 August 2026.

Delivery in 10 to 18 days · ships within 3 to 5 days · 2-year legal guarantee · 14-day returns.