Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Paste

Introduction

Arctic Cooling is not the oldest company around, but they have come a long way in making a name for themselves in the cooling product line. Many enthusiasts live by the Arctic Cooling brand name and this reputation is well deserved. They have a line of cooling solutions for nearly every niche area and their prices tend to be more than reasonable.

Of course, when it comes to cooling there is more than just the cooler. Besides the normal considerations of airflow and such, the Thermal Interface Material (TIM) plays a huge role in the overall effectiveness of the cooling solution. This holds especially true for those diehard overclockers where even small variations in temperature can make a difference in terms of processor speed.

Enter the above mentioned Arctic Cooling with a new TIM they have dubbed MX-2. While there are not that many players in this market area, the names that are out there have a huge reputation. So relax for a few as we take a look at this newcomer in the TIM market and see if it has what it takes to be a worthy consideration for your next project.
The Goop

When it comes to quality TIM, Arctic Silver has held the crown for some time. Its silver based substrate has earned a worldwide following that many have tried to copy, but few have come close to succeeding. With silver having such exceptional heat dissipation qualities, it is easy to see why this type of TIM would be effective.

To tackle a company like this is a large task to begin with, but to do so with a non-metallic compound is a tall order indeed. This is exactly what the folks at Arctic Cooling have done.

Not only is MX-2 a new "High Performance" TIM, it is also completely metal free. The biggest advantage to this is the lack of conductivity of the TIM itself. With metallic TIM products, there is the risk of causing a short in the electronic component being protected. Granted, this wasn't a huge risk as long as some caution was taken, but it only takes but one loss to make it an expensive issue.

Of course, with most processors coming with full-blown heat shields, this may be a moot issue. That is, until you start to consider the other uses of a good TIM, namely adding more protection to your expensive video card. Since these chipsets don't always have a large heat shield, the non-conductive TIM is beginning to make sense again.

The TIM itself has a very smooth texture, which is a very good quality in this type of product. The texture helps make sure that the material spreads evenly across the core area to be protected. As with any other type of similar product, you need only a very thin layer to allow the heat to properly dissipate from the core to the cooler.

Another feature of the MX-2 material is that it requires no curing time. With metallic TIM you are generally expected to allow a few days of use before the material is properly set up to give you the protection you want. With this formula, this is not required. Not only that, but the manufacturers are making claims of the material being able to last a minimum of eight years without having to clean the old goop off and reapplying. This makes it a great choice if you happen to be thinking of building a nice little HTPC system that won't be getting a lot of tweak time.
Testing

When it comes to testing a thermal interface material, the goal is very similar to cooler reviews where the idea is to determine how cool the processor stays under both idle and load states. With this concept in mind, I will be using a test system that puts out a good deal of heat along with an alternative cooling method to see how the MX-2 material from Arctic Cooling compares with the king of the hill, Arctic Silver 5.

Yes, I understand it is comparing a metallic material with a non-metallic variety, but if you are going to enter the market with a product aimed at enthusiasts, then you really need to be able to compete with the products which most enthusiasts are currently using.

Though before we delve into the numbers let's take a quick look at the test box.

Processor(s): AMD Athlon FX-53 Processor @ 2.4GHz (Supplied by Newegg.com)

Heatsink: Vigor Monsoon II TEC Cooler (Supplied by Vigor Gaming)

Motherboard(s): DFI LANParty UT nF4 Ultra-D Motherboard (Supplied by DFI)

Memory: 2x512MB Mushkin "Redline" PC3200 Memory (Supplied by Mushkin)

Graphics Card: Sapphire X1900XT (Supplied by Sapphire)

Power Supply: Thermaltake ToughPower 1200w PSU (Supplied by Thermaltake)

Testing will consist of monitoring temperatures at both idle and at load. The processor is running at default speeds but still manages to put out 94 watts of heat. The voltage of the CPU is 1.55v and ambient testing temperatures were a consistent 22C. As noted above, the cooling solution used for this test isn't your normal air cooler, it is an active thermoelectric cooling setup. I already know that metallic compounds do not have issues with this type of scenario, so I want to make sure that the MX-2 material not only performs as it is supposed to, but also intend to abuse it as much as possible to make sure that it really is a product which will work for those who live to overclock.

Results

Hmmm...while not a huge difference, the Arctic Cooling compound has certainly taken the AS5 and given it a run for its money; and beat it to boot. While not everyone is going to be running a TEC, it is good to know that this goop will be able to handle the added stress of this type of cooling scenario.

As for the numbers, it is hard to complain about any difference in temperatures. A quick trip to the calculator shows that the MX-2 gives a 4% lower temperature at idle and a 3% lower temperature under load. Add to this the fact that it is also non-conductive and you have the beginning of a wonderful relationship.
Final Thoughts

Once everything is said and done, the MX-2 compound from Arctic Cooling has shown that it is up to the challenge of taking on the big guns known as Arctic Silver. While not a huge difference in temperature, it is an improvement and totally safe to your components as well. After all, even enthusiasts have to live within a budget.

As far as price is concerned, MX-2 has a suggested MSRP of $7.95US, so it's in the same realm as competitive products. If you happen to find yourself in the market for this stuff, make sure to get the MX-2 variety as many retailers are still carrying the older MX-1 product. While not bad, it is not as good as this newer compound.

Bottom line...With so many peripherals becoming hotter during use, a quality TIM is a vital consideration. Arctic Cooling MX-2 is a very solid performer that can outperform the big gun, is totally non-conductive and has a minimum life span of eight years. This is some serious goop here, so those who are satisfied with the little packet that comes with modern coolers need not apply.

- Pros

Excellent temperature control

Non-metallic equals nonconductive

Long life span after application

Priced competitively

- Cons

Not readily available (yet)

Rating - 9 out of 10 and TweakTown's "MUST HAVE" Best Performance Award!

Last updated: Dec 13, 2019 at 07:15 pm CST