We have another Noctua review for you today, this time we are testing their thermal paste. We see how it measures up to the strengths of the AS5.

Introduction

Today it's time to test out Noctua's thermal compound paste – Noctua NT-H1. Noctua have not failed in their endeavours in previous years to provide the market with some outstanding cooling solutions. But this time we look at their smallest counterpart.

Whilst thermal compound paste isn't the most interesting of all reviews, it is essential because without a quality compound underneath the heatsink of your cooler you can say goodbye to low temperatures. We will be putting the Noctua NT-H1 up against the most popular thermal compound paste on the market – the Arctic AS5.

Specifications

(The following information was taken from Noctua website).

Noctua's NT-H1 is a pro-grade TIM solution for enthusiasts who demand both exceptional performance and maximum ease of use: A hybrid compound of different micro-particles allows for minimum thermal resistance, excellent ease of use and outstanding long-term stability.

Detailed Spec

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

Packaging

In the typical way, the NT-H1 comes in a packet full with technical information on the reverse and professional looking graphics. Apart from this all that can be said is that you receive a syringe of NT-H1 measuring 1.4ml of paste.

Testing

Test Setup:

Intel E2160 1.8GHz
Stock Intel HSF (Heatsink and fan).
Coolermaster Centurion 532

To test the NT-H1 thermal compound paste we will be using Artic AS5 to compare against. The test will consist of placing a small pea sized amount of paste onto the CPU, placing the HSF ontop of the CPU (spreading the paste) and allowing the paste to set after 48 hours of usage.

Idle/Load temperatures will be obtained by Everest and load temperatures will be achieved by using Orthos 2004 Beta. After the Arctic AS5 is tested, the Noctua NT-H1 will be tested, the AS5 paste will be cleaned off using ArctiClean Kit.

The results above clearly indicate that although the CPU remained cooler at idle using the AS5 paste, the Noctua NT-H1 paste gives better heat transfer from idle to load. The increase in temperature on the Noctua NT-H1 isn't as dramatic as the AS5 paste, and this is where the paste is superior

Conclusion

Noctua have again impressed us with another superbly designed product. Although the victory over the AS5 is very slight this should not be overlooked by any means. The AS5 paste has been on the market for some years now and comes with an extremely high reputation for giving great results and for Noctua to come along and produce something which contends with such a reputable product and edges over it is an incredible achievement. The Noctua NT-H1 is an asset to the Noctua family - we at Vortez Hardware highly recommend it.

Pros

•  Affordable

•  Easy to use

•  Great results

Cons

•  None

We would like to thank Noctua for providing us with the NT-N1!