Reddit reviews ARCTIC MX-4 - Thermal Compound Paste For Coolers | Heat Sink Paste | Composed of Carbon Micro-particles | Easy to Apply | High Durability - 4 Grams

Replace. Thermal. Paste. No seriously though, best thing I ever did to my PS4 (bass model too actually) and it’s quiet and barely gets warm no matter what I play. See if a shop does it near you or YouTube it if you’re confident enough to do it yourself. Cleaning the dust out of it has never worked for me. I’m telling you, replace the thermal paste.

If you decide to do it yourself.

/u/JetJaguar124 /u/Integralds

So first thing's first, Windows: ~$130 for Home Edition.

Okay, so things to keep in mind:

1. If you go Intel, overclocking isn't too great on 9th gen intel, especially if you don't have a beefy aftermarket cpu cooler. So if you don't plan on doing that at some point then you don't need a K series CPU and an overclocking motherboard. So your motherboard should primarily focus on giving you decent I/O options.
   
   
2. You also probably want to aim for 1080p or 1440p tops, given your price range.
   
   
3. Related to #1: If you don't plan on overclocking then a basic-ish mobo will do fine, and you mainly want to focus on I/O and other features. If you are getting Intel doubly so, as, as I mentioned before, intel 9th gen doesn't overclock well due to relatively low headroom to begin with. For intel overclocking boards are "Z" while non-overclocking boards are "B". For AMD they are "X" and "B" respectively.
   
   The GPU you should be seeking to use is the 1660 Ti, which is basically a slightly gimped RTX 2060 but without the raytracing stuff. If you are willing to spend a bit more then you could get an RX 5700 instead, which is nearly ~30% faster on average.
   
   That'll put you at $270 - $360 depending on the model you pick. Yes, it's a third of your budget, but the GPU is the single most important part of your build.
   
   Secondly you'll want a decent CPU to go with that.
   
   The Ryzen 5 3600 looks like a pretty good CPU, its a bit under $200, its fairly beefy and extendable so it's somewhat "future-proof" - in that it shouldn't cause much bottlenecking and you could upgrade your GPU past a 2080 Ti before needing to change the processor.
   
   This MSI Tomohawk Mobo looks good for the 3600.
   
   So we're at ~$320 for that, or about $640 total. Plus windows that is ~$730.
   
   The RAM Inty recommended before should be fine. You only really need 16 GB. This will set you back ~$80. If you find yourself wanting more RAM later down the line you can always add another pair of sticks later and double up your RAM.
   
   That puts us at around ~$800.
   
   $80 for a 750W Fully Modular Corsair PSU is basically a steal. It's refurbished though, although that shouldn't be a problem - especially with a PSU.
   
   We're at ~$880.
   
   Some good thermal paste for your CPU.
   
   We're now at ~$890.
   
   Storage depends on what you want to do. Do you install a lot of stuff and files at once? In which case you might want to get a nice sized SSD plus a big HDD.
   
   For your system drive. Plenty of space, good price, AND its an nvme SSD.
   
   That makes for ~$990.
   
   If you need lots of extra space
   
   If you need extreme extra space
   
   Keyboard and case are up to you, decide as you please. For the case just make sure that it can support an ATX mobo, as the mobo listed here is full ATX. Mechanical keyboards are crack, but they tend to be more expensive so they're probably out of range. This will be another $100 to $150 depending on what you pick.
   
   Something to keep in mind though: Your case and your monitors are basically "future proof". In other words, they won't really get "worse" with time or cause future performance issues. So monitors and case are things where you want to consider what you'll eventually want and buy ahead, even if you have to stretch a bit.
   
   This just leaves your monitor. I would NOT recommend a 1080p monitor above 24 in. Honestly, if you can go for a 1440p monitor then do it. I'm a bit of a resolution whore tho, so if 1080p works for you then that's fine. I would also avoid TN panels - they tend to look more washed out, tinny, and have worse viewing angles . . . although they also tend to be a fair bit cheaper than the good panels (namely IPS panels).
   
   I used to own one of these . . . it was vvy vvy gud. This is a relatively artsy monitor, so if color gamut correctness or whatever is important for you for photo or video editing or whatever, then this is a good pick. It's a bit expensive, yeah, but also super gorgeous. It also goes up to 75 Hz. Conversely, get a freesync monitor, and this one is probably good - haven't done much research on it, but Dells are generally pretty good in my experience (my current 4K monitor is a Dell too). Freesync will allow you to basically eliminate screen tearing and will provide a smoother feeling experience because it will even out frame rates better.
   
   One last thing to keep in mind: Shopping around on ebay and other sites can save you a fair bit. My rule of thumb is to never, ever buy sensitive parts like hard-drives, cpus, or motherboards second hand or refurbished. But everything else is fair game. So refurbished GPUs, Monitors, PSUs, Cases, etc. should be fine. Pre-owned? Ehhh . . . that I'm much, much more sketchy on - personally I wouldn't, but that's just me.
   
   So in total it'd be somewhere in the range of $1500 including monitor, OS, case, and keyboard. The system itself is around $1000. But you can perhaps knock off a hundred bucks or two by shopping around and looking for where you can buy these parts cheaper than Amazon.
   
   But again: investing in a good monitor and case can be worth it. It means you won't have to replace it if/when you do upgrade. And worst case scenario you can offload your monitor as a side/secondary monitor when you upgrade your monitor to a new one.

I think a lot of people recommend Arctic MX-4 but personally I used Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut and it's been working great.

Screwdriver

thermal paste

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeeINh2v1cw (old ps4)

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for reference:

ps4 slim teardown

old ps4 teardown

It's just a bunch of screws and 2-3 connectors. Fairly easy compared to say, an xbox 360.

I disable the speedstep tech in bios and got a much better temp, but the clockspeed got locked at 2.89GHz for the cpu. I bought ARCTIC MX-4 and Noctua NT-H1, just really hoping this is worth it since i don't want to break any of those pins or rip those cables.

Nope, this one Innovation Cooling Graphite... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CK9SHZG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Although those you got are recommended, but I got these SIXQJZML 30Pcs 20x20x1mm Soft... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074K4CKG1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

And used a pea size of this ( in the middle) to hold the Graphite in place. ARCTIC MX-4 - Thermal Compound... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0795DP124?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The Graphite though you must cut to size as well as the conductivity pads to replace the old ones if needed. A Sharp blade/scissors helps. Good luck! Works wonders.

If you need some new past i recommend this https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-Compound-Performance-Interface/dp/B0795DP124/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549591456&sr=8-3&keywords=thermal+past its cheep-ish but really good

Eh most thermal pastes are about the same within ya few degrees. Here's one on Amazon I personally used before
ARCTIC MX-4 - Thermal Compound Paste For Coolers | Heat Sink Paste | Composed of Carbon Micro-particles | Easy to Apply | High Durability - 4 Grams https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0795DP124/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_avzBDbKAXCHHC

I expect you could add new thermal paste and bring your speed up to like-new on the i5-7400

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0795DP124/

If you are still feeling like your computer is slow, buy a new SSD (they have gotten faster in recent years)

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
Storage | *Crucial MX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $107.50 @ Walmart
| Total | $107.50

...and then reinstall Windows 10 from a 8+ GB USB

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/15088/windows-10-create-installation-media

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-Compound-Performance-Interface/dp/B0795DP124/ref=sr_1_2?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1525467874&sr=8-2&keywords=mx4+thermal+paste&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011

My mom accused me of using heroine once... turns out she just found my thermal paste...

I personally use Arctic MX-4 on my CPU and GPU's. Here's an Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-Compound-Micro-particles-Durability/dp/B0795DP124

I learned to OC in the late 90' ( OK, not coiled foul). In early 2000's I started using thermal diodes on CPU, RAM and GPU. This will help you see the temps and either increase heatsink and fans or reduce your OC. A good thermal paste like Thermal Grizzly, Noctua NT-H2 or Artic MX-4. Which one you should use depends on surface. Some will damage aluminium, some have enough metal particals that can short your circuits if slopped over.

http://thermal-grizzly.com/en/

https://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Grizzly-Kryonaut-Grease-Paste/dp/B011F7W3LU/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=thermal+paste&qid=1573504592&sr=8-6

https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NT-H2-3-5g-Pro-Grade-Compound/dp/B07MXFTNZY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=thermal+paste+noctua&qid=1573504735&sprefix=thermal+paste+noc&sr=8-2

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-Compound-Micro-particles-Durability/dp/B0795DP124/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=thermal+paste+noctua&qid=1573504735&sprefix=thermal+paste+noc&sr=8-3

I Hope this helps you.

try dusting first this is the cheapest/easiest solution. If the problem persists then replace the paste (tons of guides online but I would recommend getting a parts tray or something before doing this as there are going to be quite a few screws).

High performance: https://www.amazon.com/Thermal-Grizzly-Kryonaut-Grease-Paste/dp/B011F7W3LU

Best value: https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-Compound-Performance-Interface/dp/B0795DP124/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=mx-4&qid=1555675360&s=electronics&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1

Both options are non-conductive so you don't have to worry about it causing a short. If you stumble upon something known as liquid metal (popular for enthusiasts) I would not recommend it considering that stuff is mostly gallium and can cause a short.

Hey man. Kind of finalising my product list. Can you take a look and let me know if I am buying right or can use better options:

1.SSD:

Idk which one to buy from these 2:
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-850-EVO-Internal-MZ-N5E500BW/dp/B00TGIVZTW/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1542725999&sr=1-4&keywords=samsung%2Bssd%2Bsata%2B3%2Bm.2&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07864V6CK/ref=twister_B0797N5GWN?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

2.RAM:https://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Single-PC3-12800-Unbuffered-204-Pin/dp/B006YG8X9Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542726116&sr=8-3&keywords=crucial+8gb+ddr3l-1600+sodimm

3.Thermal paste:
https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-MX-4-Compound-Performance-Interface/dp/B0795DP124/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1542725832&sr=1-3&keywords=arctic+silver+4

4.Cooling pad:
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-NotePal-X3-Cooling/dp/B00EQV0VSU/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1542724480&sr=1-4&keywords=cooler%2Bmaster%2Bcooling%2Bpad&th=1

Anything I can change. would prefer if there was anything I can get cheaper.