Arctic aims for improved longevity with new high-viscosity MX-7 thermal paste

Arctic has officially retired the MX-6 from its flagship position, replacing it with the new MX-7 compound. While the company has long been a staple in thermal pastes, this latest iteration marks a distinct shift in formulation strategy, moving towards a significantly higher viscosity to combat the “pump-out” effect common in modern, high-heat-density processors.

Arctic has engineered MX-7 to be considerably thicker than its predecessors, a design choice explicitly aimed at long-term stability. The phenomenon of pump-out, where thermal cycles cause lower-viscosity pastes to migrate away from the die centre, has become a frequent headache for direct-die cooling applications on GPUs and gaming laptops. By increasing the cohesiveness of the mixture, Arctic claims the MX-7 will maintain its bond line integrity far longer than standard pastes.

However, this change in consistency requires some builders to change how they apply it. The manufacturer explicitly advises against the old “spread with a spatula” technique that was popular with the softer MX-4. Due to the high viscosity, manual spreading is likely to result in uneven ridges. Instead, Arctic recommends applying a generous amount in a cross pattern and allowing the mounting pressure to distribute the material. This ensures a uniform layer that fills microscopic imperfections without introducing air pockets.

The compound is fully non-conductive and non-capacitive, meaning that any accidental overspill onto the system carries no risk of short circuits. Arctic has also integrated a QR-code-based authenticity check on the packaging to ensure you're getting the real thing. The MX-7 is now available at a launch discount, with the 2g syringe starting at €6.49. The 4g variant comes in at €6.99, and the 8g tube at €8.49. For those needing to clean up old residue, a bundle version including a 4g syringe and six MX-Cleaner wipes is available for €8.29.

KitGuru says: Have you ever used Arctic MX thermal pastes? Were you happy with the results? Would you consider the new MX-7 if you had to replace the thermal paste of a GPU/CPU?

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