Thermal Pads: The Complete Guide for Watercooling and PC Builds
Thermal paste gets all the attention. It is the default recommendation in virtually every build guide, and for good reason: it is cheap, forgiving, and well understood. But the thermal pad landscape in 2026 looks nothing like it did even two years ago. Graphene pads are now beating paste on CPUs in controlled testing, phase change materials are solving the long term pump out problem that has plagued paste for decades, and the humble silicone gap filler remains the backbone of every full cover GPU block installation. Whether you are fitting a waterblock to a new GPU, upgrading your M.2 heatsink, or genuinely curious about whether a pad belongs on your CPU, this guide covers everything you need to know.
What Are Thermal Pads and How Do They Work
A thermal pad is a pre cut solid or semi solid sheet of thermal interface material. It replaces thermal paste in situations where the gap between the heat source and the heatsink is too large for paste to bridge, where the surface features multiple components at different heights, or where a clean, electrically insulating interface is required. Pads work by deforming under mounting pressure to fill both micro roughness and larger gaps simultaneously.
Unlike paste, which works best at sub-100 micron bond lines, pads have a defined minimum thickness equal to their compressed height. A typical soft silicone pad at 0.5 mm will compress to roughly 0.3 mm under normal mounting force. That makes them ideal for bridging gaps that paste simply cannot fill. Simple as it sounds, this distinction is the entire reason pads exist.
Types of Thermal Pad
There are several distinct categories of thermal pad available today, and each brings its own strengths and caveats. The differences matter more than many builders assume.
Silicone Gap Fillers
These are the traditional thermal pads most builders are familiar with. Claimed thermal conductivity ranges from 1.5 to 17 W/mK on paper, but independent testing from Igor’s Lab and Arctic has shown that real world performance tops out at around 6 to 8 W/mK regardless of what the datasheet claims. Arctic deliberately stopped publishing W/mK figures for their TP-2 and TP-3 pads because they consider the industry figures unreliable and misleading (whatever that means for consumer confidence when every competitor still prints inflated numbers on the box).
These pads are electrically non conductive and single use once compressed. Main use cases include VRAM, VRM, M.2 SSDs, and chipsets.
Carbon and Graphite Pads
- SKU: ZUWA-180
- MPN: TG-CA-38-38-02-R
- EAN: 0753677507494
- SKU: ZUWA-179
- MPN: TG-CA-32-32-02-R
- EAN: 0753677507487
- SKU: ZUWA-183
- MPN: TG-CA-31-25-02-R
- EAN: 0753677507524
- SKU: ZUWA-182
- MPN: TG-CA-25-25-02-R
- EAN: 0753677507517
Carbon pads like Thermal Grizzly Carbonaut offer claimed conductivity of 62.5 W/mK in plane, though the through plane figure that actually matters for heat transfer is considerably lower. Carbonaut is 0.2 mm thick and marketed as reusable for up to 15 years. Independent testing from GamersNexus found Carbonaut roughly matches mid range paste rather than beating it. Competent, if not chart topping.
The key caveat here is that Carbonaut is electrically conductive, so it must not overhang the CPU or GPU die edges near surface mount components. That is not a minor footnote.
Graphene Pads
- SKU: ZUWA-281
- MPN: TG-KS-38-38
- EAN: 4260711990847
- Available for Collection
- SKU: ZUWA-280
- MPN: TG-KS-33-33
- EAN: 4260711990830
- Available for Collection
- SKU: ZUWA-282
- MPN: TG-KS-50-50
- EAN: 4260711990854
- Available for Collection
- SKU: ZUWA-278
- MPN: TG-KS-25-25
- EAN: 4260711990816
- Available for Collection
Thermal Grizzly KryoSheet is the headline product in this category. Made in Sweden using a process that disrupts graphite’s crystal structure to boost thermal performance in the Z direction, KryoSheet finished first in Tom’s Hardware’s 2025 test of 37 pastes and pads on a Ryzen 9 9950X at 230W. It beat every traditional paste tested, including Thermal Grizzly’s own Duronaut, by around 2.8 degrees C versus MX-6. Very impressive.
Thermal Grizzly does not publish a W/mK number for KryoSheet, noting that a single figure is misleading for an anisotropic material. KryoSheet is 0.2 mm thick and available in sizes from 24×12 mm up to 75×72 mm. It is electrically conductive and officially single use, as micro cracks form during cooler removal. The larger 44×37 mm size for RTX 5090 ships with Kapton insulation tape to protect nearby surface mount components.
Phase Change Pads
Phase change materials represent the biggest shift in the thermal pad space right now. Thermal Grizzly PhaseSheet PTM and Honeywell PTM7950 are the key products. These are solid at room temperature but transition to a low viscosity state above 45 degrees C, flowing into micro roughness for excellent contact.
PhaseSheet PTM has a claimed thermal conductivity of 8.5 W/mK, matching the Honeywell PTM7950 datasheet. Bear in mind that the material needs around 10 thermal cycles above 60 degrees C to reach peak performance, so initial temperatures may run 5 degrees C hotter than paste until it settles in.
The killer feature is pump out resistance. The material shrinks slightly on cooling, so the cyclic flexing of CPU or GPU heat spreaders that pushes paste out over time has almost no effect. PhaseSheet PTM is electrically non conductive, making it safe for direct die applications in laptops, Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and similar devices. Honeywell PTM7950 is the original, but it reaches retail only through intermediaries with high counterfeit risk on Amazon and AliExpress. PhaseSheet PTM fills that gap as a properly distributed, retail traceable alternative.
Thermal Putty
- SKU: ZUWA-321
- MPN: TG-P-B-030
- EAN: 4260711991196
- SKU: ZUWA-323
- MPN: TG-P-P-030
- EAN: 4260711991189
- SKU: ZUWA-322
- MPN: TG-P-A-030
- EAN: 4260711991202
- Available for Collection
- SKU: ZUWA-357
- MPN: TG-P-B-100-R
- EAN: 4260711991714
Thermal Grizzly Putty comes in three grades: Basic, Advance, and Pro. It bridges gaps from 0.2 mm to 3.0 mm from a single tub, replacing all the different thickness pads on a GPU waterblock install. The putty is non conductive and handles variable component heights well, though it is messier than pads and not for use on GPU or CPU dies. PC Gamer found the Pro grade performed strongly in testing but noted the material sticks to everything except itself, so gloves and a spatula are recommended. Consider yourself warned.
Where Thermal Pads Are Used
GPU VRAM
GDDR6 and GDDR6X memory packages sit at a different height to the GPU die, so full cover waterblocks rely on pads to make contact. Igor’s Lab has demonstrated 10 to 20 degree C swings in VRAM hotspot temperature just by swapping pad brands on RTX 30 series cards. The stock pads on NVIDIA Founders Edition RTX 3080, 3080 Ti, and 3090 cards are documented as failing prematurely due to silicone oil bleed, making aftermarket pad replacement one of the most common upgrades for these cards.
VRM MOSFETs and Inductors
Voltage regulator components have variable heights and are often closely spaced. Soft pads like Arctic TP-3, Alphacool Apex Soft, and Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad High Compression compress unevenly to compensate for these height differences. Paste is unsuitable here because the contact area is large and the gap is measured in millimetres rather than microns.
M.2 SSDs
OEM motherboard heatsinks typically use 0.5 to 1.5 mm pads on M.2 drives. Replacing these with Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad 8, Arctic TP-3, or Phobya XT is one of the most common and affordable thermal upgrades a builder can make. The performance difference on a hot running NVMe controller can be significant, and the cost of a single pad sheet is trivial.
GPU Waterblock Fitment
This is the core use case for watercooling builders. Paste goes on the GPU die only. Pads go everywhere else under the block, covering VRAM, VRM, and any other contact points. EK, Alphacool, Corsair, Bykski, and Optimus all specify pad thicknesses in their block documentation. The standard practice is to follow the block manufacturer’s spec exactly, using the correct thickness for each component group. Deviating from these specifications is asking for trouble.
Pads on CPUs: The KryoSheet and PhaseSheet Question
This is the section where the landscape has shifted most dramatically. Until recently, pads on a CPU were seen as a compromise. That is no longer the case.
Tom’s Hardware’s 2025 testing on a Ryzen 9 9950X at 230W with an Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro AIO tested 37 different thermal interface materials. KryoSheet finished first overall, beating every traditional paste including Thermal Grizzly Duronaut, the best paste in the test. The delta between KryoSheet and MX-6 was roughly 2.8 degrees C. The total spread from best to worst across all 37 products was around 11 degrees C.
For a typical user who does not delid, does not run direct die, and wants to forget about repasting for the lifetime of the build, PhaseSheet PTM or Honeywell PTM7950 is the strongest recommendation. It is non conductive, so it is safe near edge surface mount components. KryoSheet is the absolute thermal winner, but its electrical conductivity and single use nature make it best suited to careful builders doing a one shot install.
Traditional paste (Kryonaut, Duronaut, MX-6, or NT-H2) remains the cheapest and most forgiving option. On the Tom’s Hardware data, it sits only 2 to 3 degrees C behind KryoSheet. There is no scenario where paste is definitively better than a quality pad on a CPU in 2026, but paste is the saner choice for users who delid, use liquid metal, or repaste every six months anyway.
Watercooling versus aircooling makes no meaningful difference when choosing between pads and paste on a CPU. Phase change pads in particular benefit pump out prone systems, and heavy air coolers like the Noctua NH-D15 produce as much IHS flex over thermal cycles as a 360mm AIO. The cooling solution is not the deciding factor here. The deciding factor is your tolerance for electrical conductivity risk and whether you plan to remount the cooler.
Brand Guide: What to Buy
Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad Range
Thermal Grizzly has the broadest pad lineup of any brand, and it keeps getting broader. The legacy Minus Pad 8 at 8 W/mK is still available and still a solid choice. In April 2025, three new tiers launched: Minus Pad Basic offers the best price to performance ratio, Minus Pad Advance sits in the middle with higher compressibility, and Minus Pad Pro matches the performance of the original Minus Pad Extreme.
- SKU: ZUWA-144
- MPN: TG-MP8-120-20-20-1R
- EAN: 0753677507371
- SKU: ZUWA-142
- MPN: TG-MP8-120-20-10-2R
- EAN: 0753677507418
- SKU: ZUWA-132
- MPN: TG-MP8-100-100-10-1R
- EAN: 0753677507326
- SKU: ZUWA-143
- MPN: TG-MP8-120-20-15-1R
- EAN: 0753677507340
In October 2025, Minus Pad Extreme 2 arrived as the new flagship with an aluminium oxide and aluminium powder composition that is softer than the original Extreme. Alongside it came Minus Pad High Compression, designed so one thickness covers VRAM, VRM, and chipset heights in a single GPU waterblock install because its thermal conductivity actually increases under pressure. That is a genuinely useful engineering trick for watercooling builders who want to simplify pad selection.
Alphacool Apex Soft
Alphacool’s Apex Soft range is the strongest dedicated GPU waterblock pad family. Available in 11, 14, 16, and 18 W/mK grades and 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mm thicknesses, there is coverage for virtually every fitment scenario. Igor’s Lab confirmed that Apex Soft is effectively the same Japanese made material as the older Eisschicht line, just rebranded.
- SKU: 1021778
- MPN: 13020
- EAN: 4250197130202
- SKU: 1023425
- MPN: 13491
- EAN: 4250197134910
- SKU: 1021777
- MPN: 13019
- EAN: 4250197130196
- SKU: 1023421
- MPN: 13487
- EAN: 4250197134873
The pads are ultra soft and naturally tacky for easier handling, specifically engineered to compress evenly so tall components do not get pushed into the PCB during mounting. Alphacool explicitly markets Apex Soft as resistant to silicone oil bleed, directly addressing the documented failure problem on RTX 30 series Founders Edition cards. Igor’s Lab uses the 11 W/mK Apex Soft as his reference pad in his thermal pad database, which gives it considerable independent credibility.
Arctic TP-3
Arctic TP-3 is a strong mid range choice. Arctic publishes no W/mK figure, taking the position that pad thermal compound conductivity figures are routinely inflated across the industry. Independent testing places TP-3 as softer and more conformable than its predecessor TP-2, with similar or better real world VRAM cooling performance to Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad 8.
A key feature is that TP-3 is officially stackable up to 2.0 mm without performance loss, which is useful for bridging unusual gap sizes. Available in 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mm thicknesses and 100×100, 120×20, and 200×100 mm sizes. At the price Arctic typically asks, it punches above its weight.
Phobya XT
Phobya XT at 7 W/mK is the budget watercooling fitment pad. One of the more honest thermal conductivity claims in the market according to HWCooling’s analysis. White silicone, non conductive, available in 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mm thicknesses. It is flexible, soft, and easy to cut, but it is no longer the performance leader against Apex Soft and the newer Thermal Grizzly range.
- SKU: 19100
- MPN: 19100
- EAN: 4049469131333
- SKU: 19101
- MPN: 19101
- EAN: 4049469131340
- SKU: 19099
- MPN: 19099
- EAN: 4049469131326
- SKU: 17063
- MPN: n/a
- EAN: 4049469070199
A good choice when budget matters more than extracting every last degree. And for M.2 SSD upgrades or low power VRM applications, the performance gap to premium pads is negligible in practice.
How to Choose the Right Pad
Measure the Gap
The gap you need to bridge is the single most important factor. For GPU waterblocks, follow the block manufacturer’s documentation. EK Quantum Vector and Alphacool Core series both publish per block pad thicknesses in their install guides. For aftermarket re pad jobs where documentation is not available, measure with a feeler gauge.
Arctic’s rule of thumb is to select the pad thickness just above the measured gap. For a 1.2 mm gap, use 1.5 mm. For gaps below 0.2 mm, use thermal paste instead. Gaps above 3 mm indicate a design problem. If you are seeing gaps that large, something else has gone wrong.
Match Performance to Heat Flux
A VRM typically dissipates 5 to 10 watts and a single VRAM chip 1 to 3 watts. Anything in the 6 to 8 W/mK range is more than sufficient for these components. Spending on a 14+ W/mK pad for VRAM rarely yields a measurable improvement. Igor’s Lab has demonstrated this repeatedly. Save the high performance materials for the CPU or GPU die where heat flux is much higher.
Conductive Versus Non Conductive
If the pad will sit only on a CPU IHS or a bare GPU die with no risk of overhanging the substrate edge, electrical conductivity is acceptable. For VRAM, VRM, M.2, or anywhere surface mount components are nearby, non conductive pads only. This is not negotiable.
Compressibility
Soft pads like Alphacool Apex Soft, Arctic TP-3, and Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad High Compression can bridge variable component heights in a single thickness. Harder pads like Minus Pad 8 and the original Minus Pad Extreme need careful per chip cutting to get the right fit. Matching the pad’s compressibility to the job saves time and avoids the risk of holding the block off the die.
Installation Tips
Surface Preparation
Even though pads do not wet the surface like paste, the IPA wipe step is still essential. Residual silicone oil from old pads or thermal paste film will prevent the new pad from making clean contact. Thermal Grizzly ships cleaning wipes specifically for this purpose. Do not skip this step.
Remove Both Protective Films
Apex Soft, TP-3, Minus Pad, and Phobya all ship with plastic film on both sides. Both must be removed before install. This is the single most common silent installation error. If your temperatures have not improved after a pad swap, check you removed both films. I guess you would be surprised how many builders miss this.
Mounting Torque
For waterblocks, follow the block instructions exactly. Over torquing soft pads squeezes them out and reduces VRAM contact. Under torquing leaves the GPU die contact too thick. Tighten in a star pattern from the centre outward as specified by both EK and Alphacool.
Check Your Work
Remove the block after your first install and check for full pad imprints on every chip. Partial imprints mean insufficient thickness, and you are getting an air gap. Pads visibly extruding past the chip outline mean excessive thickness. If GPU core temps suddenly jump by 5 to 15 degrees C but VRAM temps look fine, the over thick VRAM pads are holding the block off the GPU die. This diagnostic step takes two minutes and can save hours of troubleshooting.
Cutting Pads
Always cut pads with the protective films still attached to avoid tearing. Use sharp scissors for silicone pads and a fresh utility blade for 0.2 mm carbon, graphene, or phase change sheets. Cut on a clean cutting mat, never directly on the PCB.
What to Buy: Quick Recommendations
For CPU long life, set and forget cooling, Thermal Grizzly PhaseSheet PTM is the top pick. Non conductive, pump out resistant, and in the same performance class as Honeywell PTM7950 without the counterfeit risk. Superb.
For absolute best CPU thermals on a single install build, Thermal Grizzly KryoSheet, but with the mandatory caveat on electrical conductivity and single use nature. This is the performance leader in Tom’s Hardware’s 37-product test, so the data backs the recommendation.
For GPU waterblock VRAM and VRM, Alphacool Apex Soft is the strongest single choice, with Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad High Compression as a strong alternative when you want one thickness across the whole card.
For M.2 SSD upgrades, Arctic TP-3 or Phobya XT. There is no need to spend on premium pads for this use case. The thermal demands simply do not justify the price premium.
For re padding a degraded RTX 30 series card, Alphacool Apex Soft or Thermal Grizzly Putty Advance to fix the documented silicone bleed problem. Both address the root cause, not just the symptom.
The thermal pad market in 2026 offers genuinely stellar options at every price point and for every use case. Whether you are fitting a full cover GPU block or just swapping the pad on an M.2 drive, the right pad matched to the right gap and the right thermal demand will deliver results that rival or beat traditional paste in many scenarios. The days of pads being a compromise are over.
