Burned $150 on a thermal paste that did absolutely nothing
Bought some expensive liquid metal stuff for my CPU. Temps didn't drop a single degree. Anyone else find better results just using the stock paste that comes with the cooler?
You said "stick with stock paste" like it's the obvious choice every time. But what about when you're overclocking or running a hot CPU like the 14900K? Stock paste dries out fast under high heat and you end up with worse temps after a few months. I've seen Arctic MX-6 or Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut drop temps by 5-8 degrees on heavy loads compared to the stock goop. Have you actually tested stock vs aftermarket on a high wattage chip or are you just guessing based on a basic build?