For system builders, thermal paste is a staple part of the components and is used to improve performance and reliability. Liquid metal is an alternative to silicon-based TIMs and comes in a wide variety of price points. However, it is electrically conductive and should never be allowed to touch anything else such as a wire or the motherboard. This makes it only suitable for advanced users who understand the risks involved and are able to apply it correctly without any leaks or mistakes.
The best liquid metal thermal pastes contain gallium, which is very good at conducting heat. Compared to the 7.5-12.5 W/mK of the best silicone-based thermal interface materials, this is more than twice as good and can make a huge difference in the overall CPU performance. For overclockers, this can be a big boost to their gaming performance and allow them to squeeze the maximum performance out of their processor.
In addition to this, the best liquid metal TIMs are known for their low thermal resistance and excellent cooling performance. This means they can keep the temperature of the CPU as low as possible, especially when the chips are under load. This is very important for overclocking, as higher CPU temperatures can lead to unstable and unreliable operation.
Another advantage of liquid metal is that it can be used with heat sinks made from aluminum, unlike other TIMs which typically use zinc oxide, silver or graphite. However, you should always be careful when applying it, since the gallium in liquid metal is very reactive to aluminum. This can cause the aluminum to become brittle and lose its cooling effect.