Zalman ZM-STG1

Now let’s take a closer look at thermal compound from the Korean Zalman Company. We have already checked out Zalman ZM-STG1 thermal compound in one of our previous cooling solution reviews. This thermal interface is included with some Zalman coolers, such as Zalman CNPS9700 NT/LED and is also available separately.

A small 2.5 ml bottle contains about 6.5g of thermal interface. There is a small brush built into its cap that helps apply this compound easily onto any surface:

The manufacturer doesn’t disclose mush on Zalman ZM-STG1 specifications. It has relatively low heat conductivity of 1.2 W/(m·K) and remains fully functional at up to +125°C.

This thermal compound is very liquid, I would even say watery. Having gathered the thickest part of it onto the applicator-brush and smeared it over the CPU heat-spreader, I got the following imprint on the cooler base:

The manufacturer doesn’t say how long Zalman ZM-STG1 will last. The compound is priced at $12, which is pretty expensive. However, we know that Zalman solutions have always been pricy: brand costs money.

ZEROtherm ZT-100

ZEROtherm ZT-100 thermal compound from APACK ZEROtherm Company, whose coolers we have already reviewed before, is available as part of the top cooling solutions bundle as well as an individual product. The syringe with the compound lies on a small cardboard base covered with clear plastic top:

This thermal interface is made in the USA. The syringe contains 3.5g of compound. ZEROtherm ZT-100 has 3.1 W/(m·K) heat conductivity and 0.014 °C-cm²/W thermal resistance. Its operational temperatures range from -40°C to +150°C. It doesn’t leak or dry out and remains fully functional over the entire lifetime.

ZEROtherm ZT-100 comes bundled with a rubber fingerstall:

You can use it to evenly distribute thermal compound over the desired surface, like the instructions show:

Thermal interface is of dark gray color and pretty thick consistency, but is very easy to apply:

The manufacturer claims that ZEROtherm ZT-100 is 1°C more efficient than Arctic Silver 5. We couldn’t find out the recommended pricing, but it is currently selling for about $7.