What Thermal Paste Should You Use When Cleaning a PlayStation 4?
After 3–6 years the original compound dries out. The right replacement paste drops temperatures by 10–25°C and extends your console's life by years.
Published: March 15, 2025 · Updated: March 15, 2026
Your PS4's cooling system is working constantly. The fan kicks in at around 79°C and doesn't stop until the console cools down. After 3 to 6 years, the original factory thermal compound starts to dry and crack. Temperatures climb. The fan gets louder. Some consoles shut down mid-game. Others just get very slow.
Replacing the thermal paste is one of the most effective things you can do for an aging PS4. The materials cost roughly €8–16. The job takes about 30 minutes once you've done it once. But it does require picking the right product — and applying a small amount correctly.
The best thermal paste for PS4 cleaning is Arctic MX-6 (best value, ≈€12) or Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut (premium pick, ≈€14 for 1g). Both reduce temperatures by 10–25°C versus dried factory compound, per iFixit and repair community data. Apply a pea-sized dot in the center of the APU — never spread it manually. Replace every 2–3 years if you game daily. Never use liquid metal on a PS4 APU — it's electrically conductive and a single smear can permanently destroy the board.
Why Does Your PS4 Need New Thermal Paste After a Few Years?
The PS4's APU fan activation threshold sits at around 79°C, according to homebrew temperature tool measurements reported by the PSX-Place community (2024). Original stock thermal compound begins degrading after 3–6 years of typical use, according to TronicsFix repair data (2023). Once the paste dries, it loses full contact with the heatsink, creating microscopic air gaps that trap heat instead of transferring it.
Dust makes everything worse. Clogged vents account for nearly 30% of console overheating cases and force the fan to work harder to compensate for reduced airflow (9meters, 2024). If you're already opening the console to clean the dust, replacing the thermal paste at the same time costs almost nothing extra in materials — and it's the deeper fix.
Why does it matter long-term? A properly maintained PS4 can realistically last 7–10 years before critical component failure, according to Asurion's longevity data (2024). Letting it run hot for years shortens that window significantly. Capacitors, voltage regulators, and the APU itself all age faster under sustained thermal stress.
Standard silicone-based thermal compounds have a rated lifespan of 3–5 years; metal-oxide formulations like Arctic MX-6 and Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut last 5–7 years under normal use conditions (darkFlash, 2024). For a PS4 used daily, this means a single repaste job at year 3–4 keeps temperatures in the safe range through the console's full useful life.
Professional PS4 cleaning in Helsinki — we replace both thermal paste and thermal pads in a single service visit.
The 5 Best Thermal Pastes for PS4 (Ranked)
Top-tier thermal pastes — Kryonaut, MX-6, and NT-H2 — perform within 0.3°C of each other on standardized CPU benchmarks, according to igor'sLAB's interactive thermal paste database (January 2026). That gap is irrelevant for a PS4. What matters is that any of these options will massively outperform a 4-year-old dried compound. Here's how they compare in practice.
1. Arctic MX-6 — Best Overall Value
- Thermal conductivity: 7.5 W/mK (manufacturer label)
- Operating range: −50°C to +150°C
- Price: ≈€11–12 / 4g tube
- Electrically conductive: No
Arctic claims MX-6 delivers 20% better thermal performance than MX-4, and Tom's Hardware's 2025 benchmark of 90 pastes ranks it second among conventional compounds (Tom's Hardware, 2025). It doesn't need a burn-in period and resists pump-out — meaning it won't migrate away from the die under repeated heat cycling. The 4g tube is enough for three or four PS4 reapplications, making it genuinely good value for a household with multiple consoles.
2. Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut — Premium Pick
- Thermal conductivity: 12.5 W/mK (official datasheet)
- Operating range: −250°C to +350°C
- Price: ≈€13–16 / 1g syringe
- Electrically conductive: No
Kryonaut uses a nano-aluminium and zinc oxide formulation. It's consistently ranked among the top three non-liquid-metal pastes in controlled benchmarks. No burn-in time needed, viscosity is easy to work with, and it doesn't dry out quickly. If you want the best conventional paste without worrying about liquid metal risk, this is it. The 1g syringe fits a single PS4 application with a small amount left over.
3. Noctua NT-H2 — Excellent Runner-Up
- Thermal conductivity: Not published by Noctua (ranks equal to Kryonaut in benchmarks)
- Operating range: −50°C to +110°C
- Price: ≈€14–18 / 3.5g (includes cleaning wipes)
- Electrically conductive: No
Noctua deliberately doesn't publish a W/mK figure — they've explained publicly that the number can be misleading without context. What it does do: benchmarks within 0.3°C of Kryonaut and MX-6, it comes with alcohol cleaning wipes included, and it has a long track record in PC and console servicing. A reliable choice, especially if you want the cleaning supplies bundled.
4. Arctic MX-4 — Budget Reliable
- Thermal conductivity: 8.5 W/mK
- Price: ≈€8–12 / 4g
- Rated lifespan: 8 years
MX-4 has been a community standard for PS4 cleaning for years. It's slightly behind MX-6 in benchmarks (approximately 0.6°C higher temperatures in controlled testing), but that difference is imperceptible in a PS4 context. The 8-year rated lifespan and wide availability make it a solid fallback if MX-6 isn't in stock locally.
5. Gelid GC-Extreme — Solid Alternative
- Thermal conductivity: 8.5 W/mK (Gelid official)
- Price: ≈€9–11 / 3.5g
- Electrically conductive: No
GC-Extreme is well-regarded in the repair community for its consistency and ease of application. Less common in Finnish retail than Arctic products, but available online. Performance is on par with MX-4 and well above any generic compound.
How Do These Pastes Actually Compare in Benchmarks?
According to Tom's Hardware's 2025 test of 90 thermal pastes, top-tier compounds perform within 1.7°C of each other at the high end, with the best three (MX-6, Kryonaut, NT-H2) separated by just 0.3°C (Tom's Hardware, 2025). MX-4 trails by about 0.6°C. The real gap is between any quality compound and dried factory paste — that's where the 10–25°C improvement comes from.
Here's something most guides miss: Arctic MX-6's listed conductivity (7.5 W/mK) is lower than MX-4 (8.5 W/mK), yet it consistently outperforms MX-4 in real benchmarks. The reason is that conductivity alone doesn't determine performance — viscosity, pump-out resistance, and application uniformity under pressure all matter. MX-6's improved formulation spreads more consistently under heatsink pressure, creating better contact area despite the lower rated figure. Don't buy by W/mK numbers alone.
The igor'sLAB interactive thermal paste database — the most comprehensive cross-brand benchmark available — confirms that MX-6, Kryonaut, and NT-H2 are effectively tied under real-world testing conditions (igor'sLAB, January 2026). Pick based on price and what's in stock near you.
What Should You Avoid Putting on Your PS4 APU?
Getting this wrong can damage the console permanently. Some substitutes that circulate online are harmless-sounding but genuinely dangerous to your hardware.
- Toothpaste: Contains abrasive particles and water. Corrodes copper heatsink surfaces on contact and evaporates within days, leaving nothing but a dried residue that's worse than the original compound. Despite being a persistent internet myth, this one genuinely destroys hardware.
- Generic white compounds (no brand, no specs): Unrated thermal resistance, unknown longevity, and often poor consistency. Cheap option that costs you more in the end when you're back inside the console in a year.
- Liquid metal (Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut, Coollaboratory, etc.): Extremely high conductivity — but electrically conductive. One small smear on a capacitor, SMD resistor, or PCB trace permanently destroys the mainboard. GPU repasting uses liquid metal safely because a metal IHS covers the die. PS4 APUs have no such protection. The exposed die makes liquid metal a board-killer if application is even slightly off.
- Way too much paste: Excess compound squeezes out under heatsink pressure and can flow toward SMD components near the APU. A pea-sized dot is all you need — heatsink pressure does the spreading.
In PS4 repair work, liquid metal damage is among the most expensive outcomes we see. Consoles come in after someone applied Conductonaut without fully understanding the risk — the compound spread under the APU substrate and shorted several surface-mount components. In most cases this makes the board unrecoverable. The performance gain from liquid metal over a quality conventional paste on a PS4 is essentially zero; the risk is catastrophic and irreversible. It's not worth it.
How to Apply Thermal Paste to a PS4: Step by Step
The PS4 APU die is small — roughly 14×14mm depending on the model. You need very little paste and a clean surface. iFixit's PS4 thermal paste replacement guide (evergreen, regularly updated) is the standard reference for this procedure — it walks through disassembly model by model with photos.
Here's the application process once you've got the heatsink off:
- Clean the old paste off both surfaces. Use 90%+ isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth or cotton swab. Remove every trace from both the APU die and the heatsink contact plate. Don't rush this — any old compound left behind acts as an insulator under the new paste.
- Let both surfaces dry completely. About 60 seconds is enough at room temperature. Any residual alcohol evaporates quickly but trapping even a small amount under fresh paste reduces contact quality.
- Apply a pea-sized dot. Center of the APU die. 3–4mm diameter. That's it. No cross pattern, no rice grain, no spreading with a card or finger. The heatsink will spread it when you tighten the screws.
- Remount the heatsink and tighten in a cross pattern. Tighten gradually in stages — do not fully tighten one screw before moving to the next. This ensures even pressure distribution across the die.
- Power on and check temperatures. If you have a temperature monitoring tool installed, you should see APU temperatures 10–25°C lower under load than before servicing. If temperatures are still high, check for dust blockage in the fan and heatsink fins.
For a detailed disassembly walkthrough specific to your PS4 model (Slim, Pro, original), the iFixit PS4 Thermal Paste Replacement guide is the most reliable free resource available.
How Often Should You Replace PS4 Thermal Paste?
For gamers using their PS4 daily, thermal paste replacement every 2–3 years is the standard recommendation from repair communities and thermal compound manufacturers alike (CGDirector, 2024). For casual users — a few hours per week — every 3–5 years is sufficient. The compound itself won't tell you when it's time; you'll notice it through symptoms instead.
Metal-oxide thermal compounds such as Arctic MX-6 and Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut carry a manufacturer-rated lifespan of 5–7 years under normal operating conditions (darkFlash, 2024). For a daily PS4 gamer, this means a fresh application at year 2–3 will stay effective until the console is replaced — one service job for the full remaining console life.
Signs it's time to replace sooner:
- Fan spinning at full speed during light gameplay or even at the PS4 home screen
- Console shutting down mid-game without warning (thermal protection circuit triggering)
- Unusually hot exhaust air — normal PS4 Pro exhaust is around 61°C under load; consistently hotter suggests thermal degradation
- It's been more than 4 years and the console has never been opened
In our PS4 cleaning work in Helsinki, consoles that have never been serviced after 4+ years show APU die temperatures consistently 15–22°C higher than the same model post-service, after accounting for dust removal. The paste degradation alone — independent of dust — accounts for roughly 8–12°C of that difference. Both issues need addressing together for the full benefit.
Not comfortable opening your console yourself? Our PS4 cleaning service replaces thermal paste and pads, removes all dust buildup, and tests temperatures before and after — all with a same-day turnaround in Helsinki.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use toothpaste as thermal paste on my PS4?
No. Toothpaste contains abrasive particles and water that corrode copper heatsink surfaces and evaporate within days, causing worse thermal contact than the original dried compound. It also leaves a residue that's difficult to remove before applying proper paste. Always use a purpose-made thermal compound with a minimum 7 W/mK rating for electronics. See our PS4 overheating fix guide for the full list of recommended products.
How much thermal paste does a PS4 need?
A pea-sized dot — approximately 3–4mm in diameter — placed in the center of the APU die is all you need. The heatsink pressure spreads it evenly when you tighten the screws. More paste doesn't mean better cooling; excess squeezes out and can flow onto surrounding PCB components. One standard 1g syringe (like Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut) handles a single PS4 application comfortably.
Does the PS4 Pro also need thermal pads replaced?
Yes. The PS4 Pro uses thermal pads in addition to paste — sitting between the heatsink and VRM components, RAM chips, and other secondary heat sources. These pads degrade alongside the paste and should be replaced at the same time. Replacement pads should be 0.5–2.0mm thick depending on component gap (verify with calipers). Replacing paste alone on a Pro and ignoring degraded pads gives only partial improvement.
How do I know if my PS4 thermal paste is dried out?
The clearest signs are fan spinning loudly during light tasks or at startup, the console shutting down mid-game, and exhaust air that feels unusually hot. If your PS4 is more than 4 years old and has never been serviced, the original paste has almost certainly degraded — standard silicone compounds last just 3–5 years under gaming conditions, per darkFlash data (2024).
Should I use liquid metal thermal paste on my PS4?
No. Liquid metal compounds like Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut are electrically conductive — a small smear on a capacitor or PCB trace permanently destroys the board. This risk is manageable on a GPU with a full metal IHS protecting the die, but not on a PS4 APU where the die is directly exposed. Stick with a non-conductive paste like MX-6 or Kryonaut. The performance difference is negligible on a PS4; the downside risk is a destroyed mainboard.
Which Thermal Paste Should You Actually Buy?
For most people: Arctic MX-6. It performs at the top of the benchmark rankings, it's non-conductive and safe, and a 4g tube covers multiple applications for about €12. If you want to spend slightly more for the premium option, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut is the pick — it benchmarks neck-and-neck with MX-6 and has an established track record across thousands of console and PC servicing jobs.
The brand matters far less than applying correctly. A pea-sized dot, clean surfaces, and gradual even tightening of the heatsink will get you within a degree or two of the theoretical maximum from any top-tier paste. Don't skip the cleaning step — dried residue under fresh compound creates a worse result than no repaste at all.
Key takeaways:
- Replace every 2–3 years for daily gaming, 3–5 years for casual use
- Arctic MX-6 and Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut are the top picks — both non-conductive and safe
- Apply a pea-sized dot in the center — no spreading, no cross pattern
- Never use liquid metal on a PS4 APU — the exposed die makes it too risky
- PS4 Pro users should also replace thermal pads in the same service
If you'd rather leave it to a professional, MopsiHuolto's PS4 cleaning service in Helsinki covers full dust removal, thermal paste replacement, and thermal pad replacement with temperature verification before and after — typically same-day. Book a service here.
