Thermal interface material is used to bond CPUs with heatsinks in order to dissipate the heat generated by electricity. Without this material, heatsinks would not be as effective, since much of the heat would filter out from in between the two parts. There are several different kinds of thermal compounds to choose from.

Artic Silver is one manufacturer of thermal interface material. They offer a number of reliable products for heat conduction. Their products are made with 99.9% pure micronized silver and exude a unique silver/green glow.

A Different Theory

Another producer of thermal interface material is Artic Cooling. Their thermal material is based on the premise that metal conducts heat better than a thermal compound would. In this case, Arctic Cooling has created a thin tin film that supposedly conducts heat up to 25 times greater than the average compound.

Regardless of which vendor you prefer, thermal interface material is a necessity in cooling down your CPU. Most major cooling system resellers will carry a variety of brands. Ask your sales representative which product is best used with your specific computer.