Cabrice has announced two partnerships, including one with Noctua and another with AMD, to bring a new high-performance cooling option to the Ryzen platform. What's interesting is that this advanced next-gen carbon nanotube thermal interface material (TIM) isn't tied to a flagship AM5 processor, but to AM4 with the relaunched special 10th-anniversary edition AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D. The Carbice Ice Pad was previously only available through CyberPower PC systems with both Intel and AMD processors, but there are also Thermal Grizzly and other compounds that offer similar benefits.

So, while it's not exactly new, with this new announcement, AMD will bundle the TIM with the relaunched 5800X3D, and Noctua will stock and sell the TIM separately for a variety of processors. That means you, I, and Joe Bloggs next door will be able to hit up Noctua's online presence and order an Ice Pad for one of the many supported AM4 and AM5 chips. This TIM was developed for satellites and data centers but has since made the transition to the consumer space, allowing AMD to include it with one of its older CPUs.

What's the deal with the Ice Pad?

And is it worth it over normal thermal paste?

Thermal paste is still the go-to choice for transferring heat from the integrated head spreader (IHS) atop the processor to the attached cooling solution. This is usually in the form of an all-in-one liquid cooler or standard air blower with a heatsink and a fan or two. TIMs such as Carbice's vertically aligned carbon nanotube technology help ensure a complete seal between the processor IHS and the cooler base plate, maximizing the heat transferred from one of the hottest parts of the system. Though not perfect, thermal paste is usually sufficient to get the most from modern AMD and Intel processors.

Carbice Ice Pad and similar technologies help reduce the number of times reapplication is needed. And because there's usually a very low chance of the material not forming a complete seal, performance is usually maintained throughout. It's also easier to install, which can prove invaluable for those who don't feel comfortable working with paste, using the right amount, and installing the cooler with care. The best part of this Cabice TIM? It's not that expensive, adding a $10 premium to a CyberPowerPC custom PC build, so I can't see it costing much more when purchased through Noctua.

Carbice promises lifetime reliability (lasting that of a device), peel-and-stick installation, sustainable design, and less residue — have you ever purchased a second-hand CPU with dry thermal paste remnants? It's not pretty and can be a pain to remove it all, depending on the chip and where it's located.

AMD wins again with platform longevity

AMD has made some wins by supporting its older platforms for longer. The company keeps releasing AM4 processors, including re-releasing the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, ensuring people with older systems have upgrade paths and stronger availability of these last-gen processors. Not everyone has the luxury of upgrading from AM4 to AM5 with the current market pricing. DDR5 RAM has more than doubled in cost, pricing many out of picking up new parts for their gaming PC. That's where these new-but-old chips come into play, and rolling out Carbice's Ice Pad featuring the older CPU is a solid move.

If you're interested in checking out the Carbice Ice Pad for your next AMD AM4 or AM5 rebuild, it'll be available later this year. For now, it continues to be an option when building a custom PC through CyberPower PC. No word on pricing, but it may not be much more than the $10 optional upgrade fee CyberPower PC charges. If you require a new AM4 CPU, AMD will have you covered with the 5800X3D bundle that will ship with the Carbice Ice Pad. We'll have more details as Computex progresses, so stay tuned to XDA!