While thermal paste is generally the highest performance solution for getting heat out of components and into heatsinks, it's not always the best option. Thermal paste isn't reusable, it's messy, and sometimes it's not really ideal, especially for components like memory chips and VRMs. Alternatively, you could use a thermal pad, which are (usually) reusable, 100% solid, and usable for pretty much any kind of component.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of thermal pads: soft and hard. Soft thermal pads (sometimes also called silicone) are mostly used for memory (like RAM, VRAM, and SSDs) since there tends to be a big gap between memory chips and their cooling. However, soft thermal pads have a very low thermal conductivity, making them only suitable for lower power consumption components like memory. Hard thermal pads (usually advertised as graphite or carbon-based) are largely used on CPUs and GPUs as direct replacements for thermal paste, and are paper thin.

• Best overall thermal pad for CPUs and GPUs

  Innovation Cooling Graphite Thermal Pad

  A cheap and reusable thermal solution

  Innovation Cooling's graphite thermal pad offers both high thermal performance and great value, and comes in two different sizes. These pads are reusable and about as good as thermal paste for CPUs and GPUs

  Pros & Cons

  • Great value
  • Two different sizes
  • Reusable

  • Might struggle to cool hotter CPUs and GPUs

  $14 at Amazon
• Best value thermal pads for CPUs and GPUs

  Innovation Cooling High Compression Thermal Pad

  The cheapest thermal pads with good performance

  Innovation Cooling's high compression thermal pad are single use thermal pads for CPUs and GPUs that come in a pack of five. They come in two different sizes so that both small and large components can get complete coverage.

  Pros & Cons

  • Great value for the price and amount of pads included
  • Good performance
  • Two different sizes

  • Single use

  $15 at Amazon
• Best high-end thermal pad for CPUs and GPUs

  Thermal Grizzly Carbonaut Thermal Pad

  For those who have processors that consume lots of watts

  Thermal Grizzly's Carbonaut thermal pad is a higher-end model that comes in five different sizes and shapes. Carbonaut pads are reusable and will last for much longer than thermal paste.

  Pros & Cons

  • Theoretically better performance than most other models
  • Offers lots of different sizes
  • Reusable

  • Poor value compared to other models

  $22 at Amazon
• Most versatile thermal pad for CPUs and GPUs

  Thermal Grizzly KryoSheet

  If you need a particular size, KryoSheet is for you

  Thermal Grizzly's KryoSheet is a high-end thermal pad that offers several unique sizes to fit a wide range of CPUs and GPUs. These pads are reusable and will last for years.

  Pros & Cons

  • Six different sizes, including rectangular pads
  • High performance
  • Reusable

  • Relatively expensive

  $25 at Amazon
• Best overall soft thermal pad

  Arctic TP-3 Thermal Pad

  1,000 square millimeters of thermal pad goodness

  Arctic's TP-3 thermal pad is made for memory like VRAM and SSDs, and is sized at 1,000m2. Arctic offers three different models with differing heights: .5mm, 1mm, and 1.5mm.

  Pros & Cons

  • Great value
  • Lots of material to work with
  • Three options for thickness

  • Requires scissors to cut up your own pieces

  $9 at Amazon
• Most versatile soft thermal pad

  Cooler Master Thermal Pad

  A model for almost every thickness

  Cooler Master's Thermal Pad offers five different thickness options, making it one of the most versatile and compatible thermal pads available. Its size of 95mm by 45mm makes it fairly large.

  Pros & Cons

  • Five different thickness options
  • Good value
  • Unique color

  • Cutting out your own pieces required
  • Not the best value

  $14 at Amazon
• Alternate best versatile soft thermal pad

  Thermalright Thermal Pad

  The most thickness options available

  Thermalright's thermal pad comes with six different options for thickness, making it usable for almost any device you can think of. It's sized at 85mm by 45mm, which is enough to cut out lots of thermal pads.

  Pros & Cons

  • Six different thickness options
  • Decent value

  • Worse value than other models
  • You'll have to cut out your own pieces

  $15 at Amazon
• Best low width soft thermal pad

  Thermal Grizzly Thermal Pad Minus Pad 8

  Best for smaller chips like memory

  Thermal Grizzly's Minus Pad 8 thermal pad comes in three different thicknesses and is already shaped for small chips like memory. It comes in a pack of two pads sized at 120mm by 20mm.

  Pros & Cons

  • Easy to cut up for pieces sized for smaller chips
  • Comes in a pack of two
  • Three different thickness options

  • Can only be used for chips that aren't much wider than 20mm
  • Not the best value

  $18 at Amazon

A recap of the best thermal pads

For memory and other similar chips like VRMs, you really should be using a soft thermal pad in most situations. Most coolers for memory expect you to use a pad and intentionally have space between the chip and the cooler, and these components are low heat anyways. For CPUs and GPUs, even graphite thermal pads usually aren't as good as thermal paste, but they're good enough for pretty much everything except top-end components, and are often reusable, don't require cleanup, and are generally cheaper. Even on the best CPUs and best GPUs, you're not leaving much if any performance on the table by using a thermal pad.

When it comes to soft thermal pads, Arctic's TP-3 is the best option since it offers the most pad for the least amount of money, though you have to cut out smaller pieces yourself first. Thermal Grizzly's Minus Pad 8 thermal pads are more convenient since they're already the width of most things you'd want to put a thermal pad on. As for thermal pads for CPUs and GPUs, Innovation Cooling's reusable and one use pads are both great, while Thermal Grizzly's thermal pads are higher performance and offer more sizes, but are much more expensive.