Don't Use Amech SGT-4 Heat Paste—It's Damaging CPUs and Coolers

Following reports from a number of users regarding strange corrosion issues after using Korean brand Amech's SGT-4 heat paste, Igor Wallossek (of IgorsLab fame) performed an investigation and found that the heat paste is degrading the surfaces of both the CPU and the cooler it comes into contact with. It's now advisable to stop using this heat paste altogether—and if you've already used it, to clean it off before it does any further damage.

Selecting a heat paste to squirt between your CPU and its cooler is, for most people, an afterthought. They just use whatever comes with the cooler. Usually, that's perfectly fine. You'll only really shave off a couple of degrees from your temperatures with expensive options, and the liquid-metal options that deliver serious performance advantages have the kind of drawbacks that most people don't need the hassle of.

Credit: TechSpot

But you should be able to use whatever heat paste you have without it damaging your components. Not so with Amech's SGT-4, it seems. After Wallossek's investigation, he discovered that the paste is using an "acetoxy-crosslinked RTV silicone," per TechSpot . This has the additive "methyltriacetoxysilane," which releases acid when exposed to moisture, which can cause oxidation of the copper on most CPU coolers. This generates a vinegar-like odor and leads to corrosion which reduces the effectiveness of the cooler.

The paste can also harden over time, which causes it to bond to the damaged cooler and CPU IHS, forging them together into an incredibly tight bond that is both hard to remove and inefficient for cooling purposes.

Amech has responded to these claims and said its heat pastes meet all strict standards and do not contain any corrosive materials. Intriguingly, they didn't address the specific concerns and just said they met all European environmental standards, which was not the problem.

Regardless of its response, though, don't use Amech heat pastes for the time being. You're likely better off sticking to reliable brands like Thermal Grizzly, Arctic, Noctua, or any of the standard cooler manufacturers and their homegrown heat pastes. They'll all work much better than this and shouldn't damage your components, either.