How long does it take for the NT-CP1 pad to reach its full thermal performance?

The NT-CP1 pad consists of carbon nanotubes that are attached to an aluminium backbone and coated with a phase-change polymer for protection and surface wetting. The pad’s thermal performance will improve over time with regular use as the polymer coating reflows and the nanotubes conform to the microcavities in the CPU heatspreader and the cooler’s contact surface.

How long this activation phase takes can vary from system to system depending on the particular CPU, cooling solution, usage patterns and other circumstances. For the polymer layer to fully reflow, both sides of the pad must exceed 60°C several times. This usually happens within a few hours of use if the CPU is repeatedly put under medium-to-heavy loads and typically causes a first noticeable temperature drop.

Temperatures should continue to improve gradually as the carbon nanotubes conform to the microcavities of the contact surfaces. This part of the activation process typically takes from several hundred to several thousand thermal cycles (with both sides of the pad rising above 60°C and subsequently falling below 50°C) to complete. Depending on usage patterns, performance may therefore continue to improve gradually for up to several months.

Once this activation phase is complete, the NT-CP1 can maintain stable, maintenance-free performance for many years of use.

While both parts of the activation process happen automatically during normal use and therefore do not require user intervention, users who would like to speed up the process can do so by performing dedicated thermal cycling as described in this guide.

To learn more about the performance characteristics of the NT-CP1 and how it compares to traditional thermal pastes, please refer to this article.

Please note that the activation process may take longer when using a cool-running, low-TDP CPU with a highly efficient cooling solution because the 60°C temperature threshold is rarely reached.