GoKawiilDer8auer's two-year test finds liquid metal TIM solidifies, doesn't dry out
YouTuber and Thermal Grizzly founder der8auer examined a two-year-old liquid metal thermal paste application under an electron microscope and found it hadn't dried out as commonly assumed. Instead, the gallium reacts with copper surfaces to form a solid compound, with crystals visible by the two-month mark and no further change after two years. He also showed the same gallium-based alloy corrodes and weakens aluminum within minutes by traveling along grain boundaries.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings could reshape assumptions about long-term liquid metal TIM maintenance, suggesting reapplication may be less necessary on copper surfaces than previously believed, though the resulting solid layer conducts heat at roughly a quarter the rate of bare copper. As chip power density rises sharply, illustrated by der8auer's comparison of the RTX 5090 and 5080 to older GPUs, interface materials and compatible cooler metals become more critical to effective cooling.
- Liquid metal TIM doesn't evaporate on copper; it chemically bonds to form a solid gallium-copper compound.
- The solidified layer conducts heat at about one-quarter the rate of bare copper, with nickel plating limiting its thickness.
- Aluminum coolers are vulnerable: liquid metal degrades the material within minutes, making copper or nickel-plated surfaces preferable.
Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut Liquid Metal — This is literally the TIM discussed in the article—a gallium-indium-tin liquid metal compound known for exceptional heat transfer between CPU/GPU and heatsink. If you're curious about long-term liquid metal performance like der8auer's test, this is the exact product to try on your own build.
See Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut Liquid Metal on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: tomshardware.com — Shane Downing, 2026-10-16
Published there as: “Experiment shows liquid metal TIM doesn’t dry out; it turns solid”
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