If you're looking for the best thermal paste for Xbox Series X, Series S, or an older Xbox One, the short answer is Arctic MX-4 for the APU on any of these consoles, it's the safest, easiest option to get right on a first repaste. But if that's all you walk away with, you're missing half the job. Microsoft's newer consoles don't just use paste, they use thermal putty on the memory and support chips too, and putty needs a completely different replacement than paste does. Get that part wrong and you can still end up with a hot console even after a "successful" repaste.
We'll cover both compounds, both jobs, and the real differences between Series X, Series S, and the older Xbox One family, since most guides treat "Xbox" as one console and skip straight past that.
Quick Picks
- Best for the APU (all Xbox models): Arctic MX-4, non-conductive, reliable, easy to apply correctly.
- Best putty replacement for VRAM/support chips (Series X/S): Honeywell PTM7950, a phase-change pad material that mimics what Microsoft ships from the factory far more closely than standard paste does.
- Best higher-performance paste for the APU: Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, worth it if MX-4 doesn't get your temps where you want them.
- Best pad alternative if you want to skip paste on the APU too: Thermal Grizzly Carbonaut, reusable and rated for console cooling generally.
- Best budget pick: Arctic MX-4, again, there's genuinely no reason to spend more unless you have a specific reason to.
Two Jobs, Not One: Paste and Putty
Here's the thing most Xbox thermal guides don't explain clearly. Open up a Series X or Series S and you'll find standard thermal paste on the APU, the same category of compound you'd use on a PC CPU. But you'll also find a different material, a soft, waxy phase-change putty, on the VRAM chips and other support components around the board. That putty isn't decorative, it's doing real thermal work, and it degrades differently than paste does over time.
A lot of repaste attempts go wrong because someone replaces the APU paste correctly, then either ignores the putty entirely or replaces it with more standard paste, which doesn't behave the same way once it's under sustained heat cycling. If you're doing this job properly, you need a plan for both materials, not just the one that's easier to find generic advice about.
Does Xbox Use Liquid Metal Like PS5?
No, and this is a genuine point of difference worth knowing if you've read anything about PS5 repastes before touching an Xbox. Sony ships PS5 with liquid metal from the factory. Microsoft doesn't do this on Series X, Series S, or Xbox One, all three use standard paste on the APU and phase-change putty on secondary components. That means the catastrophic short-circuit risk that comes with disturbing PS5's factory liquid metal simply doesn't apply here. Xbox repastes are, mechanically, a more forgiving job. We go into why PS5 is the outlier in our PS4 and PS5 thermal paste guide, worth a read if you own both console families and want the full risk picture.
That said, "more forgiving" doesn't mean "no risk." You're still working inside an expensive electronic device with sensitive components nearby, isopropyl alcohol and a steady hand still matter here.
Xbox Series X
The APU Job
Series X packs a large custom APU under a substantial cooling assembly, and Microsoft's factory paste application is generally solid from new, most Series X thermal issues that show up years in are genuinely dried-out paste, not a factory defect. Arctic MX-4 is our recommendation here for the same reasons it's our go-to across most consoles, it's non-conductive, forgiving to apply, and doesn't dry out again for years. Full specs are on our MX-4 product page.
If you've already tried MX-4 and you're chasing lower temps under sustained load, specifically during longer gaming sessions where the fan is audibly working harder than it used to, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut is the upgrade path. It's a meaningful jump in thermal conductivity over MX-4, though for most Series X owners the difference won't be dramatic since the stock cooler is already reasonably capable.
The Putty Job
This is the part most guides skip. The VRAM and surrounding support chips on Series X use phase-change putty from the factory, not paste, and standard thermal paste is a poor substitute here because it doesn't have the same fill and settling behavior under the specific pressure and heat cycling those components see. Honeywell PTM7950 is a phase-change pad material that behaves much closer to what Microsoft used originally, it softens slightly at operating temperature and re-settles into full contact, which is exactly the property a static paste doesn't replicate well in this application. If you're doing a full repaste, budget for both, standard paste for the APU and a phase-change product for the putty locations, rather than assuming one compound covers the whole job.
Xbox Series S
Series S uses the same general thermal architecture as Series X, just scaled down for a smaller APU and a more compact cooling assembly. The same two-compound approach applies, MX-4 for the APU, a phase-change product like PTM7950 for the putty locations. The main practical difference is workspace, Series S's smaller internal volume means less room to work and a higher chance of accidentally contacting nearby components during application, so non-conductive paste matters even more here than on the larger Series X shell.
Series S runs cooler than Series X under most workloads simply because it's driving less demanding output, so if you're seeing overheating symptoms on a Series S specifically, it's worth ruling out dust buildup and blocked vents before assuming the thermal compound is the culprit, a console with less thermal headroom to begin with is more sensitive to airflow problems.
Xbox One and Xbox One X
Older Xbox One consoles, including the One X, use standard thermal paste without the phase-change putty setup found on Series X and Series S. That actually makes these older consoles a simpler repaste job in some ways, one compound, one location, no putty consideration. If you've got an original Xbox One or Xbox One X that's several years old and running hot or shutting down under load, dried-out factory paste is the most likely and most fixable cause. Arctic MX-4 is still our recommendation here, same reasoning as the newer consoles, it's the safest default that gets the job right without requiring liquid metal-level care.
Xbox One X in particular has been flagged repeatedly in owner forums and repair communities as a unit that benefits noticeably from a repaste once it's a few years old, the factory paste application on that model has a reputation for not holding up as well long-term as later Microsoft consoles.
When to Actually Do This
Loud fan noise that persists even during less demanding games, thermal shutdowns during extended sessions, or a console that feels hot to the touch well beyond what you remember from when it was new, those are the signals worth acting on. For Series X and Series S specifically, check dust buildup in the intake first, both consoles pull a lot of air through a relatively compact chassis, and blocked airflow produces the exact same symptoms as degraded thermal compound. There's no point opening up the APU if the real problem is a dust-clogged vent.
For anything past the four to five year mark showing these symptoms, a repaste is a reasonable next step regardless of console generation.
Paste vs. Putty vs. Pad: The Xbox-Specific Breakdown
Standard paste like MX-4 is the right call for every Xbox APU, full stop, there's no liquid metal complication here the way there is on PS5, so this isn't a hard decision. Phase-change putty replacement is the part that actually requires some thought, and it only applies to Series X and Series S, not Xbox One or One X. If you want to skip paste application on the APU entirely and use a pad instead, Thermal Grizzly Carbonaut works here too, it's rated for general console cooling and isn't Xbox-specific in a way that would rule it out, though it's a less common choice for the APU specifically since paste already does that job well and cheaply.
How to Repaste an Xbox (General Steps)
- Power down completely and unplug the console before opening anything, and give it a few minutes to fully discharge.
- Remove old paste and old putty completely with isopropyl alcohol (90%+ concentration) and a lint-free cloth, don't layer new compound over old residue on either the APU or the putty locations.
- Apply a small, centered amount of paste to the APU, consoles generally need less coverage than a desktop CPU given typical die sizes.
- For putty locations, apply the replacement phase-change material according to its specific sizing rather than assuming a paste-style dab will behave the same way.
- Reassemble with even mounting pressure across the cooler, uneven seating undermines even a correctly-applied compound.
If you've never done a console teardown before, watch a teardown video specific to your exact model before starting, screw locations and clip mechanisms vary enough between Series X, Series S, and Xbox One that generic instructions alone aren't reliable.
Comparison Table
- Arctic MX-4 (Paste, best for APU on any Xbox model, non-conductive, reapply every few years)
- Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut (Paste, best for higher-heat Series X units, non-conductive, reapply every few years)
- Honeywell PTM7950 (Phase-Change Pad, best for VRAM/putty locations on Series X/S, non-conductive, long-lasting with minimal reapplication)
- Thermal Grizzly Carbonaut (Pad, best for general console cooling as an alternative to APU paste, conductive, reusable across remounts)
Winner: Our Actual Recommendation
For the APU on any Xbox, the winner is Arctic MX-4. It's the same call across Series X, Series S, and Xbox One, non-conductive, easy to get right, and priced low enough there's no reason to look elsewhere unless you've already tried it and want more headroom.
For the putty locations on Series X and Series S, the winner is Honeywell PTM7950. It's the closest match to what Microsoft actually ships from the factory, and it's the step most repaste attempts skip or get wrong by substituting standard paste instead.
Frequently asked questions
Does Xbox Series X use liquid metal like PS5?
No. Xbox Series X, Series S, and Xbox One all use standard thermal paste on the APU. Only PS5 ships with factory liquid metal among current-gen consoles.
What's the difference between thermal paste and thermal putty on Xbox?
Paste is used on the APU, the same as a standard PC CPU application. Putty is a phase-change material used on VRAM and other support chips on Series X and Series S, it behaves differently under heat than paste and needs a different replacement product to do the job properly.
Do I need to replace the putty, or just the APU paste?
If you're doing a full repaste, both. Replacing only the APU paste and leaving degraded putty in place can still leave you with elevated temperatures on the memory and support chips, even if the CPU-side numbers improve.
Is Xbox Series S more prone to overheating than Series X?
Not inherently, Series S actually runs cooler under most workloads since it's driving less demanding output. If a Series S is overheating, dust buildup or blocked vents are a more likely cause than the thermal compound itself, given how new most Series S units still are.
How often should I repaste an Xbox One or Xbox One X?
There's no fixed schedule, but Xbox One X specifically has a reputation in repair communities for factory paste that degrades faster than later Microsoft consoles. Four to five years is a reasonable point to check if you're seeing loud fans or thermal shutdowns.
What tools do I need for an Xbox repaste?
A screwdriver set matching your specific model's screws (Xbox consoles often use security-pattern screws), isopropyl alcohol (90%+) and lint-free cloths, and both a standard paste and a phase-change putty replacement if you're working on a Series X or Series S.