Carbice, a U.S.-based expert in vertically-aligned carbon nanotube thermal interface materials and Noctua, an Austrian leader in quiet cooling technology, have announced a strategic long-term partnership for DIY PC applications. Noctua will exclusively distribute Carbice pads for the retail market and collaborate on future product development.

“Carbice’s unique, innovative TIM technology has already proven to be a game changer in applications that demand ultimate reliability such as satellites, aerospace or critical infrastructure,” says Roland Mossig (CEO of Noctua). “We’re confident that the superior long-term performance, ease-of-use and dependability of Carbice pads will be equally attractive for PC enthusiasts, so we’re excited to bring them to this market space and to collaborate with Carbice on future R&D.”

While thermal pastes and most other thermal pads gradually lose performance over time due to pump-out, delamination, cracking, and other degradation, the performance of Carbice® pads continues to improve over hundreds and thousands of thermal cycles. This is possible thanks to the pads’ robust mechanics and carbon nanotubes that incrementally conform to surface microstructures, thereby enhancing the heat transfer rate over time and with thermal cycling. As such, the pads are ideal for users who want to ensure maximum performance years down the line without having to think about reapplying thermal paste.

“Noctua has built something rare in the PC space: a brand that enthusiasts genuinely trust. That matters to us because Carbice pads are built for people who care about long-term performance,” Baratunde Cola (CEO and founder of Carbice). “The DIY PC builders ask hard questions and pay close attention to what they use for their systems, and this technology will set the bar for what they expect from their thermal interface.”

Sideview rendering of a Carbice Pad
Closeup rendering of the carbon nanotubes of a Carbice pad
Unlike other carbon or graphite-based thermal pads that can be brittle, slippery and electrically conductive, Carbice pads are reinforced by an aluminium backbone that’s sandwiched between the carbon nanotube forests, and the entire surface is protected by a nanoscale polymer coating. This unique structure makes them highly robust, tacky enough to stay in place during installation and effortless to remove.

The first Carbice pad in Noctua’s product portfolio will be the NT-CP1 AM5/4, a dedicated version for AMD Ryzen™ processors. Carefully fine-tuned and validated for optimal performance on both AM5 and AM4 processors, it is an ideal choice for AMD users who want a clean, convenient TIM solution with superior long-term performance, space-grade dependability and zero maintenance.

The NT-CP1 AM5/4 will be presented by Noctua at Computex Taipei 2026 (June 2nd-5th) and is currently scheduled to become available in September 2026. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on X to receive a notification when the NT-CP1 AM5/4 goes on sale.