I’m Usman Sheikh, An Enthusiast & Hardware Reviewer and a CS2 Veteran; I like finding new hardware and testing it out.
Position at Tech4Gamers
Senior Hardware Reviewer, testing hardware for the past 10 years and publishing numerous guides to help users—whether it’s overclocking tips or optimization guides for CPUs and graphics cards.
Tech Journey
I started my journey in 2014 with the largest Pakistani gaming community forum as the senior adminstrator. I have always been deeply passionate about computers, testing new gadgets and hardware, and learning new things every day.
After testing the full lineup, TF7 stands out as the best value—affordable, easy to apply, and reliable for mid-range systems. TF4 is also a solid pick for budget builds. On the higher end, TF8-EX and TFX deliver strong performance but fall short in durability and user-friendliness, especially with their thick, hard-to-apply texture. TF9, unfortunately, underwhelms across the board. Overall, Thermalright’s thermal paste lineup is a bit hit or miss, but TF7 hits the sweet spot for most users
The Thermalright Assassin X 90 SE is a compact air cooler that punches way above its weight, especially considering the $17 price tag. With 4 direct-contact copper heat pipes and a quiet 92mm ARGB fan, it easily handles 65W TDP CPUs and even manages bursts of 130W heat in stress tests. It's ideal for replacing stock coolers on mid-range builds and fits well in small cases. While it’s not made for high-end CPUs or heavy overclocking, the Assassin X 90 SE delivers excellent value and solid cooling for budget-conscious users.
ID-Cooling’s new X45 thermal paste is an upgrade over their previous versions, offering better thermal performance with easier application thanks to its lower thickness. It’s ideal for overclockers or anyone wanting top cooling without spending much—priced at $6.99 for 2g. It performs slightly better than the older X25 and beats top brands in temperature tests.
The RTX 5070 brings little improvement over the RTX 4070 Super, making the generational upgrade hardly noticeable. It performs well at 1440p, but with only 12GB of VRAM, 4K ray-traced gaming isn't really an option. On the bright side, it has solid overclocking potential, offering a 10% performance boost just by adjusting a few settings. Overall, the card even struggles to justify its $550 price tag when AMD’s RX 9070 offers more raw power and memory.
The ASRock Steel Legend RX 9070 is a solid mid-range GPU that outperforms Nvidia’s RTX 5070 in raster performance across all resolutions. AMD has also made big strides in ray tracing, an area where they’ve lagged behind in the past. With 16GB of video memory, smooth gameplay, and strong overclocking potential, it’s a great option for gamers who want high performance without breaking the bank. The only downside is the price—since the XT variant is just $50 more, it’s worth considering if you’re looking for even better performance.
Thermal Grizzly Duronaut is a high-performance thermal paste designed for durability and efficient heat transfer. It’s easy to apply, works well for overclocking, and offers great value while maintaining long-term performance.
