How do you manage to make a good and established product so that there are no plagiarism problems and yet everyone believes it to be the original? The interesting thing about the KOLD-01 story is firstly the way in which the legend was created and secondly, of course, the production, which would not have been possible without Dow Chemical in the broader sense, although it is not an original paste from Dow Chemical. Okay, Dow also contributed a few fragments, whether directly or indirectly. In the OEM business, you quickly come up against a wall of silence anyway, so that not everything can be completely clarified. But in the end, everyone leaves a few traces behind. Then you have to keep at it and investigate what patterns there are and what reliable information can be gleaned.
Update from 17.11.2024 – 09.00 am
In the meantime, I have also measured the latest iteration as NEW-CN (2024) and added it to the database and the article. This paste is again slightly different and one can only speculate about the reasons. The tear-off image this time is the best of all KOLD-01s tested so far.
Original article from 07.11.2024
The current KOLD-01 from 2024 has now had to undergo a lengthy and very thorough laboratory test at Dow and the result is quite remarkable. But obviously Dow Chemical does not want a lot of publicity here, so I have to carefully paraphrase a lot of things, because unfortunately it was not made available as a document for publication. But this much is clear after all the investigations, without giving away too many details: The manufacturer of KOLD-01 uses a much simpler, cheaper and also less viscous base matrix (siloxanes) than DOWSIL TC-5888, which as such also comes from the Dow shelf.
In addition, the imitator, if you want to call him that, must know the exact formulation of the original in order to achieve a precise precision landing. After all, the disadvantages of the cheaper basic matrix had to be compensated for on the one hand and the costs had to be kept in mind on the other, so that everything was still worthwhile even with smaller quantities.
The fact that this is likely to be an adapted “small series” that is not based on genuine mass production is reflected in the changing and limited availability of the KOLD-01. Let’s summarize once again: Cheaper base, existing insider knowledge and craftsmanship in rebuilding the paste. Or was it even a Chinese partner of Dow Chemical or a local subsidiary that mixed a few mixtures in a little spare time? Dow Chemical remains officially rather tight-lipped on this matter, likely because they don’t want to jeopardize their already challenging business in China, where much, for good reason, happens outside the public eye.
Information gathered from various customers and distributors, and similar communications from Dow, though unofficial and without citation permission, paint a very different picture. In addition to various unofficial details, they eventually decided on a version that could grace any wall like a grand pudding accompanied as set by a nail and hammer. I highlighted the relevant parts for me in bold and corrected two spelling errors:
We cannot officially determine whether this is a batch from our own production or an actual 5888. The results do not indicate an original Dow product, but it could be a custom-made item for a distributor, specially manufactured at an Asian production site. In that case, we cannot directly compare it. Additionally, it could be a Dow product that was acquired through a distributor or the open market and subsequently modified. The detected ingredients do not entirely match those used in the production of the TC-5888 (author’s note: but they do a little bit)…
Marketing is everything: creating legends and a lie that isn’t actually a lie
Let’s start with the first KOLD-01 from 2022, which I have also stored in the database and, of course, with the skillful creation of legends. After all, Kooling Monster never claimed that the KOLD-01 was actually a TC-5888. This was done much more cleverly and probably also speculated on the resourcefulness of the users and things like forums or Reddit, where the users would then make cross-comparisons to other products and also spread them via social media. Which, of course, they did diligently. The whole thing started with an instruction leaflet for the first packs, which was later slightly modified once the newly born legend was in circulation and enough readers had jumped on the bandwagon. Let’s compare the old KOLD-01 package insert (left) and the Dow Chemical data sheet for the TC-5888 (right):
This is because the measured results of the KOLD-01 from 2022 differ, albeit only slightly, from the data given or copied. They are only nuances, but they are there. In the current specifications, the thermal conductivity, among other things, was simply omitted because it seemed a little too conspicuous. But, as is the case on the Internet, once something is in circulation, it’s hard to catch it again. That’s exactly why you have to question such things. When I measured the DOWSIL TC-5888, I achieved exactly the 5.2 W/m-K stated in the data sheet, while the similarly viscous KOLD-01 from 2022 only achieved 5 W/m-K, but the much harder KOLD-01 from 2024 managed a precision landing at 5.2 W/m-K, but again became more viscous than the original TC-5888.
Of course, it is actually nitpicking to compare a paste based on its different production periods, because there is always some tolerance. However, one thing is striking about both KOLD-01s: they are only available for a certain period of time each year, after which they obviously have to be produced or reordered. However, if the differences between the pastes then exceed the usual tolerance limits, one becomes somewhat suspicious.
- 1 - Introduction and overview
- 2 - The KOLD-01 has many faces
- 3 - Performance comparison of all batches with the original
- 4 - How a replica works (insider knowledge)
- 5 - Appendix #A: DOWSIL TC-5888
- 6 - Appendix #B: KOOLING MONSTER KOLD-01 2022
- 7 - Appendix #C: KOOLING MONSTER KOLD-01 2023 (NEW_ZAF)
- 8 - Appendix #D: KOOLING MONSTER KOLD-01 2024 (NEW_EU)
- 9 - Appendix #D: KOOLING MONSTER KOLD-01 2024 (NEW_EU)
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