Thermal Pad by the company Thermal Grizzly. In computers and electronics, Thermal Pads (or thermal pads) are preformed rectangles made of solid material (often based on paraffin wax or silicone) that are usually found on the underside of heatsinks to help dissipate heat from the cooled component. They are an alternative to thermal paste used as a thermal interface material. AMD and Intel have included thermal pads on the bottom of the heatsinks that accompany some of their processors, as they are easier to install.