Hardware Having problems applying Thermal Paste :(

Delta517 · Aug 23, 2013

I have a 3 year old laptop which gets really hot when its on. I tried changing the thermal paste, but everytime it gets screwed up

Here's the pic from the last attempt:

The first time I took too much, but this time it looks like I took to little

Please help?

rehevkor · Aug 23, 2013

Looks like you have some paste on the chips on the image on the right, be careful some thermal paste is conductive.

As long as it covers the chip, you should be fine, apply as little as you can get away with, some advice I read at some point was to spread it thinly enough to the point of being see-through.

Not sure what the images are, right hand is the CPU, left is what, heatsink, GPU?

Delta517 · Aug 23, 2013

Left side is the GPU

raulpica · Aug 23, 2013

Actually it looks kinda right (the one on the left). You see it like that because the heatsink presses it down hard and thus it spreads a lot.

BTW, don't apply thermal paste on other chips if there's conductive pads on them, otherwise you're going to screw up thermals big time.

Anyway, I spread it with my finger, it leaves a good bit on the CPU without leaving too much.

EDIT: It's always better to use a bit more, than a bit less. Don't be afraid of using a bit more, it's going to slide out by the sides and it won't harm anything.

dicamarques · Aug 23, 2013

Drop a tiny bit as big as a grain of rice and then just place the heatsink, the pressure then spreads the paste Evenly through the cpu and gpu. Clean everything before applying with alcool. Don't use too much paste some times its better to leave less

Originality · Aug 23, 2013

Better to leave more? Better to leave less? Contradictory advice?

I'll second the grain of rice, although I've often read that an ideal application should be as consistent as nail polish to prevent air bubbles. My Zalman TIG has a brush applicator for the perfect finish *shine*

Celice · Aug 23, 2013

I've heard so much inconsistent information.

Spread with fingers--no don't! oils and dead skin will break up the heat distribution.

Slide it thin with a card--no! the heatsink will distribute the paste in just the right amounts to be most efficient.

Use more than enough to be safe--no! too much will lower the efficiency of heat distribution; we want the heat to move to the heatsink, not dawdle around in the paste.

Use only a grain or pea-sized amount--no! conduction is best if you apply a thin coat manually across all of the CPU face (but not the heatsink! [or with, depending on whom you asked]).

And lastly, use mayonaisse: it gets the job done moderately well. Chocolate a little lesser, but still a good substitute.

Originality · Aug 23, 2013

Use more than enough to be safe--no! too much will lower the efficiency of heat distribution; we want the heat to move to the heatsink, not dawdle around in the paste.

More specifically, too much thermal paste will act as an insulator instead of a conductor, turning the heatsink into a CPU oven.

Also, too add to the contradictory advice... don't use mayonaisse, use a proper ceramic or silver based thermal paste.

raulpica · Aug 23, 2013

Celice said:
Spread with fingers--no don't! oils and dead skin will break up the heat distribution.

Huh, I'm pretty sure that the oils that will get into the past will be so little that it won't change anything. You're not going to rub that CPU for more than two-three seconds. We're talking about microns of dead skin, they won't change anything. If you believe that much, then you should also be wary of applying the thermal paste in a sterile area, DUST might get into it and diminish the thermal efficiency!

Celice said:
Use more than enough to be safe--no! too much will lower the efficiency of heat distribution; we want the heat to move to the heatsink, not dawdle around in the paste.

We're talking about a BIT more. It'll gently slid outside when the pressure gets applied. It won't change ANYTHING since you can't stuff more than the allowed quantity of thermal paste in the little space left beneath the heatsink. The issue you're talk about appears when you put SO much of it that it'll stuff all the entire area with it. I've seen it on some PCs, and it's not nice.

Mine is real world experience. I've applied thermal paste hundreds of times, to hundreds of PCs, mostly laptops. I always stress both the GPU and the CPU with Linpack AND Furmark to be sure that thermal levels always stay under 80°C without any throttling, and I've _never_ failed in doing that.

PityOnU · Aug 24, 2013

Those pics are how its supposed to look.

Here's how I do it (with a lot of success):

1. Clean the old paste of with rubbing acohol and make sure it's *shiny* clean
2. Put a tiny little spot of thermal paste in the middle of the chip
3. Get a small sandwich bag, put it over your finger, and then spread the paste in a very even and thin layer over the top of the chip (you will be surprised how well it spreads)
4. Put the heat sink (that you also cleaned) back on

The paste is meant to fill in the gaps left between the two flat surfaces of the chip and the heat sink, i.e. you really don't need much at all short of a super thin layer.

AceWarhead · Aug 24, 2013

PityOnU said:
Those pics are how its supposed to look.

Here's how I do it (with a lot of success):

1. Clean the old paste of with rubbing acohol and make sure it's *shiny* clean
2. Put a tiny little spot of thermal paste in the middle of the chip
3. Get a small sandwich bag, put it over your finger, and then spread the paste in a very even and thin layer over the top of the chip (you will be surprised how well it spreads)
4. Put the heat sink (that you also cleaned) back on

The paste is meant to fill in the gaps left between the two flat surfaces of the chip and the heat sink, i.e. you really don't need much at all short of a super thin layer.

Can't you also use a credit card or something hard to spread it also?

Joe88 · Aug 24, 2013

I always just place a line down the middle and put the hsf on, the pressure will handle the rest
But for your chips use the grain of rice size as it does not have a thermal cap over the chip

Zetta_x · Aug 29, 2013

Whenever I have applied thermal paste I have used a third of an old pvc card (just broken in thirds).
I only do this to get a preliminary idea of how much paste is on compared to the surface area.
I don't go all the way to the edge, I usually leave a centimeter or two of nonapplied so when it's latched down to the heatsink it will spread the rest!

Tonitonichopchop · Aug 29, 2013

With 3 computers (One laptop and two desktops) I've had the best luck using a pea sized dot in the center then letting the heatsink spread it. No problems with overheating, and it doesn't leave mess.

Hardware Having problems applying Thermal Paste :(

Its okay...Im a ninja ;)

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Its okay...Im a ninja ;)

With your drill, thrust to the sky!

Definitely not Bruce Wayne.

Chibi-neko

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Chibi-neko

With your drill, thrust to the sky!

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"Must Construct Additional Pylons"

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