[Alienware 17R4 / 15R3] - Disassembly + Repaste Guide + Results

Thanks! I will have to bend the one cpu arm so all cores show equal temps right? Cant really find anything on youtube

 

And Mr. Azor said the other OEM's laptop models had and would use restricted graphics TDP What planet has he been on?

 

Yes, but more importantly, check to make sure that your heat sink plate over the CPU chokes are not bottoming out. Any resistance there will cause two of your cores to run very hot.

 

The Asus right now is schooling some desktops....very impressive. There is a sense of freedom with the Asus for a bga machine and the characteristics feel more like a lga/mxm, strength wise. The AW before the vbios would just crumble and fall to its knees.

The real test will be when the AW17R4/7820HK/GTX1080 w/ new vbios launches here on the 13th. Can it stand on its two feet like the Asus? We'll find out...

 

Sorry this is the first time i repasted in like 10 years, are you saying the cpu heatsink should be pushed down until its flat (press down on thermal pads?).

 

Well yea the cpu heatsink should be flat on the cpu, you know even contact pressure and all that good stuff.

 

Isn't the new vBios out now? Umar bragging about that vBios is now maxing the graphics. No need for 7820 for benching. Just max out 6820BGA. Or is the older Skylake models now put in the dark?

 

You guys are awesome! Thank you, will give it another try tomorrow.

 

No it's not in the dark. I'm still working on the Skylake variant on the new vbios to break 19K in Fire Strike. Work still in progress...

The 7820Hk model will just be icing on top of what the Skylake can already do.

::iunlock::

 

All I can see, is Mr. Azor's hired firmware employees again playing with HYBRID BATTERY BOOST FUNCTIONALITY

 

I've bought a second hands AW 15R3 (delivered 6 November 2016) with I7 6700HQ and GTX1060, and honestly I like the laptop from hardware perspective. The build quality is very good and the looks are very great.
I've read and watched some reviews and they where positive about the laptop, that's why I bought it, and 1200€ for this config (i7 6700HQ, GTX1060 6GB, 256SSD, 1TB HDD, 16GB RAM) was a nobrainer. After I bought it I've come across this thread but it seems that I haven't any real heating problems, only having a huge difference on the specific cores (18 °C).

All testing is done with ambient temp of 22°C.
My temps with CPU under full load are max 83-67-77-65 with average 72-60-68-59 on stock speeds.
When I undervolt with -200mV on core and cache and -85mV on iGPU I get max 65-57-63-55 and average 60-53-57-52, the fan is also pretty quiet then. When I lift the back with 2cm it stays around the same but the laptop stays very quiet.

When I stess the GPU, the temp of the GPU reaches 69°C max, which is still acceptable I think. With the back lifted it only comes to 65 degrees. The GPU is stock and reaches 1911/4004MHz.

However, I'm not scared to take the laptop apart and repaste with thermal paste as I did that with desktop's before and the AW 15R3 is quite simpel as the fans aren't attached to the heatsink. Grizzly Kyronaut will be easiest to get as I'm from Belgium. Liquid paste is something I would prefer to stay away if this isn't realy needed.

Will this reduce the core difference without changing anything on the heatsink, I also prefer to not change the thermal pads? Will this reduce the temp of CPU/GPU further? Or is the gain too small to perform a repaste.

What do you mean with this? No idea what CPU chokes are...

 

I could be wrong but I think he means the screws that hold down the heatsink. If 2 on one side are tighter than the other side it would take off pressure and cause one side to lift causing higher temperatures on 1 or 2 cores.

 

No the Chokes are the VRMs (the black chips sticking up quite a way just above CPU and single heatsink arm)

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My bad. Sorry

 

My bad. Sorry

 

I have a question for someone. I recently re-pasted my AW 15 R3 with Grizzly Kryonaut but the temperatures didn't get a lot better. I was hitting 95C before and now I'm still hitting 90 and 91C. I'm just wanting to get an opinion on it if you think I did a bad job and should try again or if there are other steps I should take? I already under-volted and re-pasted. My core differential temperatures are all within 2-3 degrees of each other so I don't have that issue at least.

 

How often does need to repaste again after first repaste?

 

Bad job I'm afraid, what's your core differential? Redo it and this time focus on heatsink sitting flat on the die before tightening up

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Core differential is good on this laptop. Most I've seen is 4 or 5 degrees difference. It's best to use the line method on the cpu and pea-dot on the gpu correct? Because that's what I did.

 

Could it possible be that the heat sink is not fitting well?


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Using grizzly Conductonaut LM then never. It doesn't degrade anyway like regular paste

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Lol that's the least of your worries. Getting the heatsink to sit flat on the CPU and GPU die and stay flat on both as you screw it up is better advice than any of that rubbish

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Ok. Any suggestions? Should I be pushing down on the heatsink as I screw it on?

 

Yep exactly but it's tricky because you only have two hands and you need 3. Best way I found was to get the screws to byte a bit first (see guide in my sig under LM repaste link)

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Ok thanks. I'll give it a try tonight.

 

Alright so I re-pasted and the temps are better again but I've come to the conclusion that the rubber feet on the bottom of the laptop doesn't elevate the laptop well enough. When I propped the laptop up the temps stay in the low 70s while gaming, when I place it flat on a desk It hit's about 85C max. Anyone else agree with me?

 

Yes I agree. It should be propped up. Get yourself a laptop cooler to elevate it

 

I just got a new AW 17r4 and saw this forum.
I bought the fujipoly and Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut paste since I was scared of the Conductonaut and frying my brand new machine.
It is on its way and was going to put it on this weekend.
Watching more videos I am starting to regret going with Kryonaut before it is even here. The Conductonaut doesn't look that hard to do.

Am I going to regret Kryonaut over Conductonaut in the long run or is Kryonaut good enough?
Has anyone noticed reduced fan noise? I was hoping that repasting would help reduce the fans too.

 

Which BIOS version do you have?

 

I upgraded to the latest S1.0.12_K1.0.5 and the vbios 86.04.5B.00.8F.
I have the QHD panel and noticed the banding issue with it so I may hold off on repaste to find out what that fix may involve.

 

You will regret it if you overclock and yes fan noise is much less!

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I'm searching all materials to perform a repaste on my AW15 R3, delivered 6/11/2016 with the i7 6700HQ and GTX1060 GPU. So no overclocking possible, I already undervolt and will keep doing that (-185 CPU and -85 mV GPU).
As I understand the thermal pads on the chokes needs to be replaced with 0.1mm pads to even out the heatsink? Or is this only for the AW17R4? I don't have heat problems but when standaard I have core differentials up to 18°C.
As my fans aren't attached to the heatsink I can first try with the smaller thermal pads, if this doesn't help I might redo the repaste and bend the CPU arm.

I can easily find Grizzly Kyronaut but fulipoly thermal pads aren't easy to get in Europe. I've noticed that Thermal grizzly has thermal pads as well, they are 8W(mk) but that will to the job also I think. High chanches this is way better than what Dell uses. Is my assumption right?

But you always have to tighten the screws in multiple go's to even the pressure. Never fully turn in 1 screw and than the next one. For such things you can always ask someone to hold the heatsink down .

But that will be also the case with Kyronaut, fans will spin less.
I hear the difference (stressed) between standaard, undervolted and undervolted + lifted very well. In the latter case it is even stressed whisper quiet.

 

Well I broke the pads right off the killer wifi card.
New intel 8260 on the way

How can I make sure the little metal rings out out of the antenna wire connectors?

 

Ask @iunlock. I think he managed to pull some out

 

To @Grilelan: I used a needle to remove the broken clips, it was suggested by @judal57. We did a long conversation on how to remove it.
Use the needle through the small slit right below the antenna connector. Use a little force to pull it out using small needle.

 

Be very careful though as the gold connector is clipped inside of the wires main frame piece so if that gold tension ring comes off... It's almost impossible to get back in.



::iunlock::

 

I ended up getting the wires off and back on quite easily on my first 17r4.

When my second 17r4 came in I actually thought I would try this without removing the wires.... It was quite easy! The card just slips through between the fan and mobo. No reason I saw to take them off.

At that... I currently have the 1435 killer in my 17r4. The 1535 in my 17r3 is great. Never a problem, I know that must be rare. But, I do want to replace the 1435 in the 17r4. Is the Intel 8260 currently the best known card at the moment? ... I know this is off topic but thought I'd ask as the subject was approached.

 

I used the LM on my desktop and it's super easy to spread. Don't know why so many saying it's hard to spread it. Temps are amazing.

 

try intel 8265 it is the best atm. Killer 1535 is a good option too.

 

Intel 8265 is pretty much the same as the 8260, with the exception of a few bells and whistles like mimo support etc...and a lot cheaper.

 

I just test my temps with ooct and after 2 kryonaut repast i still have nearly 20°C core differential (core 0 and 3). I don't have the 0,1mm thick thermal pad, is it worth doing a third repast removing the dell 0,5mm on the chokes ? or not ? thanks

 

yes absolutely. This is100% the cause of the large differential and has been discussed here many times.also try and bend the CPU arm

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Yes, remove the thermal pads all together...that's the best shot that you have to get close to evening out the contact....

 

Any updates on using a copper shim on the cpu? Someone used a 0.5mm shim and shared his experience here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/5dod26/my_alienware_17_r4_experience_temps_and_methods/

Thoughts?

 

It will work.

 

Has anyone tried cutting out the necessary pieces out of a single 60x50mm fujipoly sheet instead of two 100x15mm? The area is the same for the two, but the 60x50 is considerably cheaper.

 

Thanks for the aswer. I Already bend the arm. I'll try this week without these pads.

 

Shouldn't you put some thermal paste instead than in place of the pads?
Does this also count for the 15R3?

 

Absolutely not. That would not end in a desirable result. It is not vital that they are actively cooled. My original 15R3 actually came without the pads out of the box.

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OK.
So I only need thermal pads of 1.0 and 0.5mm? I probally can measure them with a micrometer or something (I have those tools lying around).
I've found thermal pads of grizzly (in Germany) and they are rated 8W(mk), I think these will be good enough?
Fuljipoly is not easy to get your hands on in Europe...