[PHOTOGUIDE] Cleaning/Replacing Thermal Compunds (GPU+CPU) on M17x-R2

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Awesome guide man, +rep for your efforts. This will definately come in handy for those wanting to replace the TIM. I also used the same thermal pads from frozencpu.com. I went with IC Diamond on the GPU's. just using AS5 for the CPU since I swap it in and out too often to use expensive stuff.

EDIT: Gotta spread some rep before I can rep you again, but I'll get you back when I can.

 

Good job, Bro!
+1 rep.

 

Great and very helpful photos! +rep !

Btw does replacing memory thermal pads voids the warranty?

 

Thanks bro!

what do you do with your CPUs that you swap it ?
Don't worry about the rep

I wouldn't want to find out
I am quite sure it does, i believe it's discussed on Ash's thread.

 

Thank you very much mfractal for taking the time to put all these together, excellent job. The rep is on its way (it doesn't let me yet)

 

thanks for the pics mfractal. It makes it easier to visualize what has to be done.

One question though, i noticed that your min temperatures are a bit higher for both CPU/GPU. is that your idle temperatures? If not can you show us your idle temperatures because it seems that they have gone a up a few degrees comparing before/after min temperatures.

 

Thats great stuff Mfractal. Love the pics. Great guide. You've inspired me to open up my notebook now and have a look.

Also was just wondering where do I get these thermal pads from online? Any links would be helpful Cheers.
Ebay?

Thanks.

 

The reason for the idle temps being higher than before is because i turned the sensors window when the machine was already under load in the after screenshot.
Here's a screenshot of idle temps :

Good luck opening it, first time takes most time and is the scariest, go slow and you'll be fine

you can get the thermal pads from here : EK Thermal Pad Sheet - 160mm x 155mm x 1mm - FrozenCPU.com

 

Thanks. Yeh I've been watching a lot of the vids online and double checking your pics to see which screws and stuff I have to take out. Cheers.
Thanks for the link.

 

I added some resources to the end of the article, and also linked to Aikimox's mod of the central control cover http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/487914-m17x-r1-r2-safety-mods.html

 

You know what would be great? If you could add this to the Wiki as an entry.

 

Was going to pm you about that
Will do

EDIT : new wiki entry : http://alienwarem17x.wikia.com/wiki/System_Modifications

 

Great work dude . . Thanks

 

well that's weird. i was hoping after 3 days of settle in i will see at least one more degree decrease in temps as all the tests of Shin Etsu report, however, i see the temps stay the same. Could it be ambient temp fluctuations ?

 

To be honest, shin etsu hasn't done as great of a job as I hoped on my CPU. The idle temps are fantastic but load temps get very hot even with the slightest TDP manipulation. I've decided to go back to MX-3 since i had better results with it.

 

One more thing that i am starting to notice is that GPU1 is about 8 degrees warmer than GPU0 when idle. Under load both get to more or less the same temps but when idle the difference is just too big.
What could that mean ? If the heatsink wouldn't sit good or the paste application would've been bad i'd see difference while idle and much more so under load, right ?
Kinda lazy to open it up again, but i think the perfectionist in me won't let it rest. Will reapply the paste (maybe try MX-3) on GPU1.

 

Interesting to see the 4870s had so much headroom for cooling as well!

Guess I know what I need to do now

 

Good job, +1

 

I opened mine 3 times to try fix this.

It looks to me that either the heatsink on the 2nd card isnt as good as the 1st card, or the 1st card is cherry picked to be lower heat and the 2nd card is standard issue.

2nd card will always be hotter as far as I can tell. Not sure why.

-Ash

 

cool. thanks for the heads up
yours is presenting the difference when idle as well ?

 

Yeah, 8c hotter at idle and 4c hotter at load with rivatuner overclock, otherwise its colder at idle.

Before the mod it was 10c hotter at idle and about 8c hotter at load, which is what prompted me to do the mod.

-Ash

 

Funny thing is that before the mod i didn't see the temp difference..

 

Great guide, thanks for your efforts, rep has been added

I will be receiving my replacement M17x in two days, which has an 5870 instead of the 4870 in my current M17x (the 4870 is EOL according to tech support).

I will try mine to see what the stock temps are, and I will run it side by side with my current 4870 to see what the difference is. If I have some time, I will do this mod to my new M17x, the old one goes back, so no mod there...

 

cool, glad it helped!
let me know if you need help with that.

 

Nice write up mfractal +1 when i can

 

Thanks for this wonderful guide.

 

sure thing!

enjoy!

 

Wow, I just did a quick FurMark run on my replacement R2, with the (single) 5870, and within 5 minutes I was in the high 90s, and when I shut it down I had reached 103.5C

I definately need to check the card and do some kind of mod, as this is pretty high. The 4870 in my other system gets to 93C and not much higher.

 

You can expect the 4870 to reach low 70 max after the mod.
Above 100 degrees is getting dangerous, I don't think it should get that high. I'd contact Dell and complain.

 

Yeah, something is definately wrong. When I start FurMark, within seconds it jumps from ~45C to 80+C. Then it steadily climbs upto and over the 100C mark.

I'll have to take this up with Dell.

 

definitely a bad contact between the die and the heatsink.

 

That's what I thought, but my idle temps are normal, even lower than on my 4870. I would expect those to be on the high side as well.

Maybe I will open her up and have a look for myself.

 

Quick question for you. I am a long time builder of water cooled desktop PCs so I know a fair amount about the cooling and what not for those parts, however this laptop is the first gaming laptop I have owned.

my question is I noticed you used a ton of TIM on the CPU. Is that normal for a non HS application? I use the same Shin Etsu on all my desktops, it really is great stuff.

Thanks for your efforts.

 

actually i didn't use a lot, it might look that way on the picture...
Application of shin etsu is not very easy as you probably know, so what i do is put a fair amount and then use a credit card to flatten it and then i wipe the excess that builds on the sides.
The pictures i took might have been before that so it seems like a lot.

 

Okay fair enough. I usually use the dab in the middle and let the Heat Sink spread it method for my Desktop HS applications. Do you find thinning it/spreading it out works better for this? Just curious if anyone has tested different application methods on these things.

Think I will tear her apart this weekend and try a couple mounts.

 

I used Tuniq-TX 3 my temps are fantastic max high 60's CPU(1.6 base/2.8 max TB) and low 60's GPU(550/888) without an OC with OC low 80's CPU(1.84base/3.12ghz max TB) and low 70's GPU (675/1150)

 

Quick question, does changing the paste and pads voids the warranty or just the clip modification from Ash?

 

Only what they can prove or notice will void it

 

Scook, I understand your point but I'll rather not do anything "illegal" in the eyes of Dell.

I am not sure why changing the paste would void the warranty since their paste is awful and they are aware of it.

 

I have never heard of changing the paste causing any problems. Pads should also be ok. Clip mod however would be risky.

 

Clip mod is easily reversible and leaves no trace of being there if done so.

-Ash

 

I changed the paste and thermal pads yesterday on my R1. Everything is good and better except one:

GPU 1(Slave):

- GPU TS1 MemIO.

The temps of this sensor goes up to around 95 under load while all other on that card stay around 68 to 70 degrees.

What did I do wrong?

Thanks for the help.

My CPU temps are much better, I would say 10 to 15 degrees lower on Furemark and GPU one is about 10 degrees lower, GPU 2 is also about 10 degrees lower except for the GPU TS1 MemIO.

Remember I only changed paste and pads, I did not do any clip mod or anything else.

 

Did you miss a mem chip with the pads? or forget to remove the paper?

 

I know I did not forget the paper, I doubled checked everything before putting it back together.

Could be an air bubble?

 

i'd redo this card again - thermal paste and pads all over and i bet your problem will be solved

 

Will redo that card tonight.

GPU 1 is the slave card, is that the one one the right or left?

 

it's the one on the right
good luck

 

Thanks.


10 char

 

I just finished re-doing the card, it's perfect. I still cannot believe how much difference the paste makes.

Why doesn't Dell use a better paste? It makes no sense...