M17x-R3 CPU & GPU Re-Pasting Guide w/Pics!

Max temps I got in SC2 on Ultra/1080 was 64 on the cpu and 65 on the gpu. The max temps I get when running Prime95+Furmark are the 70's like I posted in the OP.

 

64 is mighty good then, I assume?

 

Considering most GPU's running roughly a 25% overclock, at Ultra/1080 would be in the 70-80's or higher I think it's pretty good

 

At stock settings for cpu and gpu, Ultra/1080p, what would your average temps be?

 

Hi
Someone Can Help me, I want the best thermal paste for my new gtx485m that I will receive.
( like is it good the Cooling Diamond "24 Carat" Thermal Compound ) or not?

Is it useless changing the Pads???

My objective it's having the lowest t* for my R3 when i will up the GPU for a 485m.

Thanks for help

 

Dane said that the icd can damage your gpu. So he preferred using MX-4.

 

icdiamond is a great paste, but i wouldn't recommend it for first timers. i suggest something easy to use and non-conductive. like mx-4, mx-3, ocz freeze and etc.

 

What do you mean by not for first timers? Icd is also a non-conductive paste.

 

icdiamond has been known to scratch the die, if not used correctly. so its not very noob friendly.

 

Do you have any idea on what applying procedure can scratch your die with icd?

 

its mostly from sliding your heatsink around. with icdiamond you only want to go straight down on the die. Quadizilla has first hand experience with icdiamond scratching his cpu.

 

Oh. Did he make a thread about it? Can you post the link if he did? Thanks.

 

we were just chatting in some random thread, it was ages ago so i don't know where to look for it. but you can prolly pm him for more info.

 

Okay, Thanks. Didn't know that there was an actual incident the really scratched the gpu die. Well, It's really safer to use the mx-4 and it's cheaper. Its probably the best paste you can get out there.

 

Hmm ok^^ but I already upgrade some i7 on my build system and in some asus laptop but never done with a Gpu for laptop.
So one of the best you concil me is mx-4 right? because
I read so many are using the artic silver 5..
:?
Also, do I need to replace the pads, is it really usefull??

 

Artic silver is good. But the mx-4 is better. i haven't tried to replace the stock pads and probably never will.

 

Is MX-4 creamy or more pasty? ICD sounds like its pasty and has rough texture or something.

 

MX-4 is a thick creamy type texture, TX-4 is about the same just a bit thinner consistency, ICD I have no idea but it's main ingredient is ground up diamond hence the scratches some users have had from moving the heatsink on the die.

 

Yah, sounds just like how I imagined it Thanks bud!

 

So DaneGRClose, I will put MX-4 but Do i need to change the pads or it's useless, because you know, the gtx485m become easly warm, so I need to cold it at maximum as I can :/ .... I need help for that.

 

Honestly I would replace them, the ones Dell uses are alright but it can always be better. If you're going to do any heavy OCing or benching it's a must do to replace both the paste and pads IMO. If you want a recommendation on pads go with the Fujipoly premium pads from frozencpu.com. The biggest reason I'd recommend it is that the Nvidia cards have Vram on both sides of the board so it's best to keep it as cool as possible.

 

Ok thanks, bu wich one do i need for the gpu?
( sorry for that ask :/ ) but there are so many ( about size ) i dont know which of them or the only one i need to buy..?
And my Gpu was shipped this morning (but from austrlia wirh dhl express)

 

Please keep us updated with your (hopeful) success @installing, using, and OCing....and 3D performance with the 485!

 

Bump, lol.

So what are the best pads for the M17x and has anybody else repadded it?

 

I personally bought the 0.5mm pads. Seems like the size a lot of people recommend.

 

yep, you will need some 0.5 for a gtx485m but on the heatsink, there are some 2mm, 1mm and 0.5mm.

 

I see. Well I want to replace all the pads so I need to know what sizes I need on the 6970M.

 

So from what I've concluded, MX4 for GPU die, and 0.5mm pads for the memory. I think that should work. Worst case scenario double layer the pads if its not thick enough.

 

Yes that is what I will do.

Is this what everyone buys? Fujipoly Premium System Builder Thermal Pad - 1/4 Sheet - 150 x 100 x 0.5 - Thermal Conductivity 6.0 W/mK - FrozenCPU.com


http://www.fujipoly.com/assets/files/Fujipoly_Catalog.pdf#page=18

These look better. Go to page 18. The XR-J pads are supposed to be the best ones. The Gr-m is what is sold on frozencpu.com

 

yes zergslayer69 and yes Bartlett^^

 

Bump because anyone serious enough to drop a fair amount of dough on an alienware needs to take care of their system to the max.

 

So what should I be doing? I have the 3year warranty+accidental and I don't OC. Folks told me not to worry about temps+buying a cooler, cuz I don't OC, so do I need to get MX3/MX4/TX4/thermal pads?

 

Nah it's not required. It's more for people who are OCD about keeping their electronics in tip top condition and as far away from any issues as possible. Plus lower temps means less heat overall.

Based on the original pre paste temp, the idle temp is like 10c over my 460 max load temp (63) on stock paste and clocks. While neither numbers need any worrying, it's just peace of mind knowing you applied the paste correctly if you can drop temps significantly.

 

So double posting so I can bump. And to follow up on my results. I have the R3 with the 3D 460gtx. Using openhardwaremonitor, my original max GPU temp after running furmark for 30 mins was 65C (before repaste). After repaste, temps peaked at 63C. I also put new pads on.

As for CPU, I have the 2720. Before repaste, running intel burn test for 30 mins, the max temps were 72, 75, 79, 77. After repaste and running the same test, max temps are 68, 71, 71, 70.

Pretty good results. Either I put too much paste on the gpu or the 460 is just already cool running in a good cooling system, or I dunno why the temp drop was so small. However for the cpu, pretty good results I'd say.

I used the arctic cooling mx4, and I used the 0.5mm pads that has been recommended over and over.

 

LOLZ. Is NBR's search thingy that bad? I sometimes use google and type "notebookreview" after the query to find what I'm looking for.

 

I did the CPU today, and I ended up putting on to much paste, so I removed it to redo. To my surprise the contact on between the CPU and the heatsink was less than half. This wasn't due to using to much paste in this case. I wish I took a photo to post on here but I forgot, then you know what I mean.

The second time I used far less paste. Not sure what the contact is like, it might of been better to use more? The parts in and around the CPU cooling system must not flush in my system, what part exactly who knows?

With the cores fully loaded after 10 mintues max on all core was 70c-73c, is this abour right for a CPU re-paste?

UPDATE: Beware before doing this to your CPU, if yours turn out like mine, you could have a core(s) running 13c hotter than the others. The original TIM pad in my case was allowing thermal contact over the entire CPU, filling in the gap on one side.
Now with the thermal paste, due to uneven surface mount (could be not flush socket, bad heatsink surface, or anything else) only one side of my CPU is making contact with CPU heatsink, the other side is relying on the paste to bridge the gap, which is worse than a TIM pad.

 

Don't know if mine is uneven like yours, never bothered to look.

As for the search, I'm sure lots of people will go through jet the first few pages and then maybe start a new thread. So keeping this bumped helps those who are lurking.

 

I tried to get the heatsink and GPU out of the unit after removing the GPU fan. This thing is stuck in there soild.
Is there any easy way to seperate it without damage, will the stock thermal pads be re-usable if I just want to re-paste the GPU core only?

 

isnt there a curing time with mx-4? and also do i have to replace my pads the computer is only a month or 2 old.. right now my gpu idles at 71 c and my cpu idles at 50-54 c

 

try ICDIAMOND 7!!no cure time.best paste ever.my gpu and cpu temps dropped down 9-10 degrees.

 

ICD is pretty cheap considering Clevo wants like $40 to do it for you with just a drop of it.

My 6990m after the repaste I maxed out at 71C in furmark. Did not test too much before but thats a great temp for furmark!

 

what room temp u have??

 

Great guide!
Is ICD 7 better than Shin-Etsu X23?

 

I gave it my first go last night and did lower my temps (by about 4C under load) but I think I can do better based on what I read here.

I used the guide, though the AMD GPU's are different than what is in the guide (rectangular not square). I also noticed that there were a bunch of thick thermal pads on the underside of the GPU heatsink on the section most towards the center of the laptop, beyond the GPU memory. I stacked a few layers of .5 mil fujipoly in there to replace those, but wasn't 100% sure on what to do there.

Also, it's hard to tell how much thermal compound I should use from the pics. I was using MX-4, which I see a lot of people online using the spread or "credit card" method to apply.

Any advice?

 

The problem I see with the dash of thermal compound in the middle and then put the heatshink on, is that it might not cover the whole core and therefor temperatures might not be as low as it could have been.
I always use the credit method to apply the thermal compound evenly before putting the heatsink.

 

It's actually got better I think. Maybe it just had to break in a bit. While running prime95 and FurMark at the same time and sitting on my Zalman cooler, my stable temps aer 68C for the GPU and 70C for the CPU.

 

awesome guide, thanks

 

[M] ARCTIC COOLING MX-4 Thermal Compound Review

 

I repasted mine today with Shin Etsu, was really hoping to drop idle temps down some as mine seems to sit around 50ish CPU, 55ish GPU, those numbers didn't change. Unfortunately I didn't get a max temp stress testing, but my CPU is now at 78C with Prime95, and Heaven 2.5 maxed the GPU at 73C, not overclocked.

 

Download Furmark...this is the best tester for GPU..it will heat it up fast.

I'm stabilizing @ 67c after 4 mins of furmark extreme burn-in test (it will jump up slightly at first until the fans kick in, then the temps go down a few degrees)