Thermal pad and paste Question.

Planning to replace paste and pads. I'm wondering if it's safe to use thermal paste on my GPU memory instead of using thermal pads. I can't find any good thermal pads at all.

 

Get pads from frozencpu.com Thats where I got mine. I wouldn't recommend putting paste on the memory, though I know others have. I don't think it'll cause a problem, but I figure theres a reason paste isn't used in the first place.

 

yeah, the reason is no matter what kind of paste it is, it's going to droop and fall off the sides, espically considering the higher gap distance compared to it's intended application. It then drops right down the sides of the ram chip which have exposed solder points unlike a cpu where everything is dipped in silicon protectant. If you use paste, you'd want to use something like ASC that's as non-conductive as possible. You'll want 1.0mm gap pads for the ram heatsinks on the GPUs and the moffset point on the CPU heatsink, the PM55 chipset uses a .5mm gappad.

 

thanks. ended up buying EK. there really isn't a lot of options when it comes to thermal pads.

 

Thats what I'm using as well. That and IC Diamond on the GPU core. The pads are much better then stock dell pads. Also less sticky and don't collect dirt like the dell ones.

 

i ended up getting the fujipoly for its slightly higher watt/mk rating.
still waiting for my card though >.<

 

I would imagine the EK stuff has a pretty high w/cmk ratting considering it's designed for waterblocks and ram/ components that run *a lot* hotter than in our laptops. I didn't see any noticeable differences from just switching them. The washer mod seems to be a better avenu for reducing temps if that's your goal. You don't have to use paste, .5mm pads will give at least a 10C reduction, and if I can ever get my computer back I'm going to go in with a feeler gauge to get the exact size needed so I won't have to use paste but can still get the 20-30C drop.

 

i was thinking of using a .5mm pad on the die of the gpu also. i'm gona do some testing.

 

Only if you want to melt it.

Really, do NOT do this. You are sure to kill the card.

-Ash

 

Yes, +1. PLEASE do not use a pad on the die.

 

I would be surprised if it melted, or killed the card it's not *that* bad as a Tim. that said yeah, definitally shouldn't be using it

 

I'm getting my M17x R2 tomorrow and I'm curious as to whether or not I should change all of the pads / paste? Due to a surgical issue, I don't have much fine dexterity so I'd have to hire out a tech to do it. My concern is that a) the stock stuff isn't good enough, and b) I have cats and I don't want the stock sticky pads to dry out if my cat hair manages to make its way inside (I keep the machine in a room the cats aren't allowed in).

Should I wait a few months to make sure that the computer doesn't have any problems? Will it void the warranty?

 

I would wait till you get the machine and put it through all its paces before i started worrying about it..

The cat hair will never get on the pads when the pads are in the machine since they are pressed between the card and the heatsink... If you remove the stock pads just store them away(in a zip lock bag or something of that nature) in a safe place incase you ever have to reuse them for warranty work or whatever...

 

Does changing the pads / paste void the warranty? On a more related note, I thought that paste was always the way to go over pads. I was told pads are inferior.

 

i believe it does, but you don't really have to mention it...

 

I sent my refurb 5870s with shin-etsu and EK thermal pads back ~ 3 weeks ago and haven't heard anything yet. Unless its apparent that it blew up during say, an overclocking session, I don't think they really care.

 

agreed, the problem is when you actively mention it to the rep when troubleshooting.

 

lol yeah that would definitally be a no-no

'oh yeah it stopped working right after I re-applied the thermal paste and thermal pads'

tech
'hmm okay, can I put you on hold? I have to speak with my supervisor for a second'

 

LOL

The reason i mentioned it is because there were such cases

 

The goal of the paste is to fill any imperfections in the heatsink/die in order to maximize heat transfer, but otherwise you want as much contact from the die to the copper heatsink. Therefore the pad would probably be a pretty bad idea unless it's cold in your room and your trying to save on the heating bill

 

Hello. You guys mentioned that we shouldn't put a thermal pad on the GPU die. However, my Dell Studio 1535 uses thermal pads on both GPU die and memory. So can I get a new piece of thermal pad to replace the stock ones? Thanks.

 

Yes you can get aftermarket thermal pads to replace them for the memory ONLY. I suggest using arctic cooling Mx-3 for the actual Die.

 

Anyway, really sorry for hijacking this thread.

I tried applying some thermal paste onto the GPU die and the temperature went up. Most probably the gap between the die and the heatsink is too big. Hence, there is no proper contact between them. I guess the only way is to get a replacement thermal pad.

 

That's a serious design flaw if it's really the case.
Could you post some pictures of the heatsink and the gpu?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/att...io-1535-overheating-cooling-solutions-fan.jpg

The thermal pad for the GPU die is the one directly below the fan. Picture by ocsnake from this forum.

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/315127559/Dell-Studio-15-1535-1537-Laptop-Intel-Motherboard-P172H.jpg

The GPU die is the one above the curvy part of the motherboard.

Considering that the copper mod as a replacement for a thermal pad is very famous in this forum, doesn't this mean that having a thermal pad on the GPU die is very normal?

 

You can get thermal pads here : | Page 1 | Sort By: Product Title A-Z - FrozenCPU.com
not sure if you need the 1mm or 0.5mm
have you considered the copper mod as well?

 

Does changing the pads void your warranty?

also, what kind of temp drops can i expect to see by replacing the pads?

 

It does technically void your warranty afaik.
Changing the pads won't get you a drastic change in temps unless you fix a bad contact with the new pads.

 

Yeah. I was thinking of doing the copper mod. The problem is that I'm not living in the US and I don't know where to look for a copper shim.

As for getting a thermal pad from FrozenCPU.com, I'm tempted but the shipping really costs a bomb. It's way more expensive than the item itself!

I've found someone selling 3M thermal pads with thickness of 1.5mm. However, the thermal conductivity is not as good as the ones sold in FrozenCPU.com. Guess I can live with that as it should be miles ahead of Dell's stock thermal pads. The thickness doesn't really matter a lot since it can be compressed, right? I think I'll go for it.

 

actually the thickness does matter, you can make the situation worse with thicker than necessary pads.
I suggest you ask around in the studio forum what's the right thickness..

 

Thanks a lot for your time! Posted a thread in the Dell Studio subforum.

 

Sure, no problem. I am sure you'll get more tips and tricks on that thread from people who are more familiar with your specific model.

 

hi guys, so i am going to replace the paste of my sli gtx 280 as stated in title and i have couple questions:

1. after i loosen the 4 screw of the heatsink, do i have to use brute force to open it? this is because i find it really tight even after loosing the 4 screws.

2. am i supposed to replace the paste on the gpu chip only? wad about the RAM?

3. do i have to replace the thermal pad after i open it? or isit still useable and i can just put it back after replacing the paste on the gpu?

4. anything that MUST be replaced once i remove the heatsink?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...ll-internal-cooling-mod-huge-improvement.html
Specifically for 5870m video cards, but the process should be very very similar.

1. Somewhat. Be as gentle as possible. The thermal paste has made a seal with the GPU. Use a small plastic/wood tool and pry very carefully, avoiding any onboard electronics as possible.

2. You have to replace the paste on the GPU once you've removed the heatsink. IIRC Dell uses pads on the RAM. These can be put back on if you'd like. I'd suggest buying newer ones or using thermal paste on the RAM (very small amounts but enough to cover the chip once the heatsink is replaced).

3. Refer to #2.

4. Any thermal paste that was applied prior to the removal has to be completely cleaned off and replaced before you place the heatsink back on.

 

thanks for the reply, +rep

 

I did this to my 260M's and yes the force needed to get them apart is significant as the paste and pads stick the heat sink to the chips. Try starting at one corner and firmly but slowly pry them apart...hold the force for a few seconds to give the pads (especially) time to give up and separate. Sort of like pealing off a label from a package. Slow and firm pressure is the key! Do NOT bend the circuit boards. Do NOT damage the VERY sensitive devices on them. Hope this helps.

 

thx for the reply, so where should the thermal pads stick onto when i pry it open? the board or the heatsink, or it doesnt matter?

 

Doesn't matter.

 

You want the maximum contact between the two surfaces....so the pad should completely cover the chip and the other side should be completely in contact with the heatsink. I often find OEM pads offset to one side or the other so that only 75% of the material is in contact with both surfaces. So much for quality control...and it ain't just a Dell problem either! As for which to stick the pad to first...do what's easiest...that part truly doesn't matter!