Why the poopy thermal pads?

well i got my alienware serviced for a diying 7970m, during the service I saw the tech use the thermal pad over the gpu ( the usual )

after the tech left I thought to my self, let me see how much worst these thermal pad's really are.

(ran each run for 30 mins loop )

I fired up Just Cause 2 ran the benchmarks got 76C of a max temp ( measured with HWINFO64)

took the beast apart applied a pea size drop of MX4 , achieved a max temp of 64C on the same bench, that's a 12C difference on load, which is a huge difference.

What really get's me is we spend so much money on our alienware laptop's, yet they use cheap heat pad's over the core die's on the GPU and cpu to cool the hottest components on our valuable laptop's.

The difference in the outcome less degradation on the components with less heat therefore improving the lifespan of the system just by changing the thermal pad to a proper thermal paste.
12C reduction in full load temps can give the system a few more years of life.

why does dell still use this stuff on their systems, when they perfectly know that paste does hell of allot better job, maybe its just for idiot proofing the tech? lol

feel free chime in, I really think dell's alienware standards should be much higher than a crummy thermal pad.

 

Actually the stuff they use is quite expensive. I sat in on a conferance call with the lead Alienware Graphics engineer and this was his explanation.

The stuff used is like a paste pad. This works because it doesn't dry out as quickly as standard thermal paste. Since most Dell cosumers are not looking to tear apart and repaste thier machines, dell has invested in this pad so that the TIM on the components lasts a lot longer. After a year or so of heavy use, thermal paste will dry out and become less effective. While the pad may not have the best temps, it makes up for in longevity.

Thats according to the lead Alienware Graphics engineer . Take it for what its worth.

 

I can understand "most dell consumers" don't care, but honestly when your buying alienware you expect performance.

wow, that came from a lead engineer from dell, what kind of monkeys are up in that place lol
do they know the longevity of Artic Cooling MX4 paste?

Perhaps dell's engineers are burning money in the wrong area's.

 

Well you also have to think how many alienware systems are sold, vs. how many are actually expecting to take apart the system. Having a GPU top out around 78°C-80°C really isn't bad and is well within the acceptable range. Obviously those overclocking, tweaking and modding the system will be more inclined to repaste annually. I know I do so on my X7200. Infact repasted it lastnight with ICD However, my wifes inspiron and other standard computers around the house have yet to be repasted.

 

The benefits of using paste don't outweigh those of the easy to fit pads basically.

Sent from my HTC Sensation using Tapatalk 2

 

Pads are generally used for one reason that I see, its much easier to ensure a consistent result with a pad compared to paste.

 

If you've paid attention to this M17x forum for a while, you will see many people really don't have any clue about their system, leave alone taking it apart for repasting and stuff. So unless 100% M17x owners know the bay 0 and 1 on their R4 are SATA 3 and the mSATA + optical drive are SATA 2, then you can talk about better paste .

 

Teach them the difference between SATA II and SATA III first

 

IMO, the only thing the pad is good for is idiot proofing the tech's, so you would think lol. When I had my M15x, I had tech put a thermal pad over the old one's...when he put it all together I told him " you think it was a smart idea to put two thermal pads over the GPU die and cpu die " he had the pissed off smirk on his face and I told him " don't worry I think you done enough damage" he also scratch my screen and had extra screws after putting together, so I was pissed and got a replacement M17x R4 for it, so I worked out alright in the end I guess.

 

Hi, I'm wondering just what the tech used. I was on the call dr650se mentions as well and when the engineer talked about the dell 'phase changing' paste used on the core being better than 3rd party paste it generated a LOT of discussion . He was very knowledgeable and talked about the thermal characteristics of the whole machine (R3).

I've had a couple of new cards from dell and the gpu paste was pre-applied. Kind of like a thin layer of putty. There was also a syringe of paste in the box. When I asked the engineer what it was for (as all the pads were pre-applied as well) he said it was for use if the putty was damaged.

I cant see this type of paste being available in a pad (it looked like machine applied) but the AMD may be different