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    Applying thermal paste

    Discussion in 'Alienware M15x' started by Kratzen, Mar 31, 2011.

  1. Kratzen

    Kratzen Notebook Consultant

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    Hey guys.

    Im thinking about reapplying my thermal paste to reduce heat (and hopefully fan noice when idling).

    I just have a few questions:
    - What brand do you reccomend?
    - Will it void my warranty? And what if I mess up? (I have inaps guide, so hopefully I wont, but still)
     
    Kratzen, Mar 31, 2011
    #1
  2. widezu69

    widezu69 Goodbye Alienware

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    I was using Arctic Silver 5, then I ran out and am using Arctic Cooling MX-4 at the moment. Recommend both as any paste is better than the cheese that Dell use. Don't think it will void your warranty.
     
    widezu69, Mar 31, 2011
    #2
  3. katalin_2003

    katalin_2003 NBR Spectre Super Moderator

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    Doesn't really matter, there's a insignificant difference between brands. I personally use MX-4.
    If you're not comfortable doing it, have Dell do it for you. If you want to do it then patiance is the key. Go slowly, watch the guide as many times you feel like and everything should be fine and fun.

    Cheers
     
    katalin_2003, Mar 31, 2011
    #3
  4. raven evo

    raven evo Notebook Consultant

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    I never repasted before and used Inaps guide,you will be fine using it,really simple to understand.
    I used a total no name brand paste and actually got worse thermal performance on my first try. Then i got MX-3 as it was what i could find locally and got great results,It was suggested i maybe did a bad paste job the first time around and that was the reason for the bad temps but i suggest any branded paste will be good.
     
    raven evo, Mar 31, 2011
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  5. TricksterMatt

    TricksterMatt Notebook Consultant

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    I didn't know you could get a Dell tecchy to come round and paste it for you? Do you recommend pasting straight away as soon as you recieve your Alienware? Or does it not really matter? I'm not overclocking or anything just stock everything and plan on leaving it like this as I only game casually and watch movies and that
     
    TricksterMatt, Mar 31, 2011
    #5
  6. raven evo

    raven evo Notebook Consultant

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    @TricksterMatt.If you tells us what temps your card is running at we could tell you if you need to repast. I bet you don't need to though.the paste job from Alienware isn't a bad job, just many people here like to perfect their system and squeeze every last bit of power out of it they can through OC'ing.
    Saying that repasting you card and getting it to run cooler will still give you benefits like less fan noise, as its not working so much and not wearing down as much either also a cooler machine should live longer.
     
    raven evo, Mar 31, 2011
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  7. alvinkhorfire

    alvinkhorfire Notebook Consultant

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    I have read Inap's guide. My question is how should I apply the thermal paste? Should I use dot method, or cross method? What is the size of the paste I should use? Is pea size good enough?
     
    alvinkhorfire, Mar 31, 2011
    #7
  8. widezu69

    widezu69 Goodbye Alienware

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    I use the pea method, size should be bigger than a grain of rice but smaller than a pea. About the size of a water droplet.
     
    widezu69, Mar 31, 2011
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  9. Gr8gorilla

    Gr8gorilla Notebook Geek

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    There are some very convincing threads that show the Antec Diamond Compounds to be superior to all others, one guy reported almost 10 degrees C difference doing benching on a desktop. That is Amazing.

    The Formula 7 Antec paste is about 20.00 for a 4 gram tube at MicroCenter. Cheaper Online.

    It can't hurt at all to try it!
     
    Gr8gorilla, Mar 31, 2011
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  10. shizdan

    shizdan Notebook Consultant

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    I stick to either AS5 or Zalman STG1 or STG2. Stick with non conductive.
     
    shizdan, Apr 1, 2011
    #10
  11. xeroxide

    xeroxide Notebook Deity

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    arctic silver 5 - an oldie but goodie, very thick... a little difficult to apply, a pain to remove. (didn't like my 5870 for some reason, peforms very badly on it, works great on cpu and 260m)

    ocz freeze - easy to apply, easy to remove. much thinner, good performance.

    antec diamond - never tried, if it's anything like ic7 diamond it's a semi perma solution. removing can damage an exposed core. scratches like sandpaper. i would recommend only using such substances on chips which have a heat spreader (i've had it scratch off the text on a heat spreader if it's any indication of how bad it can be).

    liquid pro - permanent solution, caution... extreme hardcore and crazy only apply. by far the best paste on the market (can i even call it a paste?). improper installation will kill your chip since it's extremely conductive.

    shin-etsu x23 7783d - my personal favorite, easy to apply and remove. works great. in my experience it works just as good as AS5 without the curing in time. been using it for around 9 months now.
     
    xeroxide, Apr 1, 2011
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  12. Indiran

    Indiran Notebook Evangelist

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    Indiran, Apr 2, 2011
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  13. HiHu

    HiHu Notebook Consultant

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    are thermal pads mandatory or thermal paste is enough?
     
    HiHu, Apr 2, 2011
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  14. The Revelator

    The Revelator Notebook Prophet

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    You need both. Paste for the GPU itself and pads for the associated VRAM.
     
    The Revelator, Apr 2, 2011
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  15. The Revelator

    The Revelator Notebook Prophet

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    I've never heard of it, and the claims are pretty over the top. It's also very cheap -- too cheap -- on a comparative basis. You cannot go wrong with MX-4 -- non-conductive, easy to use and spread and extremely effective. Arctic Cooling MX-4 Super High Performance Non-Conductive Thermal Compound (4g) - FrozenCPU.com
     
    The Revelator, Apr 2, 2011
    #15
  16. Indiran

    Indiran Notebook Evangelist

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    Ty Rev :) Huh, message too short :p
     
    Indiran, Apr 5, 2011
    #16