In need of experienced thermal paste Repasters!

I'm considering repasting my ASUS G60JX... It got up to 88C playing borderlands for about 20 minutes

Needless to say i think it might be due for a repaste.

So i have some questions about repasting, things that have been making me apprehensive from "just doin it"

1) When i undo all the screws and the heatsink assembly is ready to come up... Do i have to worry about the old thermal compound being hardened too much? Like if i try to get it off the chips could the chips rip off the board? If so is there a recomended way to try and remove a heatsink assembly from the chips? (In the Asus G60JX the heatsink assembly compensates for both the CPU and GPU with 1 fan.

2) When putting it back together, do i have to worry about getting enough pressure back on the chip? Or should just screwing it back together put enough pressure from the heatsink to the chips. (On PS3's there is a bit of an issue when putting them back together and getting the heatsink and chips making contact.

3) I just use a dot method right? That way there are no airgaps?

4) Does using thermal paste that is a couple years old a bad thing to do? I have a tube of some Arctic silver 5 that i bought for when i repasted my old PS3. That tube is now about 2 years old.

I think that's all for now.

Thanks

 

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Oh yeah forgot all about that giveaway free ICD 24 thats like Christmas.

1. Yes you may do but normally the dry stock compound should be pretty brittle by now and the heatsink should come up quite easy. ICD is a pain in the rear because of its watered down concrete characteristics so try to apply it correctly and it will do wonders but the stock paste should be no issue. Undo the screws and gently twist it free very gently do not just yank it up or you could end up with something attached to it which shouldn't be.

2. Nope especially if you are using ICD line it up and POW stick it back on top and the screw it in as numbered 1-2-3-4.

3. Yup a 2-3mm blob of ICD slap bang right in the middle. Job done.

4. Shouldn't do just squeeze a bit out and make sure it has not gone green as long as it comes out of the tube you can use it, however you might like to consider ICD it does wonders for quick easy paste jobs, gives very good results and if there is a slight gap which some laptops do see from pads, badly made heatsink etc it will fill that gap in for you.

Finally before you consider doing this if you are not confident firstly research but also realise that 88oC is not all that bad to be honest. I say 90oC+ is a worthy temperature for a GPU as they dont near a fried egg till around 110oC. However it might be a good idea if you intend to keep the laptop and maybe for any overclocks you are using.

good luck.