The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Applying thermal paste to video card

    Discussion in 'Asus' started by illway, Dec 27, 2012.

  1. illway

    illway Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Hey folks, I have an N81vp that I purchased a few years back. It's been overheating and I'd like to reapply some thermal paste. I've looked inside the machine and applying the thermal paste to the CPU seems very straightforward. My only concern is with the GPU. Upon pulling out the videocard I noticed that many components had thermal pads on them. When applying new thermal paste I want to remove all said pads and apply thermal paste to those areas, correct? Or am I just removing/reapplying thermal paste to the main component of the GPU?

    My GPU is at 100C under load so hopefully this solution will help.

    Thank you.
     
  2. illway

    illway Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
  3. Prostar Computer

    Prostar Computer Company Representative

    Reputations:
    1,257
    Messages:
    7,426
    Likes Received:
    1,016
    Trophy Points:
    331
    It's a bit difficult to make out in that pictures; you should only need to repaste where the pad meets the GPU. The other areas you have marked "2", "3", and "4", don't appear to have paste (or am I wrong?).
     
  4. illway

    illway Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    2 3 and 4 seem to have some sort of pad but they do not make contact with the copper bar. I'm assuming I just need to take off the old thermal pad marked 1 and apply new paste.
     
  5. James D

    James D Notebook Prophet

    Reputations:
    2,314
    Messages:
    4,901
    Likes Received:
    1,132
    Trophy Points:
    231
    thermal pads can be exchanged on other thermal pads. They are on memory chips.

    Use alcohol to clean main gpu's die (1) and heatsink.
     
  6. illway

    illway Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Thank you, but now it seems that noise is coming from inside my laptop (near the CPU?) when I use an internet browser, i.e. when I open new tabs, change between tabs, scroll through a webpage, etc

    Anyone know why this would be?
     
  7. Prostar Computer

    Prostar Computer Company Representative

    Reputations:
    1,257
    Messages:
    7,426
    Likes Received:
    1,016
    Trophy Points:
    331
    This happens strictly when using a browser? What's the noise sound like? You may have not seated something correctly, and now it's rattling - or a fan is making the noise.
     
  8. illway

    illway Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    It happens when I move around in a browser and when I move around any windows. I'll try to take all the components out and put them back
     
  9. Prostar Computer

    Prostar Computer Company Representative

    Reputations:
    1,257
    Messages:
    7,426
    Likes Received:
    1,016
    Trophy Points:
    331
    Be extremely careful. Make sure you're grounded so you don't short anything when you do this, and try not to flex (bend) the board or any of the components.
     
  10. illway

    illway Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    Thanks. The sound is very high-pitched when I play a game. Do you think it's my videocard making the sound somehow?
     
  11. Prostar Computer

    Prostar Computer Company Representative

    Reputations:
    1,257
    Messages:
    7,426
    Likes Received:
    1,016
    Trophy Points:
    331
    High pitched? Hmm, I don't think I've ever heard a GPU make a noise like that. I'm not sure if what you're hearing is mechanical or otherwise. It might be a fan, but fans tend to make more of a "rattle" kind of noise when the bearing is going out, or when they're dirty.

    Let us know what you find out.
     
  12. illway

    illway Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    91
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    The sound is hard to describe but it's definitely from the GPU. After uninstaling the drivers the sound went away. Sadly though, I cannot access Windows so I'm currenly running my machine off of a flash drive with Ubuntu. I cannot begin to think what I did wrong; I only uninstalled the ATI display drivers and as soon as I restarted I wasn't able to get to my desktop.

    Actually, would you happen to know how to able my onboard graphics? I couldn't find any option to do so in the BIOS. Regardless, I'm assuming I'm running off my onboard graphics at the moment since I'm able to use Ubuntu.

    I attempted to take out the GPU and boot up, assuming my laptop would defer to integrated graphics, but instead I didn't get any video.