Do you need to reapply thermal paste if you drop a new CPU into M1210?

As in the title: do you need to reapply thermal paste if you drop a new CPU into M1210?

 

If you replace the CPU, yes. There really isn't that great of a need to put on a new thermal paste other than the stock thermal pad, but the thermal pad can not be reused, so if you take out the CPU you need to clean it off of the heatsink and apply some new thermal paste.

 

so you mean, I need to remove the thermal pad and add some thermal paste?
That sounds like more than what I am willing to do...

 

Whats so hard about that. If your willing to replace the CPU, how could you not be willing to spend $2.00 on a tube of thermal paste, and take 5 minutes to remove the pad and put more paste on? Its really not that hard.

 

Use Arctic Silver 5.

 

I would suggest use Shin Etsu X23-7783D for lower temperateur components (sub 50C when full loading) and Arctic Silver 5 for higher temperateur components.

 

It is not that I am not willing to do it. It is that I am worried about replacing the thermal pad with thermal paste would not be as efficient. So I guess I should wait for DELL to install MEROM in 1210.

Plus, I've never installed a CPU before and do not know how to apply thermal paste

 

so buy another thermal pad instead. Thermal paste is a better conductor but if you cant maintain the needed tension like a desktop heatsink has then a pad is much better.

 

I'd go with thermal paste like AS5 (Artic Silver 5). Your CPU will run cooler with AS5 then with just a thermal pad. A small tube of AS5 should set you back no more than $10.

 

The paste is very easy to apply. You just squirt a small amount on the top of the CPU and spread it out with your finger sufficiently. It doesn't have to be perfect because the heatsink will slowly spread it out on its own.

 

Yes you do

 

It will be MORE effecient. All the more reason to do it

 

Is it possible to use thermal pad AND thermal paste together for better efficiency?

 

The idea behind thermal pads/paste is to make sure the CPU is making perfect contact with the heatsink. Since we don't live in a perfect world, there are grooves, divets, etc, and that means some spots arent gonna touch. For the heatsink to be 100% efficient, it would have to touch the CPU at all spots perfectly, and NO pad/paste would be used.

So by putting either a pad or paste in there, the heatsink is already LESS efficient, but better than it would be with areas not touching the CPU. So putting both in there would make it even worse.

That being said, AS5 is much more efficient than Dells pads

 

Thank you for your detailed reply.

I think I know more about replacing the CPU now.

I guess I'll buy a M1210 with Core duo and upgrade to Merom later when its price drops.

 

I think replacing the CPU in the M1210 is a little tricky. From what I understand, the GPU and heatsink in this unit aren't flush. That is, there is a gap between the heat sink and the GPU. As a result, or a stop gap, Dell uses a thermal pad to close the gap.

Thermal pads aren't as good as using AS5, but in this case, I don't think you have a choice.

Here is what a 1210 owner did to upgrade

Mike