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.

    accesing the GPU?

    Discussion in 'Gateway and eMachines' started by idiotpilot, Feb 10, 2009.

  1. idiotpilot

    idiotpilot Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    82
    Messages:
    686
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    How do I physically access the gpu? Do i have to pull the whole motherboard out, or is there an easier way to get to it like for the cpu? I'd like to clean out the heatsink for it because my brother left it in the dusty old attic :mad:

    Also, is applying thermal grease to the northbridge safe?
     
  2. Euquility

    Euquility Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    198
    Messages:
    1,592
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    typically pull out the keyboard and you have to access to motherboard and the GPU, not pull it out
     
  3. idiotpilot

    idiotpilot Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    82
    Messages:
    686
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Do you have to unscrew anything? Or do you just yank it off from the sides?
     
  4. E-wrecked

    E-wrecked BANNED

    Reputations:
    1,110
    Messages:
    3,591
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    105
    Well..in this case, you have to remove the keyboard, then the screen, then the top and base, then you should see the GPU right there..on the part of the MOBO that can't be accessed without removin it ;)
     
  5. The_Moo™

    The_Moo™ Here we go again.....

    Reputations:
    3,973
    Messages:
    13,930
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    455
    what E said :D love google but any way is your name Idiot pilot after the band? :eek:
     
  6. idiotpilot

    idiotpilot Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    82
    Messages:
    686
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Yes. Lame, i have to take the whole thing apart to get to the GPU!
     
  7. azrickster

    azrickster Notebook Guru

    Reputations:
    305
    Messages:
    60
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    16
    It really isn't that bad, the hardest/scariest part is removing the media bar. I juiced my GPU with MX-2, has lowered my temps between 4c to 6c. Every little bit counts.

    You'll noticed that the heatsink is built to cover the memory chips as well as the GPU but Gateway decided to skimp and not put any thermal compound at all between the chips and the heatsink. Maybe this is by design? I juiced them with MX-2 as well, figured it couldn't hurt.

    EDIT: FYI, once you get the top Bezel off, there are only 4 screws (I think that was all) to remove to get the MB out. 2 of these screws are on the upper left corner of the MB; they hold the MB to another smaller circuit board that has the Modem port on it. Once those screws are removed there is a funky connector that attaches the MB to the smaller circuit board. Just pull up on that corner of the MB while holding down on the smaller circuit board and the connector will pull loose. There are many other screws but they are for holding other components on the MB, i.e. SATA headers, PCI Express cage, etc. I made the mistake of removing all the screws when I didn't really need to. I removed the speakers and fans too, I believe you have to get them out of the way, but don't recall exactly (don't have my notes in front of me).
     
  8. zoytoy

    zoytoy Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    21
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Threw some artic silver on the previous refurb I got that was having freezing issues.

    Didn't drop 1c..... The 7811fx I had before they had done a really good job, did the same as azrickster and through some on the ram as well. Still froze.

    I am going to be taking this new one apart probably this weekend, to yank that stupid sliding wireless switch out, and may do this again for the hell of it though.

    Load temps on my new one are 6-10 degrees higher than my one before that was freezing, this one is perfect so far.