Is getting IC Diamond 7 for a Sager 8130 worth it?

Alright, so I'm going to be buying a Sager 8130 from MALIBAL, and right now I am working on customizing it to my liking. I have everything else just right, but I am wondering about the Thermal Compound (IC Diamond 7)

Is it worth $40 to get it? I will be using the laptop for gaming, and often probably for a few hours on end. Will I notice a significant temperature decrease with it applied? If I do, would that decrease make a difference in performance or laptop longevity?

Going along with that, if I did get the Thermal Compound upgrade, should I overclock (CPU and/or GPU)? I wouldn't feel safe doing it without the Thermal Compound, but I might be willing to with IC Diamond 7 applied.

I also just noticed that the Intel i7-2670QM (2.2-3.1GHz) is only a $50 upgrade (from the 2630). Would it be better to get this for $50 vs. the IC Diamond 7 for $40?

I would really appreciate any thoughts or advice, because I don't want to waste my money, but I also want to get good performance for what I pay.

NOTE: I do not feel comfortable buying the Thermal Paste myself and applying it. I realize that the $40 for it is a bit overpriced, as you can get a tube from somewhere else for $10. I simply do not feel comfortable cracking open a new laptop and risking damage.

Thanks!

 

Yeah, forget the TC upgrade. Get the newer cpu instead (a real improvement for your money).

Remember, they have to apply TC anyway, how would you know they used the IC7 without taking it apart?

The reason to O/C is if the platform, the specific cpu and the systems cooling design is up to O/C'ing to the level you require (and with those cpu choices, you can't O/C anyway) - not the brand of TC applied (if applied).

Forget the TC and get the CPU upgrade (almost a year's worth of improvements in the latest cpu stepping...).

Unless you can do the repasting yourself, or if the notebook is obviously in need of new paste there is no reason to get a 'brand' name - especially for that price.

Good luck.

 

IC7 is good, but it doesn't really work miracles. You might get a few degrees difference in temperatures compared to another paste. If you're not just doing benchmarks, any decent brand compound will work just as well.

 

I wont upgrade the cpu, gpu plays more performance

I would reserve thermal compound for overclocking, might look into water cooling

 

Personally, i only use ICD7 since i find it quite easy to apply, has no curing time and it gives me good results. any good thermal compound will give similar results if properly applied.

In short, no you do not need it if the factory TC was applied properly.

 

Because, it's false advertising and fraud not too and incredibly easy for someone with the knowledge to double check. ICD is a very unique compound easily identifiable from the rest. For one, its very very dark gray and mushy, which is not the same silvery, watery compounds we see on the market or white Mg based compounds. Also, ICD is diamond powder based, it will leave scruffs on your die if you clean it. It has happened after every application I've cleaned up and if you run your finger along the core, you can physically feel the "roughness" that ICD leaves on your die and it tends to "smear/wash out" the printed lettering on the die. Another point to notice as well is, because ICD is so thick (and assuming you used the 'glob' method), ICD spreads incredibly evenly. The most even of all pastes I've used.

It costs resellers about ~50 cents for each application (they order in bulk), I'm sure they are more than happy that you paid $40 for the application and have no problem pocketing 95% of the final sale and giving you your ICD. That's why Mythologic says he offers it for free (I know he posted it here on NBR). Otherwise, I get your point, but I don't think a reputable reseller would skimp you that hard. But, like you said, who knows until you actually open it up? Lot's of people won't.

I agree, if you have to pay $50, a CPU upgrade will be worth some extra performance in the end.

 

I went with the ICD on my Malibal and it does run cool, but correlation != causation and all. What makes a much more significant difference is whether or not I'm using my cooling pad, and that's a better investment of $40 (which is actually $10 more than my Cooler Master Notepal U3 cost me).