Thermal Paste: How Often should you apply it?

Hey guys,

My idle temps have jumped significantly the past couple days (almost 10 C).

Just wondering if I should apply some more thermal paste...bought the laptop new 13 months ago.

Tx

 

It wouldn't be a bad thing - the stuff that Dell puts on is not the greatest. The Vostro 1500 is a bit of a pain to get to the CPU though. The keyobard, monitor, battery and palm wrest have to come off before you can get to the CPU.

 

...yeah, I'm aware of the pain it is, I cleaned it out earlier this year.

I'll likely do it sometime this week.

Side note:
anyone know of a Fan speed controller for Vista x64 (Dell-compatible)?

 

You should apply as little as possible; just enough to cover the CPU die. The thermal paste should only be replaced when it appears to have dried out.

 

for desktops every 6 months is recommended... not sure about laptops tho... all of mine had thermal pads... so idk

 

Bog, do you prefer to spread it manually or just place a dot and hope it covers enough/not-to-much area?

 

For a thrill, I like to spread it using my Credit Card - my current one.

 

In my Thinkpad T42p I replaced the thermal paste right away after 1 month of usage. I'd say unless your temps are high, do not replace the TIM on your laptop, rather clean the heatpipes and fins and undervolt your CPU. If you still have problems do replace it.

My preferred method to replace the TIM is to clean the CPU die and heatsink with ArticClean 1 & 2. There are several brands of thermal paste, I've used only AS5 and Zalman STG-1.

I run my Thinkpad T61 with stock grease and no overheating problems whatsoever, under load is just 56C undervolted my T8100.

 

A credit card is ideal, but not a current one

If you are using artic sliver or something similar you should do it once a year. but if you use the arctic ceramic paste then its good for life.

 

i8kfanGUI: HERE

 

I spread it out manually.

 

I think it is all overrated. When I put arctic silver on, my temperatures were the same as the stock paste my multiple Dell's, Clevo's and Lenovo's had. I never replace paste. It goes on once and thats it. It really does not make much of a difference at all when you think about it. Your using like 1gram of silver metal, as paste, and that takes basically nothing to heat up, so your not really gaining anything from thermal paste, unless your heatsink does not lie flat on the cpu.

I very much dispise it when people say your cpu will fry if you dont use paste. Well thats not true at all. I have run dual and quad core chips without paste, with just the heatsink attached. They have run problem free for months on end, and their temperatures are not far off from the temps others post online.

I wouldnt replace the cpu paste, just clean your fans and maybe prop the back of your laptop up to increase air flow.

K-TRON

 

What's the preferred method of cleaning the pipes? I've been suggested to use Isopropyl Alcohol (91%), as it contains very little water...but I'm curious if there a better solution (pun intended).

Unfortunately that version was made Pre-SP1 and since then there have been problems. I'm not the only one who can't get it running in Vista x64 (see linky for diefer's forums):
http://cdiefer.proboards29.com/index.cgi?board=i8kfan&action=display&thread=622

As an update, I did implement the under-volt (hah, I had almost forgotten about it...I even wrote a how-to a while back, if you're interested: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=220543)

My temps are back down where they should be with the undervolt.

 

I use articlean 1 to clean the heatsink and pipes then polish it off with articlean 2

You dont neccessarily need paste as K-Tron said. My past desktops and notebooks never used paste. Just direct contact to the HSF. Though having paste will improve the contact between the two by filling up microgaps.

Personally i clean every 6-12months. I clean out the whole fan/heatsink assembly and change the paste, since im at it anyway.

 

How much of an effect does cleaning the heatsinks and pipes have? I was thinking about doing it something soon.

 

Is it recommended to clean the pipes themselves?

Because some of my copper pipes have kinda oily fingerprints on them (practically embedded into the surface of the metal ) but not on any meeting surfaces of course.

 

In notebooks? never.
I use a 17W/mk thermal pads. A lot better then many thermal greases. And a LOT better to use in notebooks.

In desktops? 6 to 12months if it's a silver based grease.
12month it's a silicon based grease.
I clean the fans 3 to 6 months.

 

mr Dashes (__-_-_-__):

"I use a 17W/mk Thermal pads"...expound please.

Danke

 

arctic silver supposedly should be replaced like once every 6 months or something for best performance. personally i dont give a ****. i only replaced my paste because i was cleaning the dust from the heatsink.

supposedly arctic cooling's mx1 and mx2 pastes and tuniq's and thermalright's for that matter are all advertised to be one application only, ever.

 

t30power,
Could you tell me the voltages you set for your T8100,
I have the same CPU and am trying to find the 'right' settings,
I realize individual CPU's differ in their tolerances but I could use your
experience as a guide. I already see that you use 0.95V for the SuperLFM.
Thank you.

 

hansbehrends: All the multiplier of my T8100 have the lowest value available which is 0.950V. I've been running those voltages for like 2 months without a hang or BSOD. Some claim this behaviour is normal, I don't know about your T8100 but try to get as low as you can to see if you have a BSOD.

I've only undervolted 3 processors, the first was a Dothan 745 on my trusty Thinkpad T42p. Core 2 Duos are phenomenally good, new 45nm processors barely produce any heat. I cannot imagine a 25W TDP processor temps would do.

Could you tell me you laptop model?

 

"Bad llama!"