do major vendors like hp use decent thermal paste and apply it well?

I'm guessing not lol. But is it so awful that it's advisable to actually do this yourself? If so, when? Right away, or when warranty is expired? The latter seems like a no-brainer but maybe not. I have found if a device works out of the box and doesn't go faulty in the first weeks, it lasts the warranty.

I just know that performance on my MSI nose dived within the first 18 months and I always wondered if it was because they decided to make $1 per unit more profit and skipped the paste altogether.

 

Sometimes, sometimes not. More often then not they will use crappy thermal compound.
Most of the time I have noticed is that the thermal compound from OEM's does not tend to last past 2 years before hardening/turning into a dry-clay material.

 

I changed the thermal compound on my Fujitsu-Siemens couple of years ago - I did not notice any difference in the "thermodynamics"... I assume the original one was good enough.

 

So even if you do reapply paste, you definitely don't do it in warranty window?

Thing for me is, I'm really lazy, and I cannot be bothered to actually do it myself. So I would take it to the local shop and pay them to do it. Would that ever be worth it? I don't even know what that would cost, like $75-100?

 

First off - with a task like this that requires not only a competent but also a conscientious individual to perform, I would not trust any 'shop' to do it for me - unless I personnally knew them and was in the room when it was done.

Second, for that kind of money, it would only be worth it if the temps are so far out of line for your notebook and usage style (gaming/etc.) that ignoring the higher temps would mean imminent death for your system.

As long as the application of the TP is 'good enough'; the use of a good notebook cooler will do more for the lifespan of the notebook than paying for unnecessary repasting will.

Good luck.

 

Like tilleroftheearth said, $75 to $100 is a complete ripoff and they probably won't even use one of the top pastes.

Factory thermal paste and its application is not very good, just good enough. In the factory they use something cheap and apply it safely and fast. This means their paste is lacking compared to the best stuff and its usually sloppy application doesn't help things either. Still better than the OEM's who use thermal pads though.

Another thing is that applying thermal paste does not necessarily void your warranty. I know Dell doesn't see it that way.

 

Well I know most manufacturers do not want you opening the laptop further then removing the battery, or opening the RAM or Hard Drive covers. So it's best if you speak with your OEM for precise warranty terms, as well as keep a very very keen eye for those "Warranty Void if removed" stickers.

Also I am with tilleroftheearth. That type of job is very delicate because more often then not, full disassembly of the laptop is required. This is a very delicate job, and I have had to repair laptops that were taken to another repair shop who broke plastic pieces, threaded screws, or straight up forgot the screws. Not to mention some knabbed ram modules/other parts (hard drive swaps).

 

Yeah, Dell is very DIY friendly. I really don't have much other experience with laptops in warranty though, but I usually don't hear good things.

 

Are you kidding me? I've done it at least 10 times myself (and I'm a woman!!) - It's really easy and shouldn't void warranty - my Fujitsu was about 1 year old when I did that.

The thermal compound that I bought (Arctic Silver 5) costs 5 euros for 3,5g tube, and it lasts forever - I am still using it and have at least 30% left!

So if you wanna pay me 100$ to change yours - go ahead I'll do it with great pleasure )))

 

Shure, really easy
It is quite a job getting down there if you ask me. I`d leave it to the professionals. If they screw up you are ok. If you screw up, it is hell unleashed
Im guessing some models are easier than other to get in to though?

YouTube - Asus G73Jh Disassembly Take Apart G73 Replace Video Card G73 service manual

 

I've looked at the youtube clips of how it's done and it sure as heck looks like a pita to me. Lots and lots of screws; lots and lots of lifting up easily destroyable tabs and what-not; parts that have pins in them which if they bend, it's all over; and the paste part, I understand the mechanics aren't difficult, but it sort of strikes me as something like putting a screenguard on a PSP without an air bubble.

I'd just as soon not deal with it lol.

Everything I know about laptops, inclines me to the view that the best route is to buy a sub-$1500 unit and replace every 2 years. You know, degrading battery, etc.

 

It's all down to you, the owner.

If you're patient, methodical, and have any mechanical inclination it's easy. If you are missing any of those attributes, either get someone else to do it, or keep it stock.

I did a repaste on my G73JH this afternoon. Was done and benchmarking in 90 minutes.

If there are any tips I can offer beyond what's already on the web its this - if you are using a thinner paste like MX-3, check to see if you have any air bubbles in the syringe.

I noticed that if I leave the cap on my tube of MX3 and pull back the plunger there are bubbles that form. This means that there are microscopic air bubbles in the paste. Air is an insulator. This is not good.

So...

I pulled back and held the plunger of the syringe while subjecting it to vibration from an electric hair trimmer for about a minute. This resulted in about 2mm of air in the top of the tube afterwards. This is air that would have otherwise been microscopic air pockets in my thermal paste.


Extended exposure to vibration may cause the oil to seperate from the paste, so don't go overboard...


By the way - I think most factories use Shin Etsu