Expected temp ranges for X220 tablet?

I decided to reseat the heatsink on my X220t this weekend with Arctic MX-4.

Idle temp:
Before: 50C, 30 above ambient
After: 45-50C, 20-25 above ambient

30% load temp:
Before: 60C, 40 above ambient
After: 60C, 35 above ambient

(Ambient temps increased in the time it took to reseat the heatsink)

These results seem... poor, possibly because I did not quite apply the thermal paste right--small grain of rice in the middle, but the rectangular rather than square contact surface suggests that a thin line might be more appropriate.

What are the results I would expect?

 

A couple of things that I'd ask before saying anything:

a) Which CPU is in there?

b) Which OS are you running?

c) Which utility are you measuring the temps with?

 

It has a i5-2520M.
It is using Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit.
I use OpenHardwareMonitor.

 

Well, the amount of help that I can offer here will be limited by the fact that I've never ran W8.x on any of my ThinkPads, and that I use different utilities to measure temps than yourself...

With that CPU your idling temps should be in the 30s, based on my experience with W7 64 Pro. That's the best I have at the moment.

 

Is the x220t passively or actively cooled?

I have a yoga 2 11 that is passively cooled. Its temps hit 65c at load and the turbo is controlled so that the temps never exceed 65c. Cooling mods (undervolting and laptop fan) has no impact on load temps, however the cpu turbos a bit higher and for a bit longer.

 

All ThinkPads - at least the ones built over the past 16-17 years - are actively cooled.

 

What was the ambient with the 30C figure? That seems surprisingly low if I am measuring at 25C ambient, though not impossible.

Either way though, I will need to reseat, because 45-50 idle seems abnormal. I do not believe OHWM is mistaken in reporting the temperature--by much, at least--because the air coming from the vent feels quite hot to the touch.

Do you have any advice on thermal past application method?

Thank for the help.

 

Summer in NEPA with central AC turned on, I'll say 68-70F which would be 20-21C

I use the "credit card" method that many around here advise against, but it has been working well for me for more than a decade. Obviously, YMMV.

You're very welcome. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

Repasted again, this time using a line method on the rectangular unit and a rice grain method on the square unit. Apparently, when the text guide said a thin film, they meant a thicker film than I had thought.

Temps are now down to 40C idle (15C above ambient) and 50C at 35% load (25C above ambient)--not quite as good as yours, but I'll live with it. Every time I disassemble the unit, I break one of the plastic feet at the bezel. The left side above the VGA port now has a noticeable give and click. I might buy a new bezel anyway, because one of the rubber feet is missing from the upper bezel.

Thanks for your help.

 

Do bear in mind that these temps might go down once the thermal paste settles. Give it a couple of days. Secondly, if you *really* need them lowered, Throttle Stop might be your best friend.

Well, the quality of plastics used on ThinkPads started going down with T60 and by the time we got to *10/*20/*30 generation it turned into junk. That's one of my big gripes about X220 which is a fine machine in many other respects.

You're welcome. Enjoy that X220.

 

Just to give you a benchmark, my x220t idles at 50C. CPU has never been repasted since it left the factory, only dust was cleaned out from fan and vents.

CPU: Core i5-2520m
Ambient: 30C
Windows 7

 

Well, if you have some time to spare, it seems to me that re-pasting is in order for that particular machine...