P150HM - thermal pad query?

I know this is probably a long shot - got an old laptop sitting around - keen to put it back to use.

The 6990M in my P150HM has stopped working a while back. Bought a 5870M to replace it. Having a bit problem with the thermal pad (ARCTIC ACTPD00005A 145 x 145 x 1.0 mm). Basically I've roughly applied the thermal pad. When I powered on the laptop - it seems okay (LCD works) - but then the fan spins up within a few seconds to full blast. It beeps / 3 lights flashes, then it quickly shuts down. I think this is a thermal shut down.

The most likely cause is that I've not correctly applied the thermal pad. Does anyone have a picture of where it should be applied? How many layers should I apply?

Thanks,

 

Which pads? Memory, FET, inductors?

If too thin they won't shift the heat anywhere, too thick they will prevent other pads or even core contacting properly. But 3 seconds is very short and suggests to me something else. Has the 5870M worked in the machine previously?

 

Just not sure where to put the thermal pad of onto. Can only find videos/ images for nvidia.

Have not done thermal pad installation before so this is new to me.

Previously thee laptop has worked just fine, the 5870m is what that changed.

 

Have you cleaned the contacts of the 5870M?

I find that such issues can be solved by cleaning the GPU contacts; had something similar happen to my 560M. I couldn't solve it until I realised that Singapore is a humid country which increases oxidisation and that I have never considered cleaning the oxidisation off the contacts. Did that using Deoxit (you may using isoprophyl alcohol or denatured alcohol too) and no such problems happened ever since!

 

Sounds useful - I'll try - does the GPU contacts mean the metal contact bit that's plugged into the socket?

Or do you mean on top of the VRAM, etc?

 

Sit the card on the heatsink when it's out and upside down and look at the pad arrangement. If it worked before then it's likely dead and if it has never worked it's either dead or not compatible.

 

The metal contact bit

 

It's not thermal, sorry to say. I believe Meaker is right in that the card is either faulty or incompatible.

 

Oh yeah, try this on the 6990M too, maybe that's why it is not working in the first place?

 

It would be unusual for a card to cause damage to the rest of the machine.