Anyone used liquid metal on their daily driver MBP ?

[Combat squirrel]

Hey all, of course, youtube has many guides on this, but I really need better performance from my 2016 MBP until I can save the money for the refresh and fixed MBP 2020.

I was wondering if anyone here risked it ? - I know of all the risks involved, running liquid metal etc - but in reality, I really think thats next to impossible - having used liquid metal on my desktop pc's for years that stand vertically. Obviously I'd only use a microscopic amount and id use high temp insulation tape around the socket so if any running did occur it wouldn't short anything.

SO anyone done it? Working well day to day ?

 

[Feek]

I'd love to know what you're talking about. Liquid metal?

 

[dirtybeatfreak]

I know you said you would take precautions etc. But even with them in place, surely moving the MBP around would still cause a massive risk?

I'd love to know what you're talking about. Liquid metal?

Is a thermal compound which is more liquid like (lol sorry). Can give a really good heat conductivity but cant be used on certain metals like Aluminium.

 

[Combat squirrel]

I'd love to know what you're talking about. Liquid metal?

As dirtybeatfreak said - basically thermal compound that stays in a liquid like state - well not like water its more like....gelatinous, kind of like tomato ketchup consistency - but magnetic and sticks to everything and is literally impossible to clean off properly - but worlds best themal paste !!

I know you said you would take precautions etc. But even with them in place, surely moving the MBP around would still cause a massive risk?

Yeah, but how, if your using a 100'th of a mm of it on a cpu die and thats sandwhiched in with the heatsink - reaslistically how would that ever spread or 'pour' around - also it sticks to metal like glue, its impossible to get off, even carrying around a laptop, how's it all of a sudden going to transfer to the mainboard? - with it sandwhiched in - and bound to the cpu/heatsink metal, not really sure how realistic this fear of it moving is.

 

[Feek]

If it's 'metal', is it conductive?

A conductive liquid in your laptop?

Run away!

 

[Combat squirrel]

Again, it's not like water or anything, it just remains in 'jelly like' state rather than drying up like normal thermal goop

 

[Deleted member 77746]

Risk it hell no!

 

[Combat squirrel]

I've never seen it once where any liquid metal has gone anywhere and again it doesnt run like water so....not sure, or if I should use some normal thermal grizzly i have

 

[MrRockliffe]

If it's 'metal', is it conductive?

Yep, and exceptionally corrosive to aluminium - guess what the macbook is made of

For me it's really really really not worth it

You can use counter measures like applying a barrier (a liquid that drys hard) around the processor so no electronics are in contact with it, but if you miss 1 teeny bit...

 

[Feek]

I wouldn’t take the risk with the liquid metal. Apart from anything else, you can say goodbye to any warranty as well.

Replacing the Apple thermal gunk with something more effective would probably help and be undetectable in the case of a warranty claim.

 

[dirtybeatfreak]

I wouldn’t take the risk with the liquid metal. Apart from anything else, you can say goodbye to any warranty as well.

Replacing the Apple thermal gunk with something more effective would probably help and be undetectable in the case of a warranty claim.

It's generally Shin-Etsu that is used on Macs, which is a decent paste imo, but yea, a freshen up couldn't hurt at all.

 

[Hades]

If tou can't afford an upgrade until 2020 then can you affford for it to go wrong and break yoyr current MBP (which can happen if applied incorrectly).

 

[NickK]

Clean if the fan and the heat pipe by dunking it in solvent to disolve the grease.

 

[Webzta]

Just use thermal grizzly compound