What TIMs are used in laptop cooling?

Skree · 16 Jan 2008 at 16:54

As per thread title really. Was just wondering what kind of TIMs are used between the heatsink and any chips it's on in typical laptops.. I'm presuming it'll be thermal pads rather than the white goop you used to see a long long time ago on mass made stuff..

Don't really want to take my Samsung R20 apart just to find out, while it's still in warranty but am wondering if it'll be worth upgrading the TIM to AS5 or even if it's easy - have heard some heatsink retainers are designed with pads in mind.. just a thought coming from an old head at fixed pc stuff but relative n00b to laptops...

Emlyn_Dewar · 17 Jan 2008 at 09:07

I had pads between the GPU heatsink and memory and a pad for 945 chipset.
Everything else was extremely low rate thermal paste, applied badly.

Threw the GPU mem pads away and cleaned the crap from the CPU/GPU, AS5 made a massive difference.

Amp34 · 17 Jan 2008 at 12:18

Why do you want a better contact between the HSF and chip? If the chips are overheating the take the laptop back, if they are not then leave them, you're not going to cool the air down from the laptop as the same amount of heat is still going to have to be shifted.

Well that's my thinking at least.

rick827 · 17 Jan 2008 at 13:33

urm, why bother with AS5 at all if thats your thinking?
Chances are these are ppl with out of warrenty laptops that are now having cooling issues/fans running v. fast due to overheating. Its a simple bit of DIY that will keep your laptop going a few more months

fish99 · 17 Jan 2008 at 14:40

Amp34 said:
Why do you want a better contact between the HSF and chip? If the chips are overheating the take the laptop back, if they are not then leave them, you're not going to cool the air down from the laptop as the same amount of heat is still going to have to be shifted.

But if the heat isn't being transferred efficiently to the HS then it builds up on the GPU/CPU and you have an overheating laptop. Of course if it's under warranty then it should be sent back though.

beermonster · 18 Jan 2008 at 13:01

most laptops use either the white goop, silver paste, or silver foil with paste underneath, its very rare for this to cause overheating, its normally dust and fluff that block the very fine fins on the heatsink that cause overheating, i would suggest leaving well alone if its underwarranty, and if it isnt just blast the vents with some compressed air in a can.

Amp34 · 18 Jan 2008 at 13:23

fish99 said:
But if the heat isn't being transferred efficiently to the HS then it builds up on the GPU/CPU and you have an overheating laptop. Of course if it's under warranty then it should be sent back though.

That's what I mean' if it's still in warrenty take it back. If it isn't then maybe it's worth a try, but the OP stated it was in warrenty.

Skree · 28 Jan 2008 at 03:33

No it is in warranty, and isn't overheating. But i use this laptop a LOT (it's on pretty much 24/7 at the mo) and i was thinking about minimising temperatures within it. I've always tried to do so on PCs i've built myself, which is very possibly why all my 24/7 on machines last a long time. I still have a P2-350 in 24/7 usage, and have a couple of early P1 systems in bits in my spares boxes that are fully working. Even a difference of a couple of c is worth it.. Not worth invalidating the (two year, commencing mid july 07) warranty for though.