I fixed the heat issues in my 3 day old Macbook

[Off1c3r]

I know some people saw my earlier posts about returning the MBP but I just loved it so much I didn't want to, but I didn't want to deal with the heat issues either. So thanks to these forums, and guides that others have put up, I took it upon myself to fix the heatsinks. My biggest complaint: WOW. Does Apple use small connectors. The hardest was the tiny one for the keyboard lights I think that is right under the left fan, and the display connector. I broke part of the keyboard light connector retention clip, and I broke off the retention clip for the display connector but was able to fix that back.

IDLE TEMPS
Pre: 100 - 108F
Post: 88-92F

Normal Activity (Browsing Internet/Youtube/Mail)
Pre: 115-130F
Post: 96-110F
Browsing/Youtube/Mail: 96-110F


I can only assume higher intensive stuff will be even better. On a side note with the youtube, standard def stuff never made the temp pass 102-104F and the HD content moved it to 110F.

Like others.. I had the same mess inside:

After:

 

[miles01110]

Nice. Too bad you didn't actually have a heat issue, but that thermal paste job does look like it was pretty messy.

 

[Off1c3r]

Nice. Too bad you didn't actually have a heat issue, but that thermal paste job does look like it was pretty messy.

Haha.. I know you keep saying I never had the problem... but it does feel better for me cooling it down

 

[SavMBP15]

Your application is still too thick.

The most needed is something as thin as the edge of a razor blade. That is what I use to apply thermal paste. I want to just put enough so that I cannot see the dye. Looks like you have some extra on there.

 

[marc11]

So you did all that work, expense and warranty risk, in fact voiding if Apple ever discovers it on a brand new machine to cool it down by 20 degrees, when there wasn't an issue to being with? Wow, good on you man, you are braver than I am.

 

[Off1c3r]

Your application is still too thick.

The most needed is something as thin as the edge of a razor blade. That is what I use to apply thermal paste. I want to just put enough so that I cannot see the dye. Looks like you have some extra on there.

Yeah honestly from the picture, it looks like a lot and I thought it was too but literally its so thin. It just looks like that from the picture. If I was to tap it, you would see the die area.

So you did all that work, expense and warranty risk, in fact voiding if Apple ever discovers it on a brand new machine to cool it down by 20 degrees, when there wasn't an issue to being with? Wow, good on you man, you are braver than I am.

I know it was risky, but for me personally, I love the change. Now I don't hear the fans spinning up to 6000 just to keep the thing cool. It runs so much cooler and I am way happier with it. It was a good learning experience too. I never worked inside a mac before.

 

[Mojo1]

The person who assembled my 13" MBP must have had a light touch when it came to applying the thermal paste: it's the coolest-running portable Mac I've owned (iBook G3 and G4; Core2Duo 15" MBP). It barely gets warm to the touch.