MacBook Pro A1150 thermal paste replacement - tips?

[rampancy]

So, I've recently snagged an A1150 Core Duo MacBook Pro in very good condition...the only trouble is that it clearly needs replacement of the thermal paste. It runs at around 70-75 degrees C. idle, and when trying to play YouTube content, with all of the tricks I know, it rapidly shoots up to 90-100 degrees C.

I tried this before on an earlier MacBook Pro; I did all of the things I knew to avoid ESD problems (e.g. wearing a static strap, keeping a clean workspace) but when I put everything back together, the machine powered on immediately on being plugged into the MagSafe (without using the power button), and booted to a black screen. I used AS-5, which, I've been told was the likely culprit (in that some might have gotten smeared to places where it shouldn't have gone when I reassembled it).

Apart from using a non-conductive thermal paste, are there any other tips someone could recommend for replacing thermal paste? I really don't want to have to deal with inadvertently bricking another beautiful machine.

 

[herb2k]

So, I've recently snagged an A1150 Core Duo MacBook Pro in very good condition...the only trouble is that it clearly needs replacement of the thermal paste. It runs at around 70-75 degrees C. idle, and when trying to play YouTube content, with all of the tricks I know, it rapidly shoots up to 90-100 degrees C.

I tried this before on an earlier MacBook Pro; I did all of the things I knew to avoid ESD problems (e.g. wearing a static strap, keeping a clean workspace) but when I put everything back together, the machine powered on immediately on being plugged into the MagSafe (without using the power button), and booted to a black screen. I used AS-5, which, I've been told was the likely culprit (in that some might have gotten smeared to places where it shouldn't have gone when I reassembled it).

Apart from using a non-conductive thermal paste, are there any other tips someone could recommend for replacing thermal paste? I really don't want to have to deal with inadvertently bricking another beautiful machine.

All the same tips apply.

When using paste on these, less is more! Don't put a huge dab on the chips. AS5 is ok as long as its used sparingly, but other pastes like MX-4 are easier to use and not as thick to spread. Also, FYI: AS5 is not conductive (but is a bit capacitive).

Also, since it's a 10-11 year old machine, be careful if you need to remove the logic board - watch to make sure you don't flex it too much during insertion and removal and also keep an eye out for corrosion.