Re-applied the thermal paste on my MacBook Pro... AMAZING results!

[brbubba]

I went to Radio Shack... they only had generic thermal paste and the employee told me to go to Fry's, actually. I went there. They had "Artic Silver Thermal Adhesive" which I was skeptical of, but two employees assured me would work. Of course, when I come back and check Artic's website they say absolutely not. I also picked up "Artic Alumina Ceramic Polysnthetic Thermal Compound" for 3.99 just in case. Will this work about as well or should I go out on a third outing? If we are talking a degree or two, I can probably deal with that.

Second, I don't have a spludger, which ifixit recommends. Is this going to be a big deal? Another thing I couldn't find.

Arctic Alumina should be fine. Definitely stay away from the AS adhesive, you don't want to permanently bond the heatsink to the CPU, unless you have cojones of steel.

I got the spludger for my macbook and it was rather unnecessary. You didn't find it in the store because I have never even seen them except at ifixit. A screwdriver, toothpick, or anything else similar to the spludger would seem to work fine.

 

[debrey]

Thanks.

Rovman:

I'm confused. I thought I needed to remove the logic board. How do you remove the heat sink and fan shroud?

Firstly, Arctic Alumina is probably better than Apple's stock thermal paste, but not as good as Arctic Ceramique, which is not as good as Arctic Silver 5. Saying that, it is stll pretty good. (btw, why don't you order online?, easy to get AS5 that way)

Secondly, DO NOT USE Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive. it is a permenant Epoxy and will be very difficult to remove, once you attach your heatsink basically it aint ever coming off again.

Thirdly, I did not use nor need a spludger, i suppose you would need one if you have "fat" hands, but personally i could reach in and unplug the Keypad connector ribbon easily.

Also, you don't need to do a full dissassembly (and i suggest you don't). Once as far as getting the case open (keypad off) you just unscrew the heatsink and fan shroud and your in, no need to remove the ptical drive or anything. The thermal sensors are connected to the heatsink and you have to disconnect them (2 connections)

-- David

 

[vv-tim]

The logic board does need to be removed, as the heat sink is on the opposite side of the logic board. You just don't really need to take out the hard drive and the optical drive.

As for where to find Arctic Silver 5, CompUSA had it for me. I used a small screwdriver to apply it on the die of the cpu/gpu/chispet.

 

[debrey]

I am not buying online because my brother is in town now to help me out. Why didn't I buy online a couple of weeks ago in preparation? Well...

Back in post 155 FragTek suggested just putting a rice sized drop of thermal adhesive and not spreading it out because this way you can be sure that there is contact between things on the logic board and the heat sink. The idea is that if you spread it too thin it might not make any contact. Do others think this is wise?

I have taken it completely apart. I'm waiting to buy some better thermal paste. I'm also thinking about buying the artic silver ArtiClean. Do people think this is worth it?

-- David

 

[FragTek]

I am not buying online because my brother is in town now to help me out. Why didn't I buy online a couple of weeks ago in preparation? Well...

Back in post 155 FragTek suggested just putting a rice sized drop of thermal adhesive and not spreading it out because this way you can be sure that there is contact between things on the logic board and the heat sink. The idea is that if you spread it too thin it might not make any contact. Do others think this is wise?

I have taken it completely apart. I'm waiting to buy some better thermal paste. I'm also thinking about buying the artic silver ArtiClean. Do people think this is worth it?

-- David

That is the technically correct and advised way to apply thermal paste. The variant of spreading it over the core is something that some people just do... I've never had any added benefit of doing it that way, therefor I stick with the classic proven rice-grain technique.

I use ArctiClean on every application, it's a wonderful 2 step cleaning system.

 

[debrey]

So I had a bit of a harrowing experience... but it's all okay now.

Basically, I went through and did the dissassembly. It took a while, but it seemed to go fine (fyi: the optical drive has one screw into the logic board, so it needs to be removed too). I enjoyed it a fair amount, actually -- it's fun taking stuff apart and putting it together. I put on artic silver 5. I didn't have the artic cleaning solution, so I just cleaned up well with conventional means.

Then I reassembled it, and went to turn it on... and it didn't turn on. Neither with the battery nor with the power cord. In fact, the little light on the power cord didn't even turn on. So then I took it apart again, paying particular attention to the power cord that plugs into the logic board. Everything seemed connected properly. I got worried that the screw driver seemed to have gotten a bit magnatized... worried about that for a while, bought a new one. But when I reassmbled it, it worked. I have no idea why. No complaints.

It seems about 8 degrees cooler, on average. I guess that's supposed to get better as the artic silver sets in.

-- David

 

[ntrsfrml]

lol. some really good stories here.. Congrats to everyone who was able to re-apply their thermal goo and lose some significant degrees.. I dont think i'll ever be able to do this as i freak out too easily lols..

 

[brbubba]

Back in post 155 FragTek suggested just putting a rice sized drop of thermal adhesive and not spreading it out because this way you can be sure that there is contact between things on the logic board and the heat sink. The idea is that if you spread it too thin it might not make any contact. Do others think this is wise?

I have taken it completely apart. I'm waiting to buy some better thermal paste. I'm also thinking about buying the artic silver ArtiClean. Do people think this is worth it?

-- David

All AS site instructions seem to rely on the rice drop method now. In the past though the credit card to smooth into a thin layer was the de facto method. They only switched to the rice grain method when intel and AMD put heat spreaders on their cpus. The idea being that thermal contact doesn't need to occur across the entire surface of the heat spreader since the cpu only touches a minor fraction of that. Since there is no spreader on the core duo I would say do the spread method, but I can tell you I have now used both methods on my macbook and have yet to see any significant differences. Maybe in further testing it might net an avg 1 degree improvement in one versus the other but its unclear which one would win.

Articlean is not necessary but makes cleanup a breeze. If you actually apply thermal paste to all your computers, your desktop for instance, then it may be worth it. Its great stuff though.

 

[aristobrat]

It seems about 8 degrees cooler, on average.

Is that in Celcius or Fahrenheit?

 

[skillz1318]

Would local pc shops be able to do this for me? I am not too comfortable taking apart my laptop..unless this really isnt too difficult...I am in the IT field but I don't touch laptop hardware, I'm an admin....but I have built desktops in the past....

Thanks

if you guys think i can do this i will prob give it a go...

 

[Natsus]

well, I've built many desktops before but never touched a laptop in my life. I was able to do this no problem. It took a total of 3 hrs. I recommend using a guide.

 

[brbubba]

well, I've built many desktops before but never touched a laptop in my life. I was able to do this no problem. It took a total of 3 hrs. I recommend using a guide.

3 hrs!!!

I would say it took me 30-45 minutes. Maybe an hour if you want to take your time. How did you spend 3 hours doing this, did you have a few beers in the middle?

 

[Timepass]

On a random note some people need to remember that when using AS5 the new heat numbers are only going to get lower over the next 200 hr of use of the computer. On Acitic silver website they state that there is a 200 hour burn in process for the paste and recomends during this time that there are several heat up and cool down cycles (basicly turn your computer off at night). It takes that long to remove the liquid from from the paste and for the bond to become much stronger.

On my AMD every time I pulled the Heat sink after the 200 hours I pull the CPU out with it because it bonds to the heat sink (I done 2 times now. One to replace the faulty mobo that took 2 weeks to show what was wrong with it and the other to test a friends CPU to make sure that it is was good). Not to perment just takes a little force to remove it and break the bond.

Also a huge problem with the paste that apple (dell and any computer maker users) is it never gets really harded. it always stays kind of liquidy. That just would not set right with me because over time the thermmal expasion and contration can sqeeze it out and yes it will still be liquidy after 10 years as i learned when I pulled the P133 heat sink off a computer last summer). AS5 does harden and forms a much better bond. Just remember it will take about 200 hrs for the temps to reach there lowest number. It be about another 2-3 degrees C based on my experences.

 

[Natsus]

3 hrs!!!

I would say it took me 30-45 minutes. Maybe an hour if you want to take your time. How did you spend 3 hours doing this, did you have a few beers in the middle?

it would be the combination of taking apart things I didn't need. Figuring out just how to separate certain connectors (like the speakers), talking with friends while doing it... etc. No beers, but I did have an ice cream break

 

[bbrosemer]

On a random note some people need to remember that when using AS5 the new heat numbers are only going to get lower over the next 200 hr of use of the computer. On Acitic silver website they state that there is a 200 hour burn in process for the paste and recomends during this time that there are several heat up and cool down cycles (basicly turn your computer off at night). It takes that long to remove the liquid from from the paste and for the bond to become much stronger.

On my AMD every time I pulled the Heat sink after the 200 hours I pull the CPU out with it because it bonds to the heat sink (I done 2 times now. One to replace the faulty mobo that took 2 weeks to show what was wrong with it and the other to test a friends CPU to make sure that it is was good). Not to perment just takes a little force to remove it and break the bond.

Also a huge problem with the paste that apple (dell and any computer maker users) is it never gets really harded. it always stays kind of liquidy. That just would not set right with me because over time the thermmal expasion and contration can sqeeze it out and yes it will still be liquidy after 10 years as i learned when I pulled the P133 heat sink off a computer last summer). AS5 does harden and forms a much better bond. Just remember it will take about 200 hrs for the temps to reach there lowest number. It be about another 2-3 degrees C based on my experences.

I can speak in agreement with time pass I have removed my Xeon's 3 times 2x to just upgrade and a third to put in a Matched Pair, overall that AS bond gets very stong after just about 4 days from my experience becasue I upgraded the processor the first time a few days after upgrading the first time, (I found another Xeon lying around) and to seperate it still required a good amount of fource even after only 4 days.

 

[MacRumoron]

would i be able to take my MBP to the apple store and make them re-apply the thermal paste? or is there somewhere where someone can do it for me?

i really want to do it but i don't want to mess up my laptop

 

[vv-tim]

would i be able to take my MBP to the apple store and make them re-apply the thermal paste? or is there somewhere where someone can do it for me?

i really want to do it but i don't want to mess up my laptop

Maybe if you find a really nice genius at the genius bar

I don't think Apple has admitted there's a problem yet, so they're not going to be required to do it for you at the Apple Store.

 

[NYmacAttack]

Maybe if you find a really nice genius at the genius bar

I don't think Apple has admitted there's a problem yet, so they're not going to be required to do it for you at the Apple Store.

Even if they did admit there was a problem I would never see them letting you take it to an apple store to be reapplied. It would most definitely have to be sent back to them.

 

[vv-tim]

Even if they did admit there was a problem I would never see them letting you take it to an apple store to be reapplied. It would most definitely have to be sent back to them.

That's very true, but the Genius Bar would be more likely to offer a service of that type in the event of a mass-recall.

 

[gri]

Ventilator

I put a ventilator behind my MBP (2.16), brings down the temp from idling at 69 to now 56 centigrade. The MBP (W8618) sits elevated though so air gets below it. It says on another forum that Apple replaced main boards (1.83) for whining and they get cooler too! Mine doen't whine though and I don't dare to screw my MBP up by removing the thermal paste, never worked on computers (except for RAM upgrades).

 

[Jezza]

Would this cool down a 15" Powerbook G4 800mHz too?

Currently mine gets too hot to handle after an hour, the thing "freezes (sic)", and I then shut down, wait for half an hour or so before rebooting again. So working with the power adapter now waste of time.

Working with the battery is fine, no problems there.

Can't tell you how pissed I am about this...

 

[FullmetalZ26]

^ There have been other posts lately about thermal pads or paste in older PowerBooks lately, and most of them seem to indicate that an improvement is very possible. One thread from a couple weeks ago showed a GPU in an AlBook that was half covered with thermal paste, and half not.

 

[brbubba]

Would this cool down a 15" Powerbook G4 800mHz too?

Currently mine gets too hot to handle after an hour, the thing "freezes (sic)", and I then shut down, wait for half an hour or so before rebooting again. So working with the power adapter now waste of time.

Working with the battery is fine, no problems there.

Can't tell you how pissed I am about this...

Why wouldn't you let applecare handle this, unless you no longer have it? Also I have seen thermal pads degrade after time to the point where they become solid and ineffective, although the systems I have seen this in were probably quite a bit older than your powerbook.

 

[vv-tim]

Why wouldn't you let applecare handle this, unless you no longer have it? Also I have seen thermal pads degrade after time to the point where they become solid and ineffective, although the systems I have seen this in were probably quite a bit older than your powerbook.

What makes you think that sold = ineffective?

According to what I've read, Arctic Silver 5 actually hardens over time and becomes MORE effective if it has a solid connection.

But obviously, this guy is out of warranty :/

 

[Jezza]

Why wouldn't you let applecare handle this.

Two reasons:

1. I bought the powerbook second hand two years ago
2. I live in the Middle East - no Apple Centers here, Mate!

I opened the back of the 'book and took a peek. There was dust in the fan - which I cleaned - otherwise everything looked fine - no masses or globs of paste etc.

My 'Book continues to overheat and "freeze" within the hour.

It is now an unreliable paper-weight and I've reorted to using my old Thinkpad 600E with Win2000 and Pentium 3. I substituted Dreamweaver for FrontPage, Flash 8 for Swishmax (amazing), iCal for Outlook and I've supplemented ImageReady 7 with Microsoft Image Composer (a little known app whose total memory requirements are no more than 5MB RAM). In short I'm now enjoying fast functional computing in a drab form. I cannot tell you how dissapointed I am with my now dissfunctional 'Book. Words cannot express my enthusiasm for IBM/Lenovo ThinkPads.

Why does my 'Book overheat and conk out?

Why does this tend to happen during the hot summers?

Why does my power adapter sometimes spark and crackle? I'm considering buying a more standard replacement from Macally.

Why does my startup screen display the folder/question mark?

Why does my IBM Thinkpad circa late 1990s keep on working despite its delapidated exterior?