[Alienware 17R4 / 15R3] - Disassembly + Repaste Guide + Results

I just bought a 17 r4 7820hk version and i got very hight cpu temps according to the alienware diagnostic sofware tool .
70 -73 C on normal run and 92 -94 while gaming ... gpu temps are fine 66 C while gaming ..
Also noticed hwmonitor shows about 20 C d less than Alienware utility
Room temps is about 25 ...
I repasted my old lenovo y580 with gelid pads and paste and i got a incredible result (about -20 C) at list as spects from hwmonitor ...
think i ll go for TG paste and fujipoly pads ...
thanks iunlock for the guide

 

To fix the problem of high temperature you need change the pads for Fujipoly 11.0 W/mk and TG Conductunaut (You can use kryonaut too but it is better with Conductunaut). You have to be extremely careful when applying Conductunaut. You can follow the guide that did @iunlock and you'll be fine.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...5r3-disassembly-repaste-guide-results.797373/

 

I think i ll going with the cryonauts .. becouse of praticity ... THX
PS i don t see separate subwoofer level control neither on Windows audio control panel or alienware control audio software .. the test of other speakers works when It came testing sub It fail .. could It be realtek crap? Or i messaggi Just a lucky One ?
Changed i/o board and sub worths nothing thx

 

Kryonaut work fine... Better than with the stock thermal paste. But will not lower the temperature as Conductunaut

I can not help you with the sound. It's crap, Realtek puaj. The right speaker on my 17r4 does not work (I already complain to Dell). I always connect it to my sound system.

 

I know but i m a Little scared about conductonout ... I heard Its corrosive against most of CPU heatsinks and a nightmare to remove ...

 

You just have to be careful when applying it. If you do not have any experience, do not do it. I use it on many CPUs (laptop and desktop) and graphics cards and never had problems.

 

I just finished repasting my 17 R4 gtx 1080 with conductonaut and replacing the thermal pads with Fujipoly 11's. The hardest part I found was replacing the pads, are you meant to place them on the heat sink or the motherboard? When I went to flip the heat sink over to start screwing it back on, one of the new pads fell off and landed right in the liquid metal :l I didn't use that pad because it had liquid metal on it but it meant that I had to use a 1mm pad for what should have been a 0.5mm, is this a big issue? I tried to squish it down a lot before using it. Also, if I was to try and replace it for a 0.5mm can I just separate the chip and the die, replace the pad then screw it back up or do I have to clean it up and repaste it all over again?

In terms of the results, Unigine went from 99,98,88,95 on the CPU and 91 on the GPU to 82,85,84,82 and 84 on the gpu. If I raise the rear and undervolt by -0.140 then I get 65,67,66,66 and 69 on the GPU.

Are these results okay or should I look at redoing the paste and getting it lower? I have lots of other results so just me know if you have any questions about other tests for before/after comparisons.

Cheers!

 

Gtx 1080 with 7820hk cpu? The result is with or without OC?

 

6820HK, no overclocking at all

 

What is the ambient temperature? Try run OCCT to test the stability of the cpu (if the system crash or OCCT stop, modifies the undervolt to -0.130, -0,120, -0.110, etc until q did not crash or OCCT stop again).

The best way to know if the repaste was effective is try with OC. Try x40 and LP1/LP2 100,000 (without undervolt). The idle temperature should be 32/34c and max 62/66 under stress test.

The ambient temperature is important too. The results I mention are with ambient temperature of 20-25c

 

Ambient temp is about 20 degrees. I have run occt a couple times and know my system starts to get a bit unstable if undervolt more than - 0.14mV. Cheers for the help I'll give the o/c a go tomorrow. Were those idle and max temps you gave with an over clock of x40 or just stock?

 

I using OC x40 with the same system (now i have 7820hk). But do not worry, not all systems are the same. First you have to find stability without undervolt with OC.
For the results you had, I think you applied too much LM. But first try OC and let me know the result.

 

So I ran OCCT with an O/C of x40 like you said, I got temps of 79/77/94/76 (no undervolt and the rear of laptop flat). Just idling gives temps of around 42/43. Looks like I messed something up while repasting, could be the thermal pads or maybe too much LM like you said although I didn't use very much. Am I able to unscrew the motherboard and heatsink to check how it looks or will I need to repaste it if I do that?

 

Check the pads if they are making proper contact. You can disarm without having to do repaste again. When you adjusted the screws, did you do it in the right order? First 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 (The numbers are in the heatsink)

 

Yeh I had a lot of trouble with getting the pads to stay in place while I flipped the heatsink over and lined it up with the motherboard, is it better to lay them on the motherboard instead? Hmm no I didn't even know about the numbering, I just went evenly from opposite corners. So I can definitely unscrew the heatsink from the motherboard and not have to remove and replace the LM?

 

Yes, unscrew the heatsink, check the pads and then tighten the screws in order. (Follow the order of the heatsink numbers). That's probably the problem. It is better to place the pads in the heatsink, if they are not glued to the heatsink, you can place them in the components. After adjusting the screws, make sure there is no space between the pads, heatsink and components.
Let me know if you have any problems. And dont worry, the first time, I had to disarm 3 times to get it right.

I definitely think the problem is in how you adjusted the screws. Something similar happened to me the first time. If you want, you can try unscrew all the screws (without removing the heatsink) and re-adjusting them in the correct order.

 

@QuillP i have this problem ... my 17r4 is a new model ... i have very different
readings from hwinfo and a that support software from Dell ....
with HWmonitor cpu temps are fine ! 55 to 80 C
with Dell assist tool i 72 min to 94 C
is this HWmonitor capable of reading right temps ?
How could i check which software is fine ?
thx

 

Try with OpenHardwareMonitor. The results with OpenHardwareMonitor are the same with HWinfo or Dell assist tool?

 

I just tried OpenHardwareMonitor but it doest show cpu temps ...
it shows cpu loads gfx temps hdd temps .... no mb nor cpu temps !

 

Are you sure? Try last o beta version... http://openhardwaremonitor.org/

 

Yes i m on latest realease ... i haven t cpu temps

 

try this http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Or any on this list

http://alternativeto.net/software/open-hardware-monitor/

 

ok cpuid reads same values as hwinfo ... about 52 C instead 72 from alienware tools ...
why the hell that stupid utility reads + 20 C ?

 

I do not know, I avoided using any Dell software.

 

guess you re right ... first time on a Alienware .. thx very much

 

Cheers for the help mate, today I opened my laptop up again but when trying to remove the heat sink I completely stripped one of the screws, I was being super careful but the screw was just too soft. Anyway, I loosened the others up and tightened them up again according to the numbers you mentioned. Now when I OCCT with an overclock of x40, no undervolt and not raising the rear of the laptop I get 74, 75, 71, 73 which is a bit better than before. Not much more I can do until I figure out a way of removing the screws and also buying some replacements.

 

Hmm, just did the liquid metal repaste (and repads)... Temps are much better but not as much as I expected.

Hit max 80c on cpu and 71 on gpu playing witcher 3 for 2 hours at 1440p everything max. Definitely fine temps for me but I thought I'd get somewhere around 70c max cpu from what I saw here.

 

Hi! I am getting my Alieware 17 r4 on Tuesday, its i7-7820HK and gtx 1080. I am going to follow your guide. But I have a few questions.

What size are the thermal pads on this image? Are they included on your image over all pads? See image
http://imgur.com/a/Umdgp

Do you recommend changing the pads to the heatsink or on the motherboard? Heard some people having problems with them falling out of place?

On your copper shim mod, which size of fujipoly did you use? Am I going to need glue also? See image!
http://imgur.com/a/7VGjj

 

Hi,

Did it all, tried to follow the guide as close as possible. Used LM paste.

When I turned it on afterwards, there's a problem:
No POST boot (alien light: 2 reds 7 blues)
Beeps: 3-2-1 (GPU FAILURE I assume).

Redid the whole thing 2 more times. Either I'm missing something or I fried my system.

In the odd case I'm missing anything, what could it be? (I understand as per the error light charts that the light blinking combination indicates LCD Failure)

In the most likely case that I just ruined my very expensive laptop... did I void the Warranty? (I payed for a year warranty + premium warranty + accidental damage warrany). Am I screwed? What can I do?


Thanks for reading



Enviado desde mi SM-G935F mediante Tapatalk

 

Yep your GPU is fried https://community.dell.com/thread/2981. Dell might ask some money or none at all if they're willing to Compensate with the accidental damage warranty.
Didn't the tape work?

 

It did, but somehow some LM got under the tape I think. Just a small amount (with a large impact I guess).

I also had a bit of a struggle with one of the cables on the back, the large one with a lever. It might be the case that I actually broke a pin from that cable.

I'm thinking I'm gonna buy some ceramic paste and do it again. Just in case, I really can't seem to handle the LM stuff. Meanwhile, let's see what dell has to say I guess :/

Enviado desde mi SM-G935F mediante Tapatalk

 

Clean off, claim warranty.

LM never happened.

 

Yeah, I'm repasting tomorrow with some ceramic TP and calling support.

Fingers crossed.

Enviado desde mi SM-G935F mediante Tapatalk

 

Excellent, let us know how it goes.

Maybe after cleaning you will be lucky enough to "unkill" the computer?

 

Imagine that .

The thing is, even though I can probably make it as the LM never happened, I'm not gonna get away with having done a repaste. So, basically I killed my laptop either way, IDK how much the Warranty is gonna cover it. That's what I'm most worried about.

I've got the accidental damage warranty as well, so we'll see...

Enviado desde mi SM-G935F mediante Tapatalk

 

Next time don't go LM all the way, use traditional paste. If your temps still shoot up to 90C at full fan speed you might wanna exchange your heatsink for a new one. Use this guide to buy which TIM to buy

 

Someone who could help me? I am getting the laptop in 2 days time? best regards!

 

! you should have open a ticket for thermal heating problem and RMA ..
or at least forcing to send you a refurbished motherboard prior to repaste yours ... just in case things turns out like this ..

the point is .... you paid for a new notebook ... that must be functional ...
good luck

 

Can you please update us on the status of the repaste. I have the same system...thinking about doing a repaste. Lessons learned? Shim used?
Thanks

 

After some back and forth, I'd like to share my experience with this device, again ;-)

Long story short:
I received one of the first Alienware 15R3s back in Octobre and "enjoyed" the overheating.
After a lot of back and forth with Dell and Dell's technicians, I have now got a device that seems to be working.
We'll see about that.

But I'd like to share what I have learned on my odyssey with you

Going liquid metal is no panacea!
If you can't achieve a minimal core differential with "traditional" paste then it most definitely will not happen with liquid metal either.
You can think about it this way, if you like: traditional paste is quite thick and voluminous (compared to LM) to cover the small indentions and general unevenness of your heatsink.
While LM will provide better heat transfer under optimal conditions (read: almost no gap between die and heatsink as well as those two being perfectly parallel), it does not provide this under sub-optimal conditions.
Why is that? Because of its "liquid" form, it is just not able to cover larger gaps / indentions.
Plus, due to its liquid-y form (if you have ever applied LM you know what I mean) it will easily run away, if you applied too much of it while your heatsink is uneven and when it's not getting stuck in-between.

Case in point: I got a new heatsink and applied LM but ended up with a core differential of 15+ degrees Celsius.
The only way to really solve this, if you are the kind of adventurer everyone aspires to be, is to lap the heatsink and bend its arms to really position the heatsink in parallel to the die.
While this might sound easy, it is not - which is why Team LHZ is able to offer this exact service for you. (thanks @iunlock !)

Should you want to try adjusting those arms yourself, I'd guess that knowing the core positions might be useful.
After all, a hot core means bad contact which usually points towards too few pressure on that specific side.
My take on the core layout (feel free to correct me if you have any details ) is like this (credits for the picture are @iunlock's, please tell me if I should get my own picture):


Seeing that most of the issues seem to stem from the upper arm and most people show core 0 and 2 overheating, imho everything points towards these two cores being on the top.
@iunlock mentioned in his post that core 0 and 3 are diagonally across, as are core 1 and 2.
The final layout is my best guess due to how I had to adjust the arms to get somewhat even core temperatures.

Some further information:
Dell has supplied me with several heatsinks over the course of this odyssey and while I didn't check the first few, the last four have all been manufactured by CCI.
Some of those had little core differential out of the box whereas the current one needed a lot of adjustment to even get within ~7°C.

While I obviously can't decide for you whether to take the risk of repasting, especially with liquid metal, I'd like to recommend staying away from it unless you are 100% certain that you actually want to do it.
The risk of damaging your new laptop is moderate but exists nonetheless - which can be easily recognized by all the posts in this and other threads about damaged devices, bent pins, broken antennas, ...
Doing a repaste should not void your warranty, but getting Dell to admit that the fault is on their side and that the defect was there when you received the device will be difficult and unpleasant.
Therefore, I'd suggest considering the alternatives to a repaste - like exchanging the device for a different one (be it a direct exchange or a different model from a competitor).

Best of luck to you all

 

Um. . . Forgive me if I'm wrong, but that sounds like condoning fraud. Just saying.

 

Really depends if he wants to do it or not.

As the warranty is accidental anyways, don't really make a difference at this point.

 

Alright... I'm new to laptop gaming.
I own a custom built desktop, and so forth... so I know quite a bit about them, but I'm not too knowledgeable in laptops.
A few questions, but I'll note some things.
I'm following this guide, with a different laptop but for the same end goal. (Alienware 17 R2, 970m + i7-4710HQ)
Few questions are this...

1. With Liquid Metal, if I do it correctly... how much would I have to worry if I were to bring my laptop in a backpack places, on cars and such? Mind you, I'd be using the tape.
2. For the PCH, since my model is different, would it be better if the heatsink touched nothing or touched the plastic of the laptop? Maybe just a thermal pad instead?
3. On the "back" of my motherboard, so the side that has ram slots, there are little VRMs with no thermal pads. Is there any reason not to put them on? How bad would it be if I put a thermal pad on something, with no contact to "squeeze" it together?

PS: Thanks so much for this guide, and all the help going around. I've been reading all the past pages up to 57 as of right now.
Hopefully I can get some clarity!

 

The froud is to sell gaming laptops with poor heat dissipation ..

 

The froud is to sell gaming laptops with poor heat dissipation ..

 

Question for the group. Here are my temps on a table after 45 minutes Overwatch all maxed out.

I have 7820hk - GTX 1080

Notice 95 Max Avg. Mid 80's this is on a desk. However When put on my lap desk with holes in it I get high 79 on the max while gaming for the same period. Is this just a repaste repad issue????

 

13r3 Owner here, yes going the LM route will fix that, similar to what I had prior to "surgery" after lurking here for a bit. It does seem a bit intimidating at first but given I've overclocked for years and work in IT I figured I'd give it a go and it really wasn't that bad. Just take your time prepping everything before you start applying LM and do a test fire from the tube so you get a feel for it before you try applying to the chip. I took the approach of using more than I probably needed rather than painting the HSF contact point like the OP mentioned. Spread and glob would be an accurate term.

Current temps are solid (low 30s idle high 60s load) and frankly I almost wish I went with the 17" for the HK but the OLED panel was the closest thing to my MacBook so that's what I bought. LM repasting should be something everyone does as it transforms the laptop into what it should be which is the Windows equivalent of a MBP. I have only on a handful of occasions seen either fan turn on and that includes during OCCT. The laptop is dead ass silent which is perfect for me.

Also don't stress out if you break a plastic clip or two. If you retorque the screws down hard enough it wont make a difference at all. Mine is just as solid as it was before I started. But before you do ANYTHING make sure EVERYTHING works FIRST. My first 13r3 was DOA and had a bad mobo and speakers (dead ports), thank god I checked that before I started.

 

I was planning to just do kyronaut.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Honestly, Conductonaut or bust. If you don't go the true blue liquid metal route it's a waste of time to repaste. Dell may be lazy and cheap but they're not stupid counter to what some folks believe. The reason they use these chewing gum style pads is because they last forever and are used as shock absorption in case the unit is dropped. Thermal paste expires at roughly 2-3 years and has to be reapplied, LM does not and neither do pads which is why Apple/OEMs use them.

 

Alienware is sending out a tech to replace heatsink motherboard and fans. I can't imagine that I can't have acceptable temperatures on this machine after that is replaced. This is already a replacement as the first machine had a different issue.

The CPU only gets that hot when flat on a desk. 95-97 c after 30'minutes of gaming. Does that seem odd and probably not just a thermal paste problem?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk