Installing i7 940 XM do I need thermal pads?

I plan on installing this baby over the weekend and have AS5, anti-static mat and wrist band. Alcohol and so called Thermal Material Remover. What I do not have is thermal pads that I see mentioned but I am not too familiar with.

I have built gobs of computers since the 90s but have never...ever swapped out a mobile cpu. Am I good to go or not?

 

You're perfectly prepared to do this. There are thermal pads on the heatsink which cover some parts next to the CPU, but you don't need to replace them, they should still do their job. I did never change them so far, not even when I replaced the CPU.

Let us see some benchmarks after installing the beast

 

When I installed my 940XM I also used AS5, but later repasted with Arctic MX4 when my core temps were in the mid to upper 50'sC at an idle. Now the temps are in low to mid 40's. Just a little friendly advice.

 

Thanks for the replies you guys. I may have to roll with this AS5 now and then repaste later with something else if needed. This is all I have on hand right now and I am not sure when I will have time to do this again.

 

from what i've seen as5 on the cpu doesn't get the best result, but for the gpu it works well.
i've gottewn good results with mx-4 and ocz freeze which is still my favorite paste till this day.

 

Ok Inap you have me thinking twice about this... planning on using your guide too btw.

 

Inap's guides have led a bunch of us through the same process you are undertaking. Those guides and pictures make it easy, even for someone with no experience at all. It will be a breeze for you.

 

So I have decided I will listen to the advice and wait on some Mx4 and do this weekend now I am looking for a 6300 card to install while I have the thing torn down. I have the Dell one now...

 

What's the deal with this plastic film that is on the factory CPU any use for this on the new unit?

 

That's only there that the factory thermal paste doesn't get spilled all over the rest of the CPU, it's not needed. I removed it on my CPU when I repasted.

 

Thank you my dude...wish me luck

 

You're welcome. Won't be a big deal for you, you have Inaps guide and experience with desktop systems.

 

keep us posted with result, good luck

 

Thanks
Having a hard time trying to get the keyboard back on..took it off to replace the nic do the two ribbons go in front of or behind the snaps? Been messing with this for a while now..smh.

 

Of course as soon as I post I figured it out....moving on...

 

Thanks for the help you guys are awesome. Been did a prime run after getting it installed and have been benching ever since. My GPU sucks (460) it was a blind buy I discovered the forum later..I have two EVGA 470 Super Clocked in my tower and wanted to stay on team green. Anyways my vantage CPU score looks too good to be true? I got this thing through a major reseller and not Dell or Ebay if that makes a difference. Seeing from 24K-29K. Cooling with a coolermaster unit.

 

Yeah, you need to turn of PhysX in the Nvidia control panel... otherwise the CPU tests a run by the GPU.

And then you can start overclocking this beast!!

 

10-4 been trying to figure out where to go to do that.

 

Hmm, I don't have a Nvidia card installed atm... you can right-click on the desktop, choose Nvidia control panel and then you should find a PhysX option somewhere, probably in a "performance" category or similar.

 

SMH....Thought I got a gift from the CPU gods again the 980x I have in my workstation is abnormal. Doing some new runs now.

 

Nah I was looking around in Vantage for a related setting like a dumb . Was not connecting the dots.

 

Select (check) Disable PPU (Physics Processing Unit) on the Options tab of Vantage to disable hardware PhysX. That is now the default setting and is required for the results to be valid.

 

haha have fun with that baby.
it's blazing fast for a laptop cpu.

 

So I used MX4 on this thing, used the line method and idle in the high 50's. Safe to say I need to repaste. I will be installing the 6970 I got soon so I guess I will do it then. Not sure what went wrong here.....

 

You'll see what went wrong as soon as you lift the heatsink.

 

True. 2nd time's a charm I hope.

 

It happens routinely, primarily I think because the particularly close quarters on the CPU side make it difficult to maneuver the heatsink into position without smearing the thermal paste, resulting in an uneven spread. I've tried the line method, but have had greater success with the pea or grain of rice method on the CPU. You almost have to use a variation of the line method with the 6970M because of its size. Good luck. With MX-4, your CPU should idle around 38-42C; the 6970M, more in the mid-to-high 40C's, even low (very low) 50C's.

 

Thanks for the tips Rev.

 

See, I have almost generic paste, from Rosewill, but when I replaced the AS5 on my Desktop with it, temps went down 5C. I think it's because of the applicator, its like a paintbrush. Also, thanks to inap for the repaste guide. Such a help.

 

Interesting..anyone tried the 'card' method with a mobile CPU?

 

@ Kev -- Just proves the old adage that preparation and application are more important than the paste/material used.

@MegaVA -- I have never tried the card method, mostly because most sources recommend against it, but if it works, it works. Doesn't matter how it gets there or how it's spread if it does the job.

 

hmmm .. my local IT shop only had AS5 ... is MX4 really that much better?

I did a repaste with AS5 and managed to lower my temps by a few degrees on both CPU and GPU, but would love to get it even lower =D

 

Differences aren't that great. AS5 is still good. Only reason people prefer others is that AS5 is capacitive if applied wrong.