Does thermal pads conductivity get weaker after years of using your laptop?

Hello all,

There are many threads on this forum about cooling modifications, replacing thermal pad with copper shim, penny etc.
From time to time I clean inside of my laptop, removing any dust, hair and change thermal compound on CPU chip.
And that way my laptop always operate within reasonable temperature range. But, with years, average working temp has
increased a little. Nothing serious, but I like to keep it as cooler, and as quiet as possible.

Question(s):

Would replacing a new thermal pad on GPU chip decrease temp?
Do thermal pads lose on their conductivity over years?
Did you replace thermal pads on your laptop before, and what are the results?

 

By replacing it with a high quality one most likely yes. Even name brand manufacturers tend to do penny pinching when it comes to thermal management. But one shouldn't expect too much.

Some types will some other not (or more correct: so slowly that it can be ignored).

Yes I have on a number of machines and in most cases the temperatures decreased somewhat. But I never used top of the line heatpads - mostly as those were very hard to buy in smaller quantities. Today it's easier: e.g. Fujipoly 17 W/mK heatpads can be bought at Frozencpu.com with reasonable prices.

 

Thanks for reply.
I got some thermal pads that have thermal conductivity: 3.2W/mK. Can't find some better ones in my area.

Seems like a big difference in quality comparing to what I have.
Anyway, I have Sony Vaio laptop that serves me very well, for five years now. In idle state, when laptop is on and only OS is running, temps are ~45C degrees. When I only browse on Internet with few tabs opened in browser, CPU temps are ~50C degrees. Temp will go up with opening more tabs, and especially if I watch some online movie. Thats when it can go even up to 70C degrees.

Hotest area is underneat the fan. First few years laptop fan would from time to time turn off, and it was holding temps around 40-45 degrees. Now, I haven't noticed that it ever turns off, it's just always spinning. I doubt that maybe fan got weaker, because I don't feel hot air blowing (not that obviously) out of laptop when I put my hand above those bars on the side. And when I touch the surface underneat the fan, plastic cover, it is really hot.

Is it possible that even if fan is spinning, that it does not blow out that hot air from the inside of laptop properly?
Should I try with a new fan? Would that influence on better cooling?

 

Sorry for the later answer!

Replacing the fan can be expensive (Sony spare parts can be hard to find), hard (trying to replace it with another model) and isn't that likely to improve temperatures. Most likely it's the thermal paste and/or pads that needs replacement. If the interface materials dries out or is "pumped out" the thermal resistance from chips to heatsink will increase forcing the fan to work hard too keep chip temperatures in check.
I suggested the Fujipoly pads assuming that you just wanted to improve the temperature in an already standard system. Your pads + some thermal paste of some sort should lower your temperatures.

 

That could be the issue.
I will leave it as is, for now, but if temps continue going up, I will look for some higher quality thermal pads, like one you've suggested.
Thanks again for answering.

 

hehe use a penny, now they are mostly steel lol?
Dont replace the thermal pad with nothing but thermal paste, the copper items are to replace/add to the heatsink, you still NEED thermal paste realistically (well you could.... solder, but not the safest thing to do, and you mind as well relid the processor too)

Would replacing a new thermal pad on GPU chip decrease temp? replace with high quality thermal paste
Do thermal pads lose on their conductivity over years? yes, because they are usually crap
Did you replace thermal pads on your laptop before, and what are the results? with paste, usually small decrease in temps, but ocassional with cheap laptops and less so often with high end laptops you get a crappy +cheap paste job (talking about 100 degrees Celsius at full load here...) where you get temp drops in the 30+ degrees Celsius.(yes it is rare) but expect, with a decent heatsink and fan, to get at least a few degrees drop at idle, and a few more at full load (if you want a more straightforward suggestion post ur specs and temps <---including room temps)

 

Your laptop required the thermal pad you removed to keep the system cool.
You won't be able to use the GPU since your unable to keep it cool.
You might be able to order a replacement thermal pad or do some research and see what you should replace it with.
Without the thermal pad the heatsink cannot do its job

 

Replacing a pad with just paste is in most cases a very bad idea. The reason is simple: pads and paste have similar but differing functions - paste is intended to fill in small imperfections while pads are intended to fill gaps. Paste isn't flexible while pads in some cases are intended to be. Using paste instead of a pad can also require over tightening of the heatsink screws leading to problems both local and elsewhere (e.g. strains on heatpipes, other components).

Replacing a pad with a copper shim + paste )on both sides of the shim!) can give better results than a pad itself but it's not a guarantee. Also a shim isn't flexible.

 

I did replace in my E6400, first ones Phobya (grey 5W) they were 1mm compressible to .5 mm, but after 18 months I re-do it, and used Phobya XT 7W 0.5mm (compr. 0.25mm). I have also cleaned this time with ArctiClean (two compound product) and re-applied AS5 (again). To answer your questions:
a) not only pads are loosing its conductivity with time but also (!) AS5 does !
b) re-paste and change of thermalpads should be every year job

Why I assume this (regarding curing AS5) , because when you press more AS5 from tube you will see that there is grey and some kind of gue that is slippery like oil, this is/are antioxidants in which silver should be covered, those substances do not last that long and they separate when tube lays around. That is why if you are complete freak regarding re-pasting, best method is to press all AS5 and mix it with small dremel-like tool for few minutes until mixture is clear and you cannot see separate components. THEN you can apply such paste.

As to thermalpads, they work better when they are slimmer, never make mistake and put thicker than it could be used. That is - sadly - very difficult to assess.

PS. Pad are used - instead to paste - to lover heat transfer from GPU if it sits on one heatpipe with CPU. With this, throttling appear later than usually would, and in older configurations allows to control (one) fan that is responding to thermal diode working with CPU (not GPU).