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Can anyone tell me what my CPU temps should be on average? At idle, at load?
I feel like my computer is running hot. 60C at idle and 80 at load in W10. In linux, it's running hotter. So hot that it's freezing up on me..... I plan to open it up and clean dust out etc.
I know that TJ Max is 105C.
I think I'm going to replace my CPU fan as well. It makes a little noise when I tilt the computer.
What is the procedure for applying new thermal paste to a laptop CPU? Same as a desktop?
The CPU temperature depends to a large extent on the rules, which are coded into the BIOS, controlling the fan operation. You can use a program such as HWiNFO to show the CPU temperature and then make a note of the temperature when the fan operation changes. Usually the triggers for changing the operation are higher for rising temperatures than for falling temperatures to avoid frequent change in the fan speed.
If either the cooling system is clogged up with dust (quite possible after a year or two) or the thermal paste is becoming less effective then the result is higher temperatures for a given fan speed. Measure the maximum temperature under full load before you do any work so that you can do the same test afterwards and see the difference.
The basic process for re-applying thermal paste is to (i) remove the heat sink; (ii) clean the surfaces; (iii) apply a pea-sized dollop of paste on the centre of the CPU; then (iv) refix the heatsink. Opinions differ about the merits of spreading the paste before replacing the heatsink. The objective is to get the thinnest possible layer of thermal compound which completely fills the gap between the CPU and the heat sink. I usually move the heat sink around after putting it onto the CPU to help spread the compound. There is plenty of discussion in the hardware forum about which thermal paste to use.
Thanks for your response. HWiNFO is a nice program. Very aesthetically pleasing.
When I installed my SSD a little ways back, I took compressed air and cleaned out the fan. I also cleaned up the inside of the machine really well.
I've cleaned up the inside of a few laptops before but I'm far from an expert. The last one I did had a thermal pad instead of thermal paste. Is it okay to remove old thermal pads and replace with paste instead? I assume those pads must wear out.
I will take measurements before I start working on anything. Good call.
Do you feel that 60C just using chrome with a few tabs opened is considered hot?
1. Thermal pads are usually used when the heat sink covers more than one component which have different heights from the board. If the heat sink is only serving the CPU then paste is much better than a pad.
2. The 60C temperature may well be OK if the fan either isn't running or is running very slowly. The analysis to determine the fan operation trigger points will provide insight. If, for example, the trigger to turn the fan on is 65C and the trigger to turn it off is 55C then 60C represents the balance between the heat genereated under light usage and the passive heat dissipation. I would be more worried about a maximum temperature which gets into the 90s and you are well clear of that.
The fan seems to be pretty quiet in general. It is running though. I can hear it. I can also feel warm air coming up through the vent. The only time I really notice that it kicks in at full is when I run linux. Ubuntu in general is running hot. I hit 87 the other day watching a video..... The computer froze up as I believe the CPU was throttling.
I had another laptop that I sold that had the same issue with Ubuntu. I read some articles online. Other people were claiming linux runs hot on laptops. Perhaps something to do with the drivers built into the linux kernel not playing well with laptops. Not really 100% what the issue is.
When I tilt the computer on my lap, the fan does make a noise. I'm questioning whether or not that is a sign that it's going bad.
I will start by opening her back up and cleaning. I will remove the heat sink and change the thermal paste. I have two tubes of paste. One is by Noctua, the other is from Cryorig.
Btw, I checked my power settings in W10. I had it set at performance, minimum CPU state 100%. Do you think that is a contributing factor? I pulled it down to 25% and it seems I'm running a few degrees cooler. Around 57C-59C at idle now.
In my view, there's no reason to deviate from a standard performance on demand power profile which lets the CPU speed vary according to workload bearing in mind that faster = more heat. It's not as if a CPU takes a finite time to accelerate - I have found that a maximum performance power profile gives no significant performance improvement compared to performance on demand but does result in increased heat and fan activity.
What is the procedure for applying new thermal paste to a laptop CPU? Same as a desktop?[/QUOTE]
It actually depends on the laptop. If it has thermal paste you need to put paste. For pads you need to put pads. there is only one paste out there that can be used istead of thermal pads. It is called K5-PRO. I am using it for my repairs since it's not pricey and I don't have to meassure for diameters and thickness.
If you are not sure how much to apply you can watch this video here:
I would highlight that the video above is potentially confusing because it shows a heatsink covering several components. The CPU is the last component to have the paste applied.
Okay so I just watched the video. Is that all thermal paste he is putting on there..... I was always told that less is more.... Seems like a lot of compound.
That was the point of my comment about the video being misleading. The material being applied to the first two chips is an alternative to thermal pads where a thickness of 1 to 2mm may be required to fill the gap between the heat sink and these chips (which aren't as high as the CPU) so larger quantities are needed. A smaller amount of thermal paste is applied to the CPU.
You are correct that, for the CPU, less is better but subject to the requirement of it being a thin layer continuous with no air gaps between CPU and heat sink. A thicker layer of paste will reduce the thermal performance but if the heat sink is screwed down properly then excess paste will squeeze out of the sides.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
