I'va just applied AS5 to laptop and im worried...

[rollojarvis]

Hello, My laptop was running a bit hot, (acer 5535), so i have just applied arctic silver 5 to the CPU, and it is now idling at about 30 degrees so thats all good, however, the heatsink that runs to the CPU also touches the graphics chip. When i removed it, there was a thermal pad on the graphics chip (which disintegrated when i took the heatsink off), I cleaned both GPU and CPU and applied AS5 to the graphics chip and the adjoining part of the heatsink, but am a little worried that there may be a gap between the two, i mean why else would they use a thermal pad instead of paste?

Anyway, i cant find any software that can monitor the temp of my graphics chip, (its integrated graphics) so im not sure if there is a sensor there. Should i be worried about it overheating if the AS5 isn't making contact between the chip and heatsink? It would be a bit of a pain taking it all apart again to check.

Thanks

 

[shin0bi272]

if you want to monitor your system temps lavalys everest is a good program to use.

The reason for thermal pads instead of greases? cleaner and easier to install...
http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_pad_%28computing%29

looking at pics of the inside of your system there should be a large copper heat pipe attached to the heatsink which leads to your exhaust fan. Once you bolt down the heatsink it will make contact with the cpu because with the pad if you looked at it before it disintegrated there would have been an indentation on it where the pad had been pressed into the cpu core... In fact youve actually done the right thing in doing this because that pad is essentially an insulator compared to the AS5. its like putting a blanket on your cpu compared to thermal grease. They just use them because the people in the 3rd world countries that put the heatsinks together dont understand how to apply as5 or should I say "the right amount" of thermal grease. So this way they can slap a sticker on the heatsink and make their production quota faster.

 

[rollojarvis]

Thanks for the response, but im not worried about the CPU, its the GPU chip that had the thermal pad on, the CPU had some thermal paste, i'm not sure why they would use different thermal materials for the two different chips - i replaced them both (GPU and CPU) with AS5, but im just a bit concerned that there might be a gap between the heatsink and the graphics chip.

 

[WR2]

They just use them because the people in the 3rd world countries that put the heatsinks together dont understand how to apply as5 or should I say "the right amount" of thermal grease.

Where did you dig up this fact?
When did the "3rd world countries" engineers start designing and developing specifications for laptops?

 

[WR2]

i'm not sure why they would use different thermal materials for the two different chips - i replaced them both (GPU and CPU) with AS5, but im just a bit concerned that there might be a gap between the heatsink and the graphics chip.

There is likely some difference in thermal characteristics between the CPU and IGP HD 3200 graphics which might explain the difference in thermal interface material. It also makes a difference in what type of chip is used. Usually a thermal pad is used for a 'bare' chip and thermal grease for a chip with a metal heat spreader over the silicon chip.
Thermal pads (phase change material) aren't quite the 'insulator compared to the AS5' someone else suggested.

 

[rollojarvis]

There is likely some difference in thermal characteristics between the CPU and IGP HD 3200 graphics which might explain the difference in thermal interface material. It also makes a difference in what type of chip is used. Usually a thermal pad is used for a 'bare' chip and thermal grease for a chip with a metal heat spreader over the silicon chip.
Thermal pads (phase change material) aren't quite the 'insulator compared to the AS5' someone else suggested.

Ok, so have you heard anything about there being a gap between the heatsink and the graphics chip?

In my case the opposite was true, the graphics chip had a heatspreader, and that had the thermal pad, and the CPU was bare and that had the thermal compound.

Thanks

 

[WR2]

The laptop designers and engineers have different options for choosing thermal regulation solutions. Chip heat output, size of heat sink, and thermal interface materials all play a part.

Are you getting temp readings off the GPU in your monitoring sofware?
A visible gap might 'go away' when you button up the laptop. I think any actual gap would cause a heat spike to shut down the laptop.

 

[WR2]

If you're interested in some of the differences in thermal pads and thermal grease AMD has this PDF file available online.
http/support.amd.com/us/Processor_TechDocs/26951.pdf

 

[rollojarvis]

Are you getting temp readings off the GPU in your monitoring sofware?

Thanks, I was running it for about 45 mins earlier and it didnt shut down, I ran furmark for about 5 mins and it didnt shut down so im assuming its okay.

Ive run HWmonitor, although there is not actual GPU temperature listed, TZS0 and TZS1 both idle below about 40 degrees, one of these may be the graphics chip

Cheers

 

[WR2]

I think you're in good shape.
Nice job.

 

[WR2]

TZS0 and TZS1 might be the individual cores of your CPU.