X32 2GHz and Shin-Etsu thermal paste - success story

[dr_st]

My X32 2GHz was running hot in the past couple of months. It's been idling at around 60C, and during full CPU load could exceed 80C easily. Even though the 2GHz Dothans are known to run hot in this small case, it seemed excessive.

I wasn't worried about long-term damage, since the laptop is rarely used nowadays, but at some point I decided to take action. I assumed the fan and air ducts may be clogged (cat hair and dust), and also maybe the thermal compound could be replaced. The stock thermal compound used on IBM fan assemblies is not generally held in high esteem.

In these laptops it's really easy to reach the fan assembly - 1 screw to remove the hard drive, 4 screws to remove the keyboard and the fan is exposed for cleaning. 5 more screws are needed to remove the assembly - without messing with any structure components (like bezel or frame).

The fan was dusty, but far less than I expected. It also did not appear that the air paths have been clogged. However the white thermal compound on the heatsink and CPU seemed in bad shape - very little of it and what's there - quite dry.

So I cleaned it and applied a small amount of the dark gray Shin-Etsu thermal paste (either this one or one quite similar). It is considered to be quite good.

The results are very satisfying - about 10C-15C reduction of temperature across the board. The CPU now idles at 45-50C, rising to 55C under light load, and typically stays in high 60s or low 70s under full load.

So it appears to be another story of what a good thermal paste can do and another sad evidence of the quality of the stock paste used on IBM fan assemblies. I don't typically subscribe to the notion that thermal paste must be refreshed regularly. My experience has shown that good paste retains its conductivity and "performance" even after several years. But I guess paste that is "not so good" does not.

Just thought to share this little successful maintenance story in case someone else experiences similar heating issues with their X3x.

[Temetka]

That's a very nice reduction in operating temps you achieved there. It's amazing what a proper internal parts cleaning and a fresh coat of quality TIM can do for a laptop's (and desktop as well) temperature envelope. So now that you have a much cooler laptop on your hands, what are your plans for it? For myself, I have always been a fan of the X series machines. Small, light, and decent battery life. They seem like they would be a great tool for writing, which is what I would use them for.

[Cigarguy]

Awesome bud. I agree with you, thermal paste from the OEM are generally garbage.

Noticed your locatation dr_st. You keep safe now and sympathy me.

[dr_st]

So now that you have a much cooler laptop on your hands, what are your plans for it?

Well, for now - it does not get much use. It is docked and attached to the television, and sometimes I stream shows off it, when I don't feel like using the desktop. Occasionally I disconnect it and use it for light browsing, when other computers are in use.

I like the X32 a lot, as I explained in my Classic Thinkpad Tour thread. But it shows its age. And now that I've acquired the X220, which is superior in every way, it's hard to find legitimate use cases for the X32. But sometimes, with guests around, another laptop comes in handy.

Oh, and I guess I mostly use it as a test bench for old CardBus adapters nowadays - another weird hobby of mine which gets reflected in the multi-part review I am publishing on these forums.

Noticed your locatation dr_st. You keep safe now and sympathy me.

Thank you. FWIW, in my area it's quiet, and the day-to-day life is not affected. Quite a few people at my work have been drafted, though. For various reasons, it is extremely unlikely that I am drafted, which keeps my employer and family happy.

[axur-delmeria]

A friend of mine gave me a couple of small syringes of Shin-Etsu thermal paste.

I used it in a few laptops, including a Thinkpad X61.
In terms of performance, it's comparable to the Noctua NT-H1 I normally use, but the Shin-Etsu is "softer", easier to spread, which is a big advantage when used in laptops.

A "harder" paste like the NT-H1 needs pressure from the heatsink to spread it evenly, and the instructions even tell to twist the heatsink around a bit to spread it: http://www.noctua.at/pdf/manuals/noctua ... ual_en.pdf

Of course, this is hard to do (sometimes even impossible) with laptop heatsinks. I've had some contact problems with past applications of NT-H1 on this X61 T9300 I'm typing on-- I think I had to mount the heatsink thrice (reapplying paste each time) until I got it right.

In comparison, the softer Shin-Etsu paste spread without much hassle (and pressure) and temps were just fine.