Please Help: Need thinkpad t500 thermal pad size

[depressedcoffees]

Hi, I recently opened my used thinkpad t500 to clean up the thermal paste do to temperature issues to see that there are no thermal pads.
when looking at this guide here: https://www.myfixguide.com/manual/lenov ... -keyboard/
It seems there is suppose to be one thermal pad.
I was wondering what size thermal pad do I need? And is there is suppose to be a thermal pad for all 3 chips?
My thinkpad has a the ATI GPU but it does not work (black screen at boot when changing from intel to ATI in the bios).
Also I assume you apply thermal paste on the chips even though there is a thermal pad?

[axur-delmeria]

The proper documentation exists in the form of the T500 Hardware Maintenance Manual. You can find it through a quick Google search, or use the HMM link at the top of this forum's pages.

Generally, the thermal pad is placed only on the chipset but it doesn't hurt to buy extras in case you mess up the installation. Get 3 pads, 20mm x 20mm square with 1mm thickness. There are 20mm x 100/120mm strips available as well, just cut it to the right length.

[depressedcoffees]

The proper documentation exists in the form of the T500 Hardware Maintenance Manual. You can find it through a quick Google search, or use the HMM link at the top of this forum's pages.

Generally, the thermal pad is placed only on the chipset but it doesn't hurt to buy extras in case you mess up the installation. Get 3 pads, 20mm x 20mm square with 1mm thickness. There are 20mm x 100/120mm strips available as well, just cut it to the right length.

Thank you so much! Sorry for the noob question, but which one is the chipset?

EDIT: After googling I assume this goes on the ATI GPU?

[TPFanatic]

I believe he means the southbridge northbridge which is the die closest to the RAM, this contains the iGPU.

I've noticed on dGPU models they come with a thermal pad between the heatsink and the southbridge northbridge. On iGPU models, there is no pad and it is pasted. So it may work either way.

edit: northbridge, not southbridge. It's been awhile.

[axur-delmeria]

Some models of the T500 have just the Intel GMA X4500MHD integrated graphics . Some have switchable graphics, meaning it has both Intel integrated graphics and ATI Radeon HD 3650 GPU.

The GPU is to the right of the processor socket, and the Intel chipset (specifically the GM45 northbridge) is below the GPU. If you've read the T500 HMM (Hardware Maintenance Manual), specifically near the end of Section 1150 (Fan assembly), there's an illustration that shows where the paste and thermal pads should be applied.

The HMM refers to the thermal pad as "thermal rubber" or just "rubber", and the figure shows that only the lower copper plate (which makes contact with the chipset) has that rubber.

[depressedcoffees]

Some models of the T500 have just the Intel GMA X4500MHD integrated graphics . Some have switchable graphics, meaning it has both Intel integrated graphics and ATI Radeon HD 3650 GPU.

The GPU is to the right of the processor socket, and the Intel chipset (specifically the GM45 northbridge) is below the GPU. If you've read the T500 HMM (Hardware Maintenance Manual), specifically near the end of Section 1150 (Fan assembly), there's an illustration that shows where the paste and thermal pads should be applied.

The HMM refers to the thermal pad as "thermal rubber" or just "rubber", and the figure shows that only the lower copper plate (which makes contact with the chipset) has that rubber.

Thank you. I just viewed the diagram in the T500/W500 HMM and see where to apply thermal paste and where to put the pad. It does say to use thermal grease. Does that mean using some noctua thermal paste would be a bad idea or can it substitute thermal greese. Already have some paste bought less then a month ago and if its possible/ safe to use that I rather would.

[axur-delmeria]

Thermal grease in this case means thermal paste.

Noctua NT-H1 is a good thermal paste. You can use it on the laptop if it's not too old-- my tube of Noctua thermal paste dried out but it took more than two years to do so-- it was so dry it almost wouldn't come out of the syringe.

[SaganAndroid]

I have never had a machine with (hopefully just) thermal issues before. I am a thermal pad/paste noob.
I have the 5th edition of the HMM (from https://thinkpads.com/support/hmm/hmm_p ... 630_04.pdf )

My switchable-graphics (ATI & intel) W500 has had problems consistent with thermal problems, so time to replace the thermal paste. And (I presume) the thermal pad ??

However, nowhere (pg. 110) does the HMM explain anything useful about replacing the thermal pad (aka thermal "rubber"). Anyone can figure out how big it needs to be. But how THICK is it supposed to be??

How do I remove the old thermal pad? How do I clean up after it- is there adhesive that needs cleaning up?
How do I secure the new thermal pad? (Are new thermal pads coated in some kind of adhesive?)

Thanks!