T430s, integrated graphics, i53320m, 8gb x 2 ram, 1gb 2.5" ssd + ultrabay 1gb 7200rpm hard drive.
I've been researching the issue of these processors/laptops running HOT for the past 2 years, but finally had some downtime from work and decided that cleaning up the heatsync and redoing the thermal paste would be the best bet.
I took apart the laptop and the fan had a little dust but wasn't too bad (pics below), but the existing thermal paste in there (could be factory, could be someone else) was a total mess. I cleaned that up and put on brand new Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut (supposedly one of the best thermal pastes available, bought from an official seller). I note that I have the slower Delta fan in my heatsync, which is working fine and passes the bios fan test etc.
I put everything back together after, and have been using the laptop for about 2 weeks now, putting it through multiple heat cycles, but the processor overheating issues remain (currently pushing 101c while watching a 720p youtube video and typing this, idles around mid-high 70s)
I have done the thermal paste on 2 laptops and multiple desktops before (with positive results!) so I think I did it correctly and used the correct amount, but I haven't seen any notable thermal improvement in this case.
Am i fighting a losing battle here? Is the slower fan the main issue? Is there anything I can do to get these darn temps down? I wouldn't call myself a power user, but I would like to drive a monitor and occasionally watch videos in 720p or higher, which seems to be difficult due to the thermal throttling.
Thanks
Pic below, the fan and thermal paste BEFORE cleanup. I didn't take any after pics since i wanted to get the heatsync on to the paste ASAP and I was working solo.
