Thinkpads Forum

Hi everyone,

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.

bump for some help?

Did you separate the fan from the heatsink and remove dust from the cooling fins?

I didn't take apart the heatsync but i used some paintbrushes to get out as much of the dust that i could. I shone a light in there after and it looked quite clean. Even so, i would have expected the cooling to at least improve a little with new paste and a cleaner fan, but no such luck

You should take it apart and clean it thoroughly. Remember that the T430s is around 8 years old at this point-- that's enough time for dust to build up inside.

If cleaning doesn't fix the issue, then it's possible that the one or both heatpipes have failed, dramatically reducing the heatsink's cooling capacity.

Another possibility is the processor simply consuming more power compared to when it was new. "Electromigration" is probably the cause of that.

Beg/steal/borrow another fan, yours might be faulty or not fitting fully flat on the CPU.

Just to follow up, still running super hot. My fan passes all tests without any problems, but I am regularly in the 80s and 90s degrees C at CPU temps.
I may have to try a new brand/formula of thermal paste or maybe upgrade to the heatsync with the faster fan.

What are the temps at idle? Are you running Windows or a different OS like Linux?

Running Windows 10.

Idle processor temperature is usually in the 70s C, once I open browser and a few other programs, usually will sit in the 80s, and it is only upward from there once I start opening videos etc

Have you checked that the fan runs when you boot up?

Yes indeed. The fan seems to run fine, and the fan speed seems consistent with what everyone has said about the delta fan running slower and quieter than the alternative.

An idle temperature of 70c generally means something is terribly wrong.

1. Heatpipe failure.

2. Heatsink not laying flat on the CPU, thus not making proper contact.

Another question: does the chipset have a thermal pad? There's one in my X220 and it tears easily when removing the heatsink. When I made the mistake of buying a 1.5mm thick thermal pad to replace it, I experienced much higher CPU temps. It got better when I replaced it with a 0.5mm thermal pad.

badman9 wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 08, 2020 10:05 pm

Idle processor temperature is usually in the 70s C,

Hi , As said 70C at idle and over 100C under load means there is really something wrong. I also agree with fan being completely disassembled than cleaned thoroughly.
To explore a bit further ,
- Even though it doesn't matter how did you apply paste? It takes time to settle but 2 weeks is enough i guess/ depending on the type.
-What update are you running, 2004? , all drivers especially the graphics/chipset up to date?
-Have you checked the CPu-Z for bench&stress ? what temp.you get under Stress?
-What ram modules are you using , are they identical, what are the voltages?
-Have you tried booting with only SSD (disable HDD in bios/take out ultrabay) and see temp's?
-Have you checked throttle stop to under volt your cpu /experiment and than check temp's under stress?
-Did you use HW tests under bios , what is the fan behaviour in bios hw tests?
-Is there a temp change if you run on battery or AC?
-What power setting are you on/reset/restore your power setting/change max.processor state to 99% both on battery &AC than check temps? do this first than undervolt with throttlestop.
-Boot into safe mode to see if it behaves the same/disable startup items /check task manager for excessive load/cpu useage on any prg?
-Also boot into live linux and check temp's?
-Maybe check HWINFO64 for something unusual?

Vopu

Even though your fan passed the tests, it would be a good idea to take that heat sink apart, clean the fins properly and take out the fan itself to put some lubricant (a drop is enough) inside its center axis.
That was the only thing that fixed my heating issues on T400. I used the oil that came with my hair clipper... works perfectly