How to disassemble the T61, re applying Arctic 5

[TheAnyKey]

Hi,

I would need to reach the cpu/fan, to apply thermal paste. Is this a major endeavor, that might easily get awry? My cpu temp after 1/2 h of desktop use is 52°C, my gpu temp 61°C.

I don't know if this is a lot.

I have built my desktop pc, so I am not 100% foreign to the innards of PCs but I have never disassembled a leptop or such.

So, is there a good guide on how to do this or would you recommend me to abstain from that idea in the first place?

Thanks.

[ms5133]

Try here

http://www.lenovoservicetraining.com/io ... index.html

[RealBlackStuff]

You only need to remove keyboard and KB bezel, then some clamps and the fan itself. Maybe also 1 speaker, depending on T61 model.
In and out, no more than 15-20 minutes, using the HMM (unless you have 2 left hands).
Make a drawing of the bottom and its screwholes, then tape each screw on the correct drawing-position.

[nycmaster]

You only need to remove keyboard and KB bezel, then some clamps and the fan itself. Maybe also 1 speaker, depending on T61 model.
In and out, no more than 15-20 minutes, using the HMM (unless you have 2 left hands).
Make a drawing of the bottom and its screwholes, then tape each screw on the correct drawing-position.

I'm not questioning your knowledge here but don't forget about Palm rest~

[TheAnyKey]

You only need to remove keyboard and KB bezel, then some clamps and the fan itself. Maybe also 1 speaker, depending on T61 model.
In and out, no more than 15-20 minutes, using the HMM (unless you have 2 left hands).
Make a drawing of the bottom and its screwholes, then tape each screw on the correct drawing-position.

I have a toe for a finger, since I had a meeting with a blender of a rather unfriendly nature. But it is only the ring finger on my left hand, so that shouldn't be much of a hindrance, it has not been so far.

Nonetheless, I hope everything goes well. I need a couple beer and a few shots of vodka first though, for good luck and sure hands. Alas, it is for me a rather large venture.

Wish me luck!

[TuuS]

Proper fitting of the heatsink is important too, especially if you have discrete graphics. First clean the cpu and gpu with pure alcohol, medical grade is best, don't use any with coloring, scents or oil added. Clean the heatsink too. My preferred method is to use a small strip of paper under the gpu platform with the heatink in place. slide the paper and press gently on the gpu platform. It should grip the paper on all areas of the gpu, if it grips more in one area then your heatsink isn't aligned properly. They are very fragile and the heatpipe bends easily. Removing one can cause it to bend if you're not careful.

Once you have a proper fit, carefully remove it and put some arctic silver #5 on the chip, use the aplicator to spread it all over the chip. Use about the size of a grain of rice for the smaller chips, such as a penryn, slightly more for a merom. You want to have just enough on the chip that when you fit the heatsink in place, the paste "flows" into all the spaces with as little overspread as possible.

When you're done run thinkpad fan control (tpfancontrol.com). At idle your temps should be in the low 60c degrees for the cpu a,d several degrees cooler for the gpu. The sign of a poorly fitted heatsink, or improper application of thermal paste is often high gpu temps. It's not abnormal to have your gpu get hotter then the cpu when used heavily, but the real test will be how fast your heatsink can cool it back down again. If you run a stress test and end up with your gpu higher temps then your cpu, switch the fan control to manual (full speed) and let the computer sit idle and see if it can quicly cool it. Normally it will take only seconds to cool off.

Good luck, and I recommend you install the fan control first, so you know how it behaves before you begin, so you can gauge your success.

[rsutoratosu]

If you are apply as5, you might as well clean and re-lube the fan/heatsink assembly.. Out of all the t60/t61 i have, currently at 8, all of them had the fan error and was repaired by relubing the fan assembly... you probably dont want to open the laptop up twice for this.. its a hassle.. also take pics of the cable routing.. a few times i put the wires back wrong and it didn't close properly

@ http://www.msb0b.com/home/thinkpadt60fanrepair - found it on the forum here originally

[DaElderGeek]

. . . .
When you're done run thinkpad fan control (tpfancontrol.com). At idle your temps should be in the low 60c degrees for the cpu a,d several degrees cooler for the gpu. The sign of a poorly fitted heatsink, or improper application of thermal paste is often high gpu temps. It's not abnormal to have your gpu get hotter then the cpu when used heavily, but the real test will be how fast your heatsink can cool it back down again. If you run a stress test and end up with your gpu higher temps then your cpu, switch the fan control to manual (full speed) and let the computer sit idle and see if it can quicly cool it. Normally it will take only seconds to cool off.

Good luck, and I recommend you install the fan control first, so you know how it behaves before you begin, so you can gauge your success.

I just upgraded my CPU to a T9300 and cleaned and reapplied a little AS5. At idle my CPU is between 58C and 60C and my gpu is around 64C. Under load (Flash Video in one window and a DVD playing in another) the CPU is between 71C to 80C and the Nvidia is rock steady at 74C. Any reason for concern?

[johnmcdonnell]

I found this guide helpful, although the cover page is pretty cheesy:

"Lenovo Thinkpad T61 Cleaning Maintenance: Cleaning the CPU Heatsink & Thermal Paste Application"
http://t61.wikispaces.com/file/view/Thi ... nGuide.pdf