Thermal Paste or Pad for VRMs?

[blo0phs]

Hi everyone,

I have this laptop, MSI GL65 9-SFK. I want to replace CPU and GPU thermal paste but when I open disassemble my laptop, my VRMs used thermal paste from manufacture and not thermal pad.

Right now, I want to re-new thermal paste on my VRMs or replace it with thermal pad. As long as I know, laptop VRMs should be use thermal pad right?

So I wonder, should I re-new my thermal paste or change it with thermal pad only for VRMs? Is that any significant temperature for thermal paste and thermal pad on VRMs?

Thanks

 

[Massdeth]

Usually you go with whatever they already had on it. TIM paste is for things that are naturally close together so it can fill in the micro imperfections for better contact. TIM pads are for things that have a small gap between them so it can fill that gap. Being its a laptop, space and cooling potential is important so if they used paste im sure there was a good reason for it. Also, dont forget if you use a TIM pad and its even slightly too large or doesnt squish enough it could prevent you from closing things back up or even break something trying to force it back together. Whatever you use make sure its electrically NONconductive and is just heat/thermally conductive. As far as VRM temps, that somewhat depends on which one you have, but imo i wouldnt want to see it higher than 90c probably.

 

[xtreemchaos]

yes like for like as said above.

 

[Space Lynx]

Usually you go with whatever they already had on it. TIM paste is for things that are naturally close together so it can fill in the micro imperfections for better contact. TIM pads are for things that have a small gap between them so it can fill that gap. Being its a laptop, space and cooling potential is important so if they used paste im sure there was a good reason for it. Also, dont forget if you use a TIM pad and its even slightly too large or doesnt squish enough it could prevent you from closing things back up or even break something trying to force it back together. Whatever you use make sure its electrically NONconductive and is just heat/thermally conductive. As far as VRM temps, that somewhat depends on which one you have, but imo i wouldnt want to see it higher than 90c probably.

a drizzt do urden fan I assume? sorry if I spelled wrong lol

I have to admit, that whole panther combo with dual blades is quite epic just in itself.

 

[blo0phs]

Usually you go with whatever they already had on it. TIM paste is for things that are naturally close together so it can fill in the micro imperfections for better contact. TIM pads are for things that have a small gap between them so it can fill that gap. Being its a laptop, space and cooling potential is important so if they used paste im sure there was a good reason for it. Also, dont forget if you use a TIM pad and its even slightly too large or doesnt squish enough it could prevent you from closing things back up or even break something trying to force it back together. Whatever you use make sure its electrically NONconductive and is just heat/thermally conductive. As far as VRM temps, that somewhat depends on which one you have, but imo i wouldnt want to see it higher than 90c probably.

Thanks for the response.

I think I will just re-new the paste with Kryonaut Extreme or Thermalright TF-X, have to check which one is better. I don't want to break my laptop part because only because of I buy the wrong size of pad.

 

[Massdeth]

@Lynx....ABSOLUTELY! Everything about the Drow is epic.

 

[micropage7]

really thermal paste? usually thermal pad
you should the contact area between the vrms and the heatsink, if there's a little gap like 0.3 mm, just use thermal pad

 

[eidairaman1]

So get some thermal grizzly cryonaut or Arctic MX 5.

Tighter tolerance heatsinks use paste.

 

[seth1911]

Pads for VRM

 

[blo0phs]

really thermal paste? usually thermal pad
you should the contact area between the vrms and the heatsink, if there's a little gap like 0.3 mm, just use thermal pad

Yes, it is thermal paste by default. That also confused me, why they are using thermal paste and thermal pad. I've been searched like all day to find the thickness of thermal pad for MSI GL65, but no luck at all.
I'm worried that if I buy the wrong thickness, the heat spread for VRMs not so good and cause throttling.

So get some thermal grizzly cryonaut or Arctic MX 5.

Tighter tolerance heatsinks use paste.

Yeah, I'm planning to buy Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme for CPU, GPU and VRMs

Pads for VRM

I want to, but wrong pad thickness will be not optimal, right?

 

[Jose Jeswin]

My Asus FX 504 GE had vrm thermal paste...i replaced it with Noctua NT-H1 after 1.5 years, when my cpu temp hit 91 degrees c.....

You can see the paste peek out from under the heat spreader on the bottom left side over the 3 vrms..

 

[rdwing]

Actually that kind of looks like a thermal pad, not paste.

 

[eidairaman1]

Yes, it is thermal paste by default. That also confused me, why they are using thermal paste and thermal pad. I've been searched like all day to find the thickness of thermal pad for MSI GL65, but no luck at all.
I'm worried that if I buy the wrong thickness, the heat spread for VRMs not so good and cause throttling.


Yeah, I'm planning to buy Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme for CPU, GPU and VRMs


I want to, but wrong pad thickness will be not optimal, right?

Yes too thick of a pad will make a heatsink not contact correctly or bow if too tight.