Thermal Paste - Homemade?

Recently I took my HP 2000 apart to clean the cpu fan. Ref: YouTube video. When I put it back together and tried to turn it on, it had no power. I'm pretty sure I missed something inside, but before I open it up again, I would like some info: do I really need to use the thermal paste? I looked for a store where I could buy some, but every place I looked it needs to be ordered online. Not wanting to wait my eye caught an article on Tom's hardware site where he swears you can use mayonnaise in place of thermal paste. Huh? Is this for real? I wouldn't think mayo would have the same properties as thermal paste except messier. Is there a substitute for mayo? Thanks

 

Yes! A CPU can go from cold to overheated in just a few clock cycles. And since there are 3 billion clock cycles every second with a 3GHz processor, it can over heat pretty quick.

No. It is not real. Mayonnaise is made out of eggs. Would you really want to put eggs on something that gets hot and leave it there?

The purpose of TIM (thermal interface material) is to fill the microscopic pits and valleys in the mating surfaces of the CPU die cover and the heat sink to push out any insulating air. Because these mating surfaces are not perfectly flat and have these pits and valleys, and because insulating air between the mating surfaces is bad, TIM is essential.

But you must never re-use old TIM. So you need to get some, thoroughly clean the mating surfaces of all old TIM (I use 91-93% isopropyl alcohol - available at any pharmacy) and apply a proper layer of new TIM before even thinking of turning on your computer without it! I note Wal-mart has two day shipping. BestBuy usually carries it. Any computer shop should have some. If you have a Radio Shack still in your area, they will have some. Most computer enthusiasts have some - check with friends and neighbors.

When you apply it, remember "thinner the better". The most effective transfer of heat occurs with direct metal to metal contact. So you only need to fill those pits and valleys. Any excess TIM is actually in the way and counterproductive to the most effective transfer of heat. It is much easier to add a little more than to take excess off. So start with a tiny amount, about the size of a grain of rice, then spread it evenly across the CPU die cover. I cut off the end of a plastic shaft cotton swab, bend the end about 1/2 inch from the end to form a little hockey stick and spread with that like icing a cake.

And as always, make sure you take the necessary ESD precautions before reaching in.

 

Thanks for your reply - it helped ... but, of course, I went a little further and googled what is thermal paste made of. The most logical answer and repeated on several links is that the main ingredient is zinc oxide which is commonly found in diaper rash cream. So I did rush out to the pharmacy and bought the extra-strength kind

 

**that has 40 percent zinc oxide in it. It seems as though it could work? I'm frustrated that I have to wait to fix my machine! Again, thanks for your kind help!

 

What a bunch of malarkey.

Gee, I wonder why this notes "Zinc Oxide Free". Zinc Oxide, when used, is used as a filler. It is NOT used for the proper transfer of heat.

Don't be foolish. Go get or order real thermal paste. I am sorry you are frustrated but note that is due to you failing to do your home first.

 

Mayonnaise? Diaper cream? Don't. You'll be waiting longer when you have to replace the entire laptop.

 

Um, ok (she said sheepishly.)

 

Yeah, sorry for my harsh reply. It was not meant to be directed at you specifically. You were actually being wise by asking about it! But yeah, zinc oxide is great as diaper cream and nose protection at the beach or pool, but not in electronics.

As a certified master electronics technician for over 45 years, I get frustrated at all the short cuts posted out there that no professional would ever think of doing. Some are harmless or worthless. But others, like the mayo suggestion may actually cause harm.

If I were in a "mission critical" pinch, I would make sure the mating surfaces were sparkling clean without a speck of dust, then mount the cooler without any thing (no mayo, no zinc oxide, no toothpaste - yes, I've heard that suggested too - no silicone "grease" (see below) or anything else). Just bare metal. But then I would make sure there was no overclocking (I might even underclock!) and I would blast a desk fan at full speed in to the open side of the computer until the TIM (ordered with expedited delivery) arrived. And lastly, I would use a good temperature monitor like Core Temp to constantly monitor my CPU temps. And if temps became excessive, I would shut down and await TIM delivery.

As for "silicone grease" - you will often hear this suggested. There is silicone "grease" and it is a silicone based "compound" used to lubricate moving parts or seal out moisture in connectors that are exposed to the weather and high heat.

It is not the same stuff as silicone based thermal paste! And more importantly, it should NEVER be used as TIM (thermal interface material).

When silicone "grease" is mentioned as a type of TIM, it is a misused term - probably originally misused by misguided marketing weenies as seen here. Calling this product "grease" is actually misleading and doing consumers a disservice! Silicone based thermal "paste" has been around and widely used in electronics for decades! While this is great when used as TIM, it makes a poor lubricant.

 

You can get a tube of "thermal paste" at the local auto parts store, used it for a while.

 

I strongly advise extreme care if buying at an auto parts store to ensure it specifically states it is to be used on heat sinks. Thermal products found at auto parts stores are often the wrong kind of thermal paste and instead of being designed to rapidly transfer or conduct heat, they are designed to insulate from heat by covering and protecting heat sensitive devices from the extreme heat found under the hood.

 

Hey Digerati - No worries - your input really helped. I ordered Halnziye Thermal Paste from Amazon, (that comes with a cute little applicator (tongue in cheek)) and it arrived in two days. I took the Butt Paste back. Ironically, in the interim, I went on to another laptop to try to fix ITS problems, and I haven't been back to the first one yet to use the thermal paste. But I do want to say the first machine, even though the fan wasn't working at all, the machine didn't ever get hot. I assume the reason is because I had the drive switched to an SSD and they run much cooler? But I do intend to make the necessary adjustments to get it going again. I'll let you know how it turns out; but, I have a feeling that I fried a component when I opened it, even though I was wearing a static wristband. I'm now awaiting the delivery of a new lead for my voltage meter ... **sigh** Murphy's Law strikes once again ... lol

I do want to iterate that your comments and suggestions are quite welcome. I'm afraid I am one of those people who knows just enough about computers to get into real trouble. Then I end up taking it to a repair shop anyway. Typical.

One more thing: This is the VERY first time I have posted to a board and actually got a response! Kudos to you and kudos to Major Geeks! I love this site!

 

Thanks for the kind words.

They do run cooler most of the time, but they also use less power which helps with cooling too.

 

What not to do..
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