I was using ThrottleStop to manage the fan noise on my Intel 11 board and I had really hoped to see some improvements with the AMD board. But with the CPU at 8-15% and the GPU under 10% I have steady fan noise bordering on annoyingly loud.
Unfortunately, ThrottleStop does not yet support this CPU so I’m wondering if this is a common problem?
Assuming you’re using the AMD board in the laptop chassis, I highly recommend repasting your laptop with a high quality paste. If you can get it, you should use either PTM 7950 or liquid metal for the best results. I’ve repasted my AMD board and while unplugged, the fans will barely spin up on a cinebench run. The temps peak at around 65 C.
@Matthew_Damarell The link below is the official guide for replacing the heatsink. In step 8 remove all the grey gunk with some rubbing alcohol and paper towel. Do the same for the heat sink / fan unit. Just remove the paste, leave the thermal pads as they are.
Then you can add your choice of paste, I’m a bit leery of liquid metal as you have to be careful not to spill any but dealers choice. You don’t want a crazy amount but a bit too much is better then too little. Reinstall heat sink.
@TheTRUEAsian I did that on my 11th gen board with minimal to no effect. Given its a brand new board I had hopped for better fan curves but other then that its been a great upgrade for an excellent price.
I can’t comment on your experience because I don’t know your workflow or how you tested it (as well as board differences). However, having repasted both my i5 1240p and Ryzen 7 7840u, both experienced a 10-15 C drop under cinebench at 30 w and 35 w respectively. In addition, during normal usage, the fans never spun up whereas using the stock paste, they would often ramp up.
Yeah, I would not advise liquid metal for anyone not experienced. Lots of people have destroyed devices with liquid metal. A few right here if you search liquid metal. And it bonds to some metals if it comes in contact, then slowly corrodes it. Here’s someone who may have killed their board due to a drop of it. Can a DDR slot be repaired?
I agree it’s not for the inexperienced but with proper precautions and technique, I think it’s worth it. First thing is to use a layer of conformal coating around the CPU die as a barrier in case any does happen to get out. The second thing is to not use too much. A lot of freak accidents occur because some people use too much and then it seeps out.
I’ve used liquid metal on a personal laptop for 4 years, on another laptop for 3 years, and on 3 Framework boards. Never had an issue with leakage and the benefit was well worth the risk. That being said, PTM 7950 is a great alternative if you can get it.