my impression is that the laptop fans are turning on more frequently in recent times. I’m not sure what the cause is, but it could be dust accumulation and that is why I want to take the laptop apart and clear it out. A bit of spring cleaning is probably a good idea anyway.
I found the Fan and Heatsink Replacement Guide which explains how to unscrew the fan and heatsink. But the guide also talks about thermal paste. I have never worked with thermal paste before and I want to make 100% sure that I am well-prepared when I remove the fan and heatsink. I found this post:
And that post describes the need to reapply thermal paste. Is that correct? Or can I temporarily take out the fan without needing to reapply thermal paste? Does the thermal paste stick to the heatsink or fan?
The thermal paste will stick to the heatsink, there’s no real need to re-apply thermal paste, since it won’t be going anywhere! That being said, re-applying thermal paste can have benefits for your thermals too, if you’re willing to go out and buy some. Everything will make sense once you’ve lifted the fan off, hard to explain.
Have fun cleaning though!
your wrong when the thermal paste heats up it changes from a liquid to a viscous crap. When you take the heat sink off you always… ALWAYS reapply the thermal paste as it doesnt spread and provide a decent contact to the heat sink anymore!
That’s interesting! From anecdotal evidence and imperical testing I’ve done, there hasn’t been any difference in temperatures after re-applying the heatsink.
I don’t believe traditional thermal paste undergoes any phase/viscosity changes after heating either, as it is generally some sort of oil-based mixture.
If you have extra thermal paste on hand, it obviously doesn’t hurt though !
Why do you need to remove a heat sink and fan to remove dust?
If you remove the whole mainboard you can then reach everywhere that might get dusty and blow or lightly brush all the dust away.