Why I switched from thermal paste to thermal pads for laptop repairs

For years I swore by Arctic MX-4 paste for every laptop CPU I worked on. But after repasting a 2018 Dell XPS that kept hitting 95C under load, I tried a 1.5mm thermal pad instead. The temps dropped to 82C and stayed there even after 3 months. Paste always pumped out or dried up in those thin chassis. Now I keep a roll of Thermalright pads on my bench for any laptop repair. Has anyone else had better luck with pads on high-end gaming laptops?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice_reed471mo ago

Thermal pads are a game changer for laptops.

piper_green1mo ago

Does @alice_reed47 run a laptop thermal pad business or something?