Thermal lining for a laptop with your own hands. Replacement of the thermal pad in the laptop

In the notebook there are accessories that are very hot during operation. This is normal, and to remove heat from the shell, special cooling technologies are used in the form of thermal pads for laptops. However, over time, they may become unusable and require replacement. This will affect the strong heating of the case, and sometimes the laptop will simply shut down. If this happens, then it's time to go to the service center or try to replace the thermal pad in the notebook yourself. It is not difficult to do this, although it will be necessary to tinker. But first you need to understand how everything is arranged there.

What is a thermal pad for a laptop?

There is such a thing as a "thermal interface". It is a layer between the processor and the radiator and is intended to increase thermal conductivity and reduce thermal resistance. It is often used for this purpose thermal paste - a substance with a high thermal conductivity. Contrary to popular belief, thermal paste does not cool anything, it simply enhances the efficiency of heat transfer from the heating processor to the radiator.

The second most popular thermal interface is a thermal pad for a laptop. It is a small plate placed between the processor (or other heating element) and the radiator (cooling element). The gasket is elastic, and it fills perfectly the possible gaps that almost always exist between the surfaces. It is also believed that this plate copes better with its work, because the paste can not cope with a large amount of work.

Depending on the size of the chips, you can choose the correct gasket. They come in different sizes and thicknesses. Someone advises to select a gasket thickness of 1 mm, but ideally it is necessary to measure the old thermal layer and choose a gasket of the same thickness. But you can not use the old layer, otherwise the chipset will overheat, which will permanently lead to the shutdown of the computer. Over time, the chips will melt and eventually melt completely.

Ceramic Pads

Thermal pads can be made of ceramics, copper, silicone. Of these three materials, ceramics are the best conductor of heat, so it is more efficient. The best ones are those made of aluminum nitride - ceramics. Despite the name, it's still ceramics with class characteristics. The gasket made of this material is resistant to thermal or chemical influences, it actually reduces the operating temperatures of semiconductors and does not lose its heat conductor properties during heating.

Silicone

Silicone is also resistant to high temperatures and is often used in laptops to remove heat from the processor and bridges. It can also be used as a thermal pad for a laptop video card. Silicone is used in cases where there is no contact between the two surfaces. Silicone gasket is more effective than thermal paste. In addition, it is elastic and can be compressed or unclenched, thereby more effectively filling the empty space.

Copper

Copper gaskets have a higher thermal conductivity, but they are more difficult to use. To install such a gasket you need a sealant that closes the gap between the radiator and the heated surface. The use of this layer of insulation is laborious, but this is justified by a higher efficiency.

How to replace the thermal pad in the laptop?

If you have untwisted your laptop and found that the gasket needs replacing, and there is nowhere to buy it, you can try to make it yourself. It's not hard to make a thermal lining for a laptop with your own hands. There are several ways. The most popular of them involves the use of bandage.

To do this, we need to put in a bandage in 4-5 layers. Preliminarily it can be impregnated in thermal paste, because if you simply spread it on a bandage, it will crawl. Now attach a bandage to the processor, and if it will stick out a little beyond the borders, then it's okay. The main thing is that your gasket is snug.

The results of testing this layer are not particularly impressive. This thermal padding for the laptop does not allow the processor to heat above 80 ^° C while watching the movie, but if you load the laptop with games, it will turn off accidentally. But for a while this option will do.

Aluminum plate (or copper) will be the best option for homemade laying. Aluminum (like copper) has good thermal conductivity. For manufacturing, we need a small sheet with a thickness of only 1 mm. But it's hard to get it. Alternatively, you can order on "Aliexpress".

Cut the gasket by eye and do not verify the accuracy to a millimeter. In theory, the larger the plate area, the more heat it can take. The main thing is that the plate is very tight against the surface. Masters who tested the method in practice tell that after installing the plate and launching the laptop, the temperature testing program showed 50 ^° C. But this is at rest, and when the film was turned on, the temperature rose to 68 ^° C. This is a good result.

Chinese gaskets

On the same "Aliexpress" you can order Chinese thermal pads for laptops. They do not justify expectations, and after turning on the notebook heats up instantly. There is no need to efficiently remove heat from such gaskets. When watching video, the CPU temperature rises above 90 ⁰ C, which is close to the critical level.

Thermopaste as an alternative

A layer of thermal paste 0.1 mm thick was the worst option. After the start of the video playback, the processor warmed to 98 ⁰ C and turned off accidentally. Therefore, it is not always appropriate to simply change the thermal paste or use it as a substitute for a thermal padding. Its efficiency is worse, and so much so that even the system is shut down accidentally.

In any case, these self-made gaskets for permanent use will not work, but for a short period of time you can take them. In addition, such gaskets will not allow you to load the laptop more or less seriously, so do not consider them as a permanent option for cooling the processor.