[timx2tt]

Hi
I have a dell studio 1558. i know bad choice,, but saying that doesn't help me now,
what i do want to know is, is, as i haven't really had the courage to take my laptop completely i am unsure as to the heat sink, CPU situation but what i understand is that the heat sink has a thermal pad that rests on the CPU and conducts the heat away, but as i have had it replaced before, i was wondering if it is at all possible to remove this thermal pad, and replace it with thermal paste (Arctic silver) so that A it stops running at such ridiculous temperatures, and B reduce the Minimum temperature that it runs at, (hopefully) I realise that this may not be the right place to ask, so a point in the right direction would also be great, just want my laptop to work properly again

Any help appreciated

Thanks in advance
Tim

[sonexpc]

is this is your laptop http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...SM/cpucool.htm

I would say is ok if you use thermal paste ... but the way you say you change before.... will there be any issue when you replace the thermal pad last time... and how long ago...

and do you know what temp do you get?

[timx2tt]

yes that's my laptop,
and i had it replaced around 6 months ago, and the laptop is just over a year old, but its no longer under warranty,it was replaced by dell, only problem is that he had to take the whole laptop apart, including taking the motherboard out and everything else to get to the heatsink and fan. and it was just a replacement part, but i talked to the engineer and he said it was some kind of thermal pad that sits on the cpu, but i have read on some website somewhere that thermal pads melt and reform when used, so i think that the ones used by dell are not great quallity at all... considering when i first got it replaced laptop ran at around 30 degrees as standard, now, the minimum that it runs at is 50 degrees (Celsius)
and i am using a problem called Throttle stop to read the temperature, (just as a diagnostic, not as a cpu modifier)

[K7M]

I have never had an issue with the stock thermal pads, as long as they are not reused. As far as temps go, I would go into the bios and check your temps there. A lot of the software available for temp sensing does not always reflect the actual temps. When I use my laptops I always make sure it is either on a flat surface, ( table, book, tray) or on a stand that keeps the real elevated so there is good circulation of air under the laptop. Always make sure the air vents on the bottom and sides of the laptop are not obstructed when turned on.

[timx2tt]

I have had issues with the temperature, so much so that the laptop shuts itself down due to the extreme temperatures that the CPU gets up to, this can happen fairly often, but when i leave it to cool again the temperature will be stable for a little time, and then climb without any decrease in temperature when i leave the system to idle, so i think it must be a problem with the thermal pad as the fan is still working, and can go to full speed and the temperature will not reduce at all.
i have compared the temps between bios and Throttlestop before and although this means shutting the laptop down to check the temperature, after the laptop has shut it self down, and it has been up near 80 degrees, and as this issue has been fixed for some time after the replacement, but has slowly gone back to the running at high temperatures again

[K7M]

Ok with that knowledge I would remove th HSF assembly and apply thermal paste and replace. Make sure you clean off all the residue of the thermal pad. Also before applying the paste. set the heatsink back on and be sure that it is sitting flat on the processor and video chip, as it looks like it services both. There may be a copper shim in there also, to take up any space, be sure that is put back where it was. Last follow the sequence for tightening the screws as this can twist or lift a corner off the processor. Good luck.

[timx2tt]

Ahh right okay, i was just making sure that the thermal pads A could be removed and B be replaced with some arctic silver that i have heard nothing but good things about and hopefully see if that fixes this problem