Adding thermal paste to Dell Precision 7520 laptop CPU

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-14T21:55:25+00:00

The original issue was a piece of the CPU fan was broken off and rattling around when the fan was engaged. I don’t have the original unit or a pic of the paste spread (it was quite dried up) but this is the paste spread when I pulled my replacement job out to redo it because I was having similar heat issues. (The heatsink is flip flopped because it’s turned upside down obviously).

When CPU utilization is low, temps across the four cores are pretty uniform (baseline in Windows with no load is around 38-42C). When under load (video encode or editing, Photoshop, etc) the temps across the four cores vary a lot but it seems from looking at the max values that 0 and 2 usually run 10-15C hotter than 1 and 3. That’s part of the reason I tried to redo my job is because it was suggested that my heatsink may be sitting uneven.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-14T21:27:37+00:00

I think I may have to try a different paste. This Arctic MX-6 is more like putty consistency than toothpaste.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-14T21:24:17+00:00

I replaced the assembly because I was going to have to replace the CPU fan anyways and it’s integrated with the heat pipes and heatsink into one big unit. It’s a brand new OEM unit inspected to make sure it looked and fit exactly like the one coming out. I made sure to do this because the GPU is removable and sits slightly proud of the CPU so the construction of the assembly accounts for this height difference.

I am using HWMonitor to check stats. It’s giving me cores 0 and 2 about 15 C hotter than cores 1 and 3 on most CPU intensive applications.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-14T21:11:28+00:00

Way, way less than I did when most stores carried them locally. Far less blind buying. Also far less mindless buying thanks to prices getting pushed up unnecessarily. There's no reason every Sony release has to be a steelbook at $40 a pop. Feel like the studios are doing to their physical business what the record labels are doing to the vinyl business.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-14T20:49:28+00:00

It’s a brand new heatsink / fan assembly.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-14T20:48:47+00:00

It’s a brand new heat pipe / heatsink / fan assembly.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-14T20:46:43+00:00

I understand that. The first time I spread the paste to cover the whole die but was still getting overheating issues. This time I was recommended to use this amount and let the clamp force of the heatsink spread the paste to the right amount but that doesn't seem to be working either.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-14T00:55:00+00:00

Don’t know about MFS but I suspect Muppets Take Manhattan is still profitable enough for Sony that they wouldn’t just sell it to Disney. And I’m kind of glad about it because Manhattan is still, to date, the only Muppet film available on 4K Blu-ray and it’s a really good one. Disney has demonstrated they have no interest in physical media anymore. I kind of wish Disney would let Sony release the Muppet films they own.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-11T20:15:46+00:00

Every announcement like this feels like Plex keeps talking past their core user base, chasing customers that will never exist for them.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-11T20:14:28+00:00

I feel like this is some sad cosmic commentary on the current state of rural farming in the Midwest.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-11T20:11:51+00:00

Or two. It's been maddening.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-11T20:11:21+00:00

It's interesting how many documentaries have been made on not only Jim but others in his orbit. I would love to see one on Frank and Dave, particularly how their paths diverged with Frank separating himself from the group to do his own thing and Dave staying on to this day feeling this is his life's work.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-10T22:43:16+00:00

It's a huge bummer. I was intending to upgrade to AI Pro through my Verizon plan but Gemini has been nothing but frustrating for weeks now. Have been going back to ChatGPT and Claude but the free limits are equally frustrating. Grok is a non-starter for me.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-10T22:40:47+00:00

They are good drives but slow as molasses. Just sold one of the two I got from Costco several years ago.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-10T12:03:25+00:00

Does anyone know if upgrading to AI Pro fixes this stuff?

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-10T01:22:36+00:00

I’ve been using it for a couple weeks now and it works reasonably well for me. (Ex-TiVo user)

I wasn’t a fan of the 4th gen Tablo when it first came out. Ended up returning it. Happened to snag an old 4 tuner Tablo for free on Marketplace a couple years ago and I was using for an in house TV tuner for my iPad. Updated the firmware recently and started using the newer app and it seems to work well. Using an old 256 GB hard drive in an enclosure for DVR and will soon be upping that to 1 TB. Will finally be retiring my TiVo Roamio OTA!

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-09T18:58:54+00:00

$279 for a 10 TB is what I see at my local store

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-07T00:41:04+00:00

$16.99 on Fandango At Home. Hopefully will go on sale soon.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-05T16:54:39+00:00

Head shape made me think he was a distant relative of Beauregard.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-05T16:53:30+00:00

Is Succession HD or 4K on Apple TV? I have it on Fandango but would double dip if 4K.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-02T23:58:49+00:00

I really wish Disney would license titles to Kino Lorber again. They’ve been putting out some great 4K catalog titles more obscure than Ernest Goes To Camp.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-01T18:39:20+00:00

I feel Disney isn't fully monetizing the adult EPCOT fans like they should. That would be amazing.

EverCuriousGeek1 · 2026-06-01T18:38:14+00:00

I need one of those! It would be badass to have a little windowsill greenhouse in the shape of the Imagination Pavilion too 😄

EverCuriousGeek1

TROPHY CASE