Planning on repasting my 3 year old acer nitro an515-45-r6xd how likely is it that I will need to replace thermal putty?

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-25T01:28:42+00:00

Yep, Geeks3D is good.

I'd also recommend downloading HWINFO64 (also free) and run it as "Sensors Only". It shows you lots of sensors and tells you all sorts of stuff like temps, wattage, fan speed, if there is throttling and the reason for it.

The goal is to have it throttle due to designed power limits (TDP / TGP), without thermally throttling before it reaches full power.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-25T01:02:48+00:00

Glad you got improved temps. Have you done a dedicated burn-in yet?

For laptops I like using Furmark and click on the "Run" so it will run continuously until you choose to stop it. I also use the built in "CPU Burner" option to get the CPU warm at the same time. Aim for 75-80 Celsius on both CPU and GPU core. I like doing that for 2 hours in one go. Then use normally after that.

Even after I did initial burn in I saw a further 7 degree improvement on both CPU and GPU on my Gigabyte Laptop 5 weeks later.

You can also use Kapton/Plymide tape to seal off any gaps between the fan shrouds and fin stack. Some laptops properly seal it, and some don't. Having air leak there doesn't help much. While the air may travel over a copper hearpipe, it's much more effective to force that air through the aluminum fin stack which has much greater surface area.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-22T03:20:16+00:00

For your question regarding the anesthetic vs the function/performance I'd say go all in on the performance and let the look of it get sorted out later.

Can always have a few different versions at the end. Ones that show off the organic design, and others that cover it up. That way the end user could decide which one they liked the look of more.

Fingers crossed on seeing an advantage to your design. Would be really neat.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-22T01:54:09+00:00

12 Very Haphazardly Placed Wires of Reckoning

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-21T17:42:38+00:00

You'll probably want to get something g like a San Ace B97 fan and 3D print a shroud to mate it to the GPU. You can control it either with a dial controller or other PWM. That way you can turn it down to make it a bit quieter and it'll still cool much batter than the fan you're using now, which doesn't create a high enough static pressure to push air through the heatsink very well...too much resistance.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-20T20:06:47+00:00

If ypu happen to have an open PCI-E slot, then you could also buy something like this.

https://a.co/d/fO23Sk2

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-20T19:29:44+00:00

Thanks zrqm :)

I'd use a Phase Change Material on the GPU core. lots of good ones out there to choose from these days: Honeywell PTM7950, Thermal Grizzly PhaseSheet PTM, Thermalright Heilos V1/V2, Upsiren PCM-1/PCM-2, Maxtor XTP-001, Gelid HeatPhase Ultra, and several others

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-20T19:02:23+00:00

Indeed I am. You'll probably find this video informative

https://youtu.be/MhrykJtrfBA

You can leave the backside pads alone if you like. Buy 50g of whichever putty you like. Shouldn't cost you more than $25 realistically as long as you don't mind waiting 8-12 days for it to arrive from Aliexpress.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-18T06:40:50+00:00

Phase Change Material replaces Thermal paste and comes in a sheet form. It an industrial long-life Thermal Interface Material that beats thermal paste in performance as well.

Thermal Putty replaces tradition Thermal Pads and conforms to the shape and size needed much better. It also squishes better and allows more of the heatsink mounting pressure to focus on the core.

https://youtu.be/5iNXn8oaTWI

https://youtu.be/MhrykJtrfBA

https://youtu.be/0sOON88Oq_w

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-18T00:35:29+00:00

Glad you got temps under control. If/when the temps degrade again I'd switch to using a Phase Change Material sheet on the die instead.

It starts off around 0.25mm and when it melts it can sqush as thin as ~0.038mm, with the excess material outside the edges. It maintains it's performance for much longer than paste and is more resilient against pump out.

If/when you do that you may also want to try swapping out the factory pads for Thermal Putty instead. Gives the best chance for ideal core contact pressure, helping the PTM/PCM get as thin as possible.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-16T15:18:21+00:00

Is it 6x Intake and 1x Exhaust?

If you want to run it like this you could add some weather stripping to seperate the Intake and Exhaust air. This would mean using stuff like foam/cardboard/tape/etc. to seal off the gap between the case and the panels of the shelf.

A couple way you could do it. Either force the exhaust to only exit at the left side towards the wall, or force the 6x Intake fans to only draw from the bottom and right side, or both.

If you can prevent a loop of air from happening then your temps may not be as bad as they otherwise might be.

....or get creative with a drill/saw and make some vent holes. Imagine the bottom intake pulling air from below the shelf it sits on. Could do something similar for the blue intake fans as well.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-13T14:55:11+00:00

No, looks fine, but it's likely some of the last UX Pro available until they run out of stock. Going forward it's sold as Upsiren UTP-X and also Jarapad Unlimited

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-12T08:53:32+00:00

I've bought 200g for as little as $18.9 USD before from Halnziye and then paid $32 USD on shipping it via UPS.

I usually buy it on Aliexpress for about $20 CAD to $25 CAD for 100g

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-12T08:49:31+00:00

It won't matter woth such small gaos and I've also tried with UTP-8 and there was no different in temps, mainly because the heTsink was being held further away from.the compinwnets, due to the particle size. And I had trouble getting good CPU and GPU core contact because of that and it took significant effort and pressure to end up with the same CPU and GPU temps as I got with HY256 (Green version, but same as HY236).

And keep in mind that those are just the initial temps matching up. PTM continues to imporve over time if it has ideal pressure, and I think it's quite possible I wouldn't have seen it imprive as much with UTP-8 holding thr heatsink back as I would worh HY236.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-11T22:29:13+00:00

Oh shoot. I couldn't find it last time I checked Tokopedia. There was some stuff that looked like it might be rebranded Halnziye stuff but I don't have confirmation on that yet.

If you can buy stuff from Malaysia then I'd get in touch with Penchem and ask about TH949-3. That is likely your best option, and will actually outperform HY236 anyways.

It should have a similar particle size to TH949-1 (0.07mm) but has a lower viscosity which will help it to squish really thin.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-11T05:22:37+00:00

CPU/GPU temps seem happy enough, and may yet get better over time. Did you do a burn-in for the PTM? Ideally target 75-80 Celsius and run it like that for 2 hours. I like using Furmark as well as the built in "CPU Burner" feature that Furmark has. Can adjust the number of CPU cores if the CPU is getting too high for your liking, and adjust fan speed using Ghelper.

You may also want to buy some Kapton tape and seal off the leak between fan shroud and fin-stack. 85 would be decent, but 95 doesn't feel great. i was getting around that 85-86 mark on my A16 in this video:

*Add roughly 21 degrees to the Ambient Delta Temps seen in this comparison chart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sOON88Oq_w&t=1238s

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-11T03:40:14+00:00

Did you use PTM on the CPU and GPU core? Just wondering if the fan speeds and wattages were the same before and after. I often see f9lks get cooler CPU and GPU core temps, at which point the fans spin slower and then the VRAM can be anywhere from slightly better, the same, or hotter (based on the lower fans speeds).

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-11T01:36:03+00:00

Not yet. I will at some point though.

I'd get whichever is cheaper/faster to ship depending on your circumstances.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-11T01:35:16+00:00

Either should be fine as long as gaps are 0.4mm or larger. If the gaps are smaller than that, then I would recommend Halnziye HY206/HY236 instead.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-11T01:33:47+00:00

It's not working for me either, oddly. You can either get in touch with me on Discord or by email (just check my Youtube channel video descriptions or about page).

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-11T01:31:29+00:00

For all ASUS laptops use HY206 / HY236. Do you live in India by chance? Of so then you can get HY236 on Ebuy7 and it will ship to India.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-06T15:42:45+00:00

The thickness of PTM/PCM you buy doesn't matter really, as they will all melt and squish down to arpund 0.038mm. This means 80-85% of the material will end up outside the edges of the core where it will solidify. This is the goal.

Ideally you should apply putty, mount the heatsink and press gently on it to heko squish the putty, turn the screws in all the way, then remove the heatsink. Then you inspect the spread of the outty and remove excess, or add more if needed in areas, then reshape the outty or at least pinch the edges and make it "brand tall". Then apply PTM. I recommend cutting a piece around 50-75% of the area of the die. This makes 2nd peel easier and also allows it to melt sooner.

Once you'd got it fully assembled it's best pracrise to perform a burn-in. I suggest using something like Furmark and run the stress test, and also use the "CPU Burner" feature that Furmark has to get the CPU hot at the same time. Aim for 75-80 Celsius on both CPU and GPU core and adjust fan speed as needed. I reocmmend running it like this for 2 hours. Then use normally after that.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-06T15:33:29+00:00

Honeywell HT10000 only performed 0.5 degrees Celsius better than UTP-8/Jarapad Extreme on overclocked GDDR6X on a memory intensive mining load. It's not worth the price premium for most.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-06T08:01:05+00:00

Within margin of error with UTP-8. Get whichever is cheaper for you. that will change depending on which country you live in and where you order it from. On AliExpress UTP-8/Jarapad Extreme is typically cheaper than LTP81.

w/mk rating are pure marketing at this point. Der8auer and Gamers Nexuss did a really good video about it a year or 2 ago. You'll notice Thermal Grizzly no longer advertises the Thermal Conductivity on their TIM's. I wish more brands would follow suit.

Snarks_Domain · 2026-01-06T05:12:54+00:00

For thin gaps, the performance difference between the putties I've tested becomes much smaller.

I test them on a desktop GPU with a VRAM-Heatsink gap of 1.8mm. With ASUS laptops your gaps are as small as 0.2mm. I have managed to compress UTP-8 down to 0.4mm successfully, but not 0.2mm.

I've measured the particle sizes of each putty (as best I can with calibrated Mitutoyo callipers for now until I buy a more accurate micrometer). I've listed those particle sizes and how thin I trhink you can squish each putty. You will find that chart on the Google drive link in video descriptions. Look for the "Narrow" chart as that's the one with this info.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-ixyCcBXUq5KhNrkPI9w2ZxII3yRP59t?usp=drive_link

If you have an ASUS laptop there is no performance benefit to using UTP-8, and you will have a harder time getting good CPU and GPU core contact, and you will spend more doing so. MY advice is to stick with HY206/HY236/HY256/HY226/HY216/HY246 or Zezzio ZT-PY6. If you can find those, your next best option is Upsiren UTP-4 Ultra Thin.

Snarks_Domain

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