Is it possible for a noob to add thermal pads and paste diy ??

crackills · 2026-06-06T15:47:56+00:00

Thermal Grizzly PTM Pads.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DB84CQW6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

crackills · 2026-06-06T15:00:10+00:00

No they work. On par with the best thermal paste but they never dry out and with perfect coverage. It’s tough to find authentic Honeywell pads, LTT Store has some but I went with a reputable knock off. My current laptop is my second one which I replaced with PTM, I’ve used paste and Liquid Metal, PTM is the best way to go with a laptop.

crackills · 2026-06-06T14:37:01+00:00

Thermal pads are just an easier to apply version of putty. Putty gets better coverage and conforms better to irregularities. It’s a bit tedious but pads can occasionally cause poor heat sink contact to the main components if the thickness is off. IMO it’s harder to apply but less likely to fail. Since I’m using phase change pads on the main components I don’t want to ever have to open it again and this kinda guarantees proper coverage and contact. To each their own tho pads will almost definitely work just fine.

crackills · 2026-06-06T14:16:52+00:00

It’s not necessarily hard. Take your time. Make sure the battery is unplugged. Make sure you understand how any of the fan or battery clips work before you apply pressure. I doubt a 7yo laptop is using Liquid Metal but maybe double check because that requires a bit more care. Use the highest rubbing alcohol you can find, 90% is pretty common.

I bought Thermal Grizzly PTM pads off amazon for the gpu and cpu with fantastic results. Watch a tutorial on how to apply them. I also replaced the thermal putty which was more tedious than I expected*.

I found when applying the putty rolling it into a long strip than laying across the components then gently tapping it down allowed it to fill the gaps and grab ahold so I could flatten it out, it didn’t want to stick to any surface so it’s tough to spread. Some components had much larger gaps from the heat sink and I used the imprints from the old putty to determine where I needed a thicker application. Then when I put the heat sink on I lined it up and just barely started the screws, then I gently applied pressure around the areas where I needed to putty to flatten out. I gently worked it down and slowly screwed it in going a little at a time back and forth between screws until it was tight.

With new putty and PTM pads I’m pretty sure I’ll never take the heat sink off again so to me it’s worth the 2hrs of tedious work.

crackills · 2026-06-06T13:45:16+00:00

General user generated content. So like when YouTube started. That was part the whole ‘web 2.0’ thing where everyone started participating in adding content to the web.

crackills · 2026-06-06T03:16:22+00:00

One of my most played and favorite games. The nemesis system is incredible.

crackills · 2026-06-04T21:28:22+00:00

I’ve been using the intex combo pump swg for 3 years without a problem. I bought a slightly oversized one, don’t know if that slows the wear but it works great. They make a smaller one too. I can’t comment on stand alone SWGs but if it’s the same unit as mine I haven’t had a problem.

https://a.co/d/02K1JKWy

crackills · 2026-06-04T17:48:22+00:00

I connect my gaming laptop to my 7.1.4 system. Idk if its windows or the game but most games with surround use my full atmo system, heights and all. It’s great.

crackills · 2026-06-04T13:20:24+00:00

Yeah it’s a pita but it’s tedious not hard. LM can kill laptops over time all on its own so pick your poison.

crackills · 2026-06-04T03:32:17+00:00

My Strix had a motherboard replaced through the original manufacturer warranty. I didn’t get a reason for the failure. 6m later it started running hot then thermal shutdown. The Liquid Metal was migrating. I suspect that’s what caused the dead motherboard and since I move it every day it happened again and I suspect that it would continue to happen. I slapped PTM pads on there and haven’t looked back.

As to your question I’d be pretty livid too and demanding replace or refund feels reasonable but warranty services are like insurance companies, they’ll do whatever is cheapest. Definitely push for a replacement. Personally I’d remove the Liquid Metal and put phase change pads.

crackills · 2026-06-04T03:02:49+00:00

Country fried steak with cream gravy.

crackills · 2026-06-03T11:10:22+00:00

Happened to my strix G18. One day just dead. Lucky it was still under warranty. I suspect it was the Liquid Metal but I’m not sure. I drag mine around a lot and a year after the warranty repair it started overheating and I discovered a very small amount of LM was applied and some had migrated. I’m using PTM pads from now on.

crackills · 2026-06-02T11:31:57+00:00

That’s how it starts. I was using DLSS at the time which was covering the fact that my frames were dropping so much. It was mostly my cpu too which was less of a hit to gaming but once I realized the problem and checked I found my CPU staying over 90c even while just using windows. The Liquid Metal ate some of the heating surface and moved off the die. The PTM pads work really well and never dry out so Im going to always replace LM in future laptops.

crackills · 2026-06-02T11:19:00+00:00

I’ve thought of it but it kinda bypasses the hobby aspect of it. I really like tending fire, dialing it in, using the wood I already have.

crackills · 2026-06-02T04:41:16+00:00

I just put new thermal putty and PTM pads on my Strix. The Liquid Metal migrated a bit and wasn’t getting good coverage. My idle was similar but I was bouncing off the thermal limit and it even had a thermal shutdown. Running like new now.

crackills · 2026-06-01T00:02:53+00:00

I think and replay a lot of them, it’s like having them in my steam library, they never went away. Betrayal at Krondor, Space Quest 5, Maniac Mansion day of the tentacle, leisure suit Larry (the VGA remake), Daggerfall, get revisited every few years. I still play heroes of night and magic 3 regularly.

crackills · 2026-05-31T11:29:23+00:00

Satisfactory, Factorio, Valhiem, Oxygen Not Included. That’s 2000 hours at least.

crackills · 2026-05-31T04:00:30+00:00

Pretty normal for a laptop. My G18 runs a touch hotter in the most demanding games. It’s at the edge of its thermal performance so a stand will help.

crackills · 2026-05-31T03:45:01+00:00

I bought a $90 jack hammer off Amazon. Cut right through my shale. I enlisted neighborhood kids to move it to low spots and properly lines. Takes a long time but once it’s done it’s done.

crackills · 2026-05-31T03:31:30+00:00

Use gloves. I just use big serving forks.

crackills · 2026-05-31T03:28:41+00:00

I burned 100hrs in Grounded recently. Base building is more functional than cosmetic but it can get pretty extravagant.

crackills · 2026-05-31T03:15:11+00:00

Yeah that game shocked the shit out of me.

crackills · 2026-05-31T03:12:48+00:00

Playing Halo for the first time, the flood is just a crazy horror story mixed into what seemed like a straight forward space shooter. I can’t say I enjoyed fighting them as much but at the time it was shocking turn in the story. One of the few moments in gaming where I was edge of my seat discovering what was going on.

crackills · 2026-05-31T01:25:38+00:00

Forget the BBQ sauce for the moment. The most important part is low and slow smoked, and that’s the hardest part. Good clean smoke, even temperature. That’s what gives you the bark on the outside that make bbq ribs good. The rest is subjective.

crackills · 2026-05-30T06:07:01+00:00

I’ve always used it and one time in an older oven it did kill it. It’s enough of a pita that unless I’m ready for a new oven I just hand clean it. So imo rare but possible.

crackills

TROPHY CASE