Maybe I need to redo my notebook that I just installed (upgraded to) a i7-620M, based on this, though mine was square. As always, used the 'rice' size on notebook & pea or oat sized on PC CPU's, and wiggled the heatsink a bit before placing in the screws & tightening, with about 5-6 rounds in a criss-cross pattern. Plus there was the discrete nVidia 425M GPU, often there will be a thermal pad on these, on this model, was pasted. Seems that a GPU, being more fragile, the pad would had been a better idea, as I've had others with these & reused successfully.

Maybe for that purpose, I need to get some of the thermal pad material, however it's distributed, can be cut to size. One thing for sure, one cannot over-tighten the GPU area, otherwise the discrete GPU will crack & will only have the Intel (or AMD) graphics inbuilt into the CPU (or APU). Or a notebook that'll BSOD with every boot.

However so far, the i7-620M has ran at lower temps than the previous i5-480M using MX-4 thermal paste (my favorite) & grab a 4g tube at Newegg when on promo every now & then, doesn't have an 8 year warranty for nothing. Both CPU's runs at 35W and GHz levels are also close to the same, yet the i7-620M doesn't freeze at with a lot running at boot & then opening a browser, unlike the i5. Unfortunately, there were no quad core model for the socket (that I was aware of in the Arrandale M CPU's), and even if it were, more power would be needed, as well as a better heatsink assembly, which also limits notebook CPU upgrades.

Sometimes there's also more than one right answer, as long as the end result is not too much paste, few as possible air pockets, and the CPU is running cooler, that's a sign of success.

However there was one component that temps didn't drop nor raise on, and that was the MB temp itself. Because after 30 minutes of use, Speccy as well as CUPID's H/W Monitor, reports temps between 60 & into the lower mid 70C range. Which for a MB, I feel is kind of high, the notebook was tore down enough to get a good blowing out, and there wasn't much dust at all for a 2011 MSI FX603 purchased new by me early that year. In fact, the initial CPU was released the same quarter I purchased it, so was fresh from the assembly line :-)

Being that the MB has always ran at these temps, I keep it on a cooler in a certain position to blow cooler air through the single intake vent. Maybe I should, being it's long out of warranty, consider a bottom case mod for more air intake? I'm sure there are small round filtered intakes, like those on the side of AMD PC's that has a plastic duct going downwards towards the CPU, that can be used in the part of the case that opens (the access lid), w/out the duct of course. Since there's only one small intake & that's very close to the exhaust, maybe one towards the center (where the GPU is) or opposite side will provide more fresh air to cool the MB?

I'm afraId that no matter how much I can lower CPU temps with the best paste & application method, all will be for nil if the MB is running hot. Maybe it's the discrete GPU causing the MB to run hot, and a vent should be created as close as possible to it. My Toshiba of the same CPU family running an upgraded i5-560M (from i3-370M) doesn't have this issue under normal use, since it runs only Intel HD graphics. Though if I'm running an extended Malware scan both the CPU & MB will heat some, which is normal with notebooks, then cool back down, even w/out a cooling pad. The MSI MB reaches 60C with just casual browsing after 20 minutes & 65-70C when Windows Updates are installing. Speaking of which, the GPU also runs warmer than what I feel to be normal (upper 40's to 55-60C), and the repasting showed no positive (or negative) effect. Makes me wonder if the thermal pad would had been a better choice, if one were on hand?

What do you all think of the ventilation idea? Nothing to lose, other than a bit of time & at most, $10 for a small round filtrated vent w/screws, maybe the size of a 12 ounce soda can end? While I believe MSI has good builds, for what was at the time, an 'upper-mid' gaming notebook at $750, maybe they didn't think much about air intake? BTW, the Toshiba has extra intakes, with grooves in a couple of extra places, on the opposite end of the notebook, under the HDD that now houses an SSD, under the access lid to the RAM & a huge row in the center. No wonder the MB runs 20-25C cooler under normal conditions.

I need to do something, even if it's experimental, the pasting won't cool the MB, which will lead to the demise of an otherwise nice notebook. Had I thought it to be no good, wouldn't had spent $40 for the CPU upgrade.

Cat

Posted on 2016-05-24 23:12:08