We all own laptops and we all know they can get pretty toasty. Normally after a while, the fans will tend to get a little louder and the laptop a little warmer. Service time, but many do not bother or just let heat up or just pop an extra fan under it. Cleaning it is pretty simple though and has almost become a little party trick of mine. I would hear their laptop spinning like crazy, gasping for some fresh air. Then simply ask them if I can clean it for them. Once I get the greenlight I would get a screwdriver and some thermal paste, pop it open, clean it off and there ya go! Nice and quiet again!
This particular laptop was old, I mean really old, the fact that the owner had some cats also got me a little excited and curious as I know the hair buildup must be pretty bad. This might be gross, but it is pretty satisfying cleaning it.
Had to check the temps first.
This poor CPU was boiling. I did a little stress test and stopped the test once it went past 100°C.
Then off comes the cooler and time to clean the fan.
As you can see the thermal paste was as hard as rock now, I had to scrape it off and I actually scratched the copper a bit. I did give it a good clean and a light sanding to get it silky smooth again.
Here is where it gets gross but still fun and interesting.
The hairy dusty bit should not be there at all. That is where the hot air should go out of the heatsink. Instead, it is just being recycled and circulated throughout the system. Not really letting the laptop cool down.
So after the cleaning, this is what I was left with. The largest, grossest but most satisfying piece of gunk I ever removed from a laptop cooler. Bliss!
As you can see below, these are the new temperatures after I stressed the CPU for a few minutes. Not the best temperatures, but so much better than before!
Now I have to wait for my next laptop cleaning fix... Could be weeks, could be months...