How to Change your GPU's Thermal Paste (With Pictures)

[acepro71]

Ohhhh. Unless you have some kind of magical screw driver, you'll need to re-do the thermal paste.

 

You can just get a paint brush up under the fan blades and knock the clumps out, it'll be kind of difficult but it is possible without taking the whole thing apart. You will not be able to dust the heatsink without taking it apart.

 

 

There are four screws holding the heatsink to the shroud by the way.

 

ok thanks guess i have no choice then ill open the whole thing 

[acepro71]

but lower small screws hold fans right ? and u forgot to give link to fix dead gpu ...

 

 

any wyas thanks again i can not thank u much 

[Wats]

but lower small screws hold fans right ? 

The fans are screwed onto the shroud which screws onto the heatsink ...which screws onto the PCB. I guess I should of said it like that =P

 

 

I wish ya luck. I need to go get some work done today, pick up a client's rig and fix a busted water line in the RV... ganna be a blast   BBL

[acepro71]

The fans are screwed onto the shroud which screws onto the heatsink ...which screws onto the PCB. I guess I should of said it like that =P

 

 

I wish ya luck. I need to go get some work done today, pick up a client's rig and fix a busted water line in the RV... ganna be a blast   BBL

ok thanks again  

[acepro71]

i was able to removed dust off using this brush and my mouth air .... http://imgur.com/qbMpQGw

 

and the local thermal paste is thermal paste 

http://imgur.com/alpDu5n

http://imgur.com/0jRgJv0

http://imgur.com/GBiQG0k

 

 

and the temprature reduced about 4 to 6 C 

[Wats]

i was able to removed dust off using this brush and my mouth air .... http://imgur.com/qbMpQGw

 

and the local thermal paste is thermal paste 

http://imgur.com/alpDu5n

http://imgur.com/0jRgJv0

http://imgur.com/GBiQG0k

 

 

and the temprature reduced about 4 to 6 C 

Ohh those tubs of thermal paste.. It should be fine, go for it. Remember to only use a thin layer

 

 

Also, quit running kombuster lol.. find a less demanding benchmark/stress test, like Unigin Heaven. You don't want to take a 7870 past 95c ever.

[acepro71]

Ohh those tubs of thermal paste.. It should be fine, go for it. Remember to only use a thin layer

 

 

Also, quit running kombuster lol.. find a less demanding benchmark/stress test, like Unigin Heaven. You don't want to take a 7870 past 95c ever.

when i first bought it on January 2013 i played crysis 3 and it reached 75 C i remember correctly 

also msi kombuster was also never able to take it above 80 C

well mine does always when ever i play need for speed most wanted 2012 or saint rows 4 or splinter cell blacklist ....

it used to run on 75 C but now its get higher maybe its because of 6 months old thermal paste

ill just run it like it is if it dies ill take it to service center if it does not dies ill just  take it there and say that its gives no signal in between playing games and after 2 / 3 minutes it comes back *just a lie * 

 

 

or maybe ill just re apply thermal paste depends on my mood

 

u gave me the perfect give today thanks again 

 

and are tubs conductive ? 

[acepro71]

i also benched with unique heaven it reached 102 C even though i added an extra fan in case 

[acepro71]

i asked saphire and they said http://prntscr.com/1szme9

 

now sending them log file hope they give me a solution to this problem ....

[Wats]

i asked saphire and they said http://prntscr.com/1szme9

 

now sending them log file hope they give me a solution to this problem ....

They'll ask you to RMA the card as soon as they see anything over 95C.

 

I couldn't really read the name of that tub of paste, If it is silicon based I wouldn't use it for this. You can though and no it isn't conductive.

If you can live without your card for two weeks, go ahead and RMA it. 

[acepro71]

They'll ask you to RMA the card as soon as they see anything over 95C.

 

I couldn't really read the name of that tub of paste, If it is silicon based I wouldn't use it for this. You can though and no it isn't conductive.

If you can live without your card for two weeks, go ahead and RMA it. 

how do u know if a thermal paste is silicon based or not ?

 

and its Ranz thermal compound HC -131

 

also do u think i can use this same thermal paste for south bridge heat sink  ?

[Stephie_Girl]

I took apart a 9800 GT and replaced the thermal paste.  I used far less than you and dropped the temps from 90*C under load to 62*C under load.  Remember, thermal paste is designed to transfer heat, too much will absorb heat.  That's why for many years people didn't use thermal paste unless they were overclocking.

[Wats]

how do u know if a thermal paste is silicon based or not ?

 

and its Ranz thermal compound HC -131

 

also do u think i can use this same thermal paste for south bridge heat sink  ?

Smell it? I'm not 100% sure on how you can tell.

I googled it, found nothing

Yup you can

I took apart a 9800 GT and replaced the thermal paste.  I used far less than you and dropped the temps from 90*C under load to 62*C under load.  Remember, thermal paste is designed to transfer heat, too much will absorb heat.  That's why for many years people didn't use thermal paste unless they were overclocking.

Was that directed at me? How do you use less than I do? Pretty sure I talked about using only the smallest amount you can

 

nice temp drop btw! 

[Stephie_Girl]

Smell it? I'm not 100% sure on how you can tell.

I googled it, found nothing

Yup you can

Was that directed at me? How do you use less than I do? Pretty sure I talked about using only the smallest amount you can

 

nice temp drop btw! 

You covered the entire IHS when the actual piece of silicon is much smaller.  I use the line method (the wafer is rectangular up and down) and use the force of putting it back together to spread it.  Try using less.  When I pulled my hyper 212 off of my I7-2600K the paste didn't even reach the ends, yet a 1.38V OC @ 4.5GHz I stay under 80*C prime 95.

[acepro71]

You covered the entire IHS when the actual piece of silicon is much smaller.  I use the line method (the wafer is rectangular up and down) and use the force of putting it back together to spread it.  Try using less.  When I pulled my hyper 212 off of my I7-2600K the paste didn't even reach the ends, yet a 1.38V OC @ 4.5GHz I stay under 80*C prime 95.

 i seriously do not get u  :> but i have a 212 evo too  

 

and yeah nice temperatures drop 

[acepro71]

@ Wats 

my friend says if i do not fix my gpu temperatures and make it less than or equal to 75 C  it will die like in a year what do u think about this ? 

[Stephie_Girl]

 i seriously do not get u  :> but i have a 212 evo too  

 

and yeah nice temperatures drop 

What don't you get?

 

@ Wats

my friend says if i do not fix my gpu temperatures and make it less than or equal to 75 C  it will die like in a year what do u think about this ? 

 

GPU's are actually designed to run under hotter temps more so than CPU's.  That mainly because the life of a GPU is shorter because CPU's can be used longer and still be considered powerful.  My I7-2600K is still very strong, but a GTX 580 1.5GB is rly meh for 1080p gaming.  I know @PCBudgetSolutions used to have a GTX 480.  He claims he ran it near 100*C for a year and above 80*C for over 2 years before he sold it and it still ran fine.  Graphics cards can take heat pretty well, Ideally you want to be below 80*C if possible.

[Wats]

@ Wats

my friend says if i do not fix my gpu temperatures and make it less than or equal to 75 C  it will die like in a year what do u think about this ? 

 

Keep listening to your friend. I give it less than a year at the temps you were claiming. Get er under 85c, 100 is too much for daily use.

 

Just take it apart already lol, you'll kill it either way  :lol: ...Soz, had a few. night.

 

 

Pcbudgetsolutions was banned btw @Stephie_Girl . But yeah, those gtx 480s ran really hot, I'd believe what he said

[acepro71]

now sapphire claims that i do not have any fans in my pc and its my fault im taking it apart wish me luck .... 

 

http://prntscr.com/1t6ubo

http://prntscr.com/1t6uia

[acepro71]

Posted Today, 05:45 AM

acepro71, on 24 Sept 2013 - 05:41 AM, said:

 i seriously do not get u  :> but i have a 212 evo too  

 

and yeah nice temperatures drop 

What don't you get?

 

 

i do not know i am kind of a dimwit sorry 

[acepro71]

just a thing did u unscrewed all the screws on the gpu or just the ones in middle the one with x pattern  ? 

[Wats]

just a thing did u unscrewed all the screws on the gpu or just the ones in middle the one with x pattern  ? 

Just the four in the middle. The images in the guide are behind spoilers.

[acepro71]

I can not thank u enough buddy... by the way  are u on facebook ?@ Wats

 

ok now i have some questions and some good news 

 

lets begin with questions but first thank u again  

 

ok i contacted sapphire rma  .. they told me that i will need to come and give them the gpu it will take it for 2 days and if its repaired they will return it to me if not they will give me a new one 2 weeks .... 

 

but i need to travel approx 23  km' s just to give the gpu to them + i can not wait and then go back to return it to them ... 

 

so i opened it up and did it like in 2 mins except i used the thermal paste i got with hyper 212 i had a little bit left 

 

but i was doing it like the speed of light i lost one screw T_T of my case  any way i used another one

 

and the result came amazing ........................

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

NOTE :" I only used cotton swabs and tissue papers to remove the thermal paste as i did not had any isopropyl alcohol   

            I used the thermal paste came with hyper evo 212 .....

              

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

questions ~

 

1) when i opened it i saw some of the fins were bent do u think i should sent it for rma ? as i know they wont change it as it is working perfectly ... do u think i damaged it while using this brush to clean the dust off ? http://i.imgur.com/qbMpQGw.jpg

 

2) i did not find any purple thermal pads on my 7870 sapphire are there any on the sapphire model ? 

 

3)  THANKS FOR POSTING THIS IT REALLY HELPED I CAN NOT THANK U ENOUGH ... 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

now to results

 

before ~http://prntscr.com/1ticrj

 

max 95 - 102 C 

 

after ~ http://prntscr.com/1ticoi

 

max 60 - 66 C 

 

With aida 64 too the max is about 67 C 

 

in saint rows 4 before temprature was 80 to 85 C now 63 to 67 C 

the highest i temperature i got was in sleeping dogs 72 C on 50 % fans before it was 102 C 

 

 

at what temprature should i be worried at ? 

[Stephie_Girl]

I can not thank u enough buddy... by the way  are u on facebook ?@ Wats

 

ok now i have some questions and some good news 

 

lets begin with questions but first thank u again

 

ok i contacted sapphire rma  .. they told me that i will need to come and give them the gpu it will take it for 2 days and if its repaired they will return it to me if not they will give me a new one 2 weeks .... 

 

but i need to travel approx 23  km' s just to give the gpu to them + i can not wait and then go back to return it to them ... 

 

so i opened it up and did it like in 2 mins except i used the thermal paste i got with hyper 212 i had a little bit left 

 

but i was doing it like the speed of light i lost one screw T_T of my case  any way i used another one

 

and the result came amazing ........................

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

NOTE :" I only used cotton swabs and tissue papers to remove the thermal paste as i did not had any isopropyl alcohol   

            I used the thermal paste came with hyper evo 212 .....

              

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

questions ~

 

1) when i opened it i saw some of the fins were bent do u think i should sent it for rma ? as i know they wont change it as it is working perfectly ... do u think i damaged it while using this brush to clean the dust off ? http://i.imgur.com/qbMpQGw.jpg

 

2) i did not find any purple thermal pads on my 7870 sapphire are there any on the sapphire model ? 

 

3)  THANKS FOR POSTING THIS IT REALLY HELPED I CAN NOT THANK U ENOUGH ... 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

now to results

 

before ~http://prntscr.com/1ticrj

 

max 95 - 102 C 

 

after ~ http://prntscr.com/1ticoi

 

max 60 - 66 C 

 

With aida 64 too the max is about 67 C 

 

in saint rows 4 before temprature was 80 to 85 C now 63 to 67 C 

the highest i temperature i got was in sleeping dogs 72 C on 50 % fans before it was 102 C 

 

 

at what temprature should i be worried at ? 

Not all GPU's use thermal pads.  The Asus Direct CU II GTX 780 doesn't have any.  NICE temp drops.  I recommend you to find that screw tho as the spring tension gets better compression, it may cause issues later on, but it probably won't.

[Wats]

I can not thank u enough buddy... by the way  are u on facebook ?@ Wats

 

-SNIP-

at what temprature should i be worried at ? 

 

Very welcome! Nope, I was banned from FB. I don't know why, something along the lines of being inactive or something. Don't really care for social media too much anyway.

 

 

As for the questions, Bent fins? just bend them back... GENTLY. The purple pads are for other gpus that use them, like Gigabyte's.. Gigabyte's coolers are very well done btw. Start to worry about temps when you're hitting 85-95C. Do not go above that again :]

 

 

Good job replacing the paste, your results are very nice. Find that original screw and go play some games!