PTM7950 in a Steamdeck?

[SmugHunter]

I just wanted to know if using the PTM7950 pad from the store on my steam deck would be beneficial. Is there any risk in using it like there is with liquid metal?

[Shimejii]

Why exactly are you doing this in the first place? Unless you are having thermal issues you dont need to change the paste for a few years. It hasnt been 3-4 years where the paste starts drying out o.o

 

As far as safety, its non conductive so it should be fine.

[Orion_]

PTM is totally safe to use. It is a bit of a pain to apply when taking of the protective sheet. My strategy is to cut off plenty of extra for one side to have a sacrificial section for taking off the sheet. IE say the die is 20mm by 30mm I would  shoot to cut 30mm by 25mm so that there is plenty of space I dont care about getting messed up. 

13 minutes ago, Shimejii said:

Why exactly are you doing this in the first place? Unless you are having thermal issues you dont need to change the paste for a few years. It hasnt been 3-4 years where the paste starts drying out o.o

 

As far as safety, its non conductive so it should be fine.

Not super familiar with the Steam Deck but the cooling solution looks a lot like a laptop. If it is, the TIM doesn't last nearly as long as on desktops. Depending on what you use it can pump out as quickly as a month (kryonaut). I doubt Valve used anything nearly that thin, but Im also not sure 3-4 years is a realistic expectation.  

[Shimejii]

5 minutes ago, Orion_ said:

PTM is totally safe to use. It is a bit of a pain to apply when taking of the protective sheet. My strategy is to cut off plenty of extra for one side to have a sacrificial section for taking off the sheet. IE say the die is 20mm by 30mm I would  shoot to cut 30mm by 25mm so that there is plenty of space I dont care about getting messed up. 

Not super familiar with the Steam Deck but the cooling solution looks a lot like a laptop. If it is, the TIM doesn't last nearly as long as on desktops. Depending on what you use it can pump out as quickly as a month (kryonaut). I doubt Valve used anything nearly that thin, but Im also not sure 3-4 years is a realistic expectation.  

For "Optimal" its usually once per year, for most things though, 3-5 years is generally when the paste becomes an issue and should be redone

[SmugHunter]

6 minutes ago, Orion_ said:

PTM is totally safe to use. It is a bit of a pain to apply when taking of the protective sheet. My strategy is to cut off plenty of extra for one side to have a sacrificial section for taking off the sheet. IE say the die is 20mm by 30mm I would  shoot to cut 30mm by 25mm so that there is plenty of space I dont care about getting messed up. 

Not super familiar with the Steam Deck but the cooling solution looks a lot like a laptop. If it is, the TIM doesn't last nearly as long as on desktops. Depending on what you use it can pump out as quickly as a month (kryonaut). I doubt Valve used anything nearly that thin, but Im also not sure 3-4 years is a realistic expectation.  

Thank you

[RevGAM]

PTM7950 isn't conductive and gets better with heat and age.

 

If your deck isn't exhibiting signs of overheating and throttling, you don't need to replace the paste. 

 

If you use it, put the pad in the freezer before applying it. When it's cold it should be much easier to remove the plastic. They also have a paste version denoted with "SP".