Notebook cleaning

mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
edited January 2006 in Hardware
The notebook in question is my Toshiba A30 in my sig. I've had this notebook since Feb 2004. A few weeks ago, it started overheating an shutting off by itself. So, today I decided to remove the heatsink to clean it.

I removed the access cover to the heatsink and cpu. I unscrewed the four screws holding down the heatsink. I tried remove the heatsink but it wouldn't budge or lift off the IHS. So, I gave up trying to remove the heatsink and unlocked the CPU socket by the socket's locking screw.

Six months of being on folding and school work, the dust has caked on the heatsink from the twin blowers but of course, it was a demo model and I have no idea how long it was left on for. Tried removing the CPU from the heatsink while it was out but it still wouldn't budge. I have no idea what Toshiba uses for thermal paste. It's like dried silicone adhesive. So, I also gave up trying to remove the CPU from the heatsink and reinstalled the CPU/heatsink combo without a hitch. Turned it back on and it runs a hell of a lot cooler, just like brand new.

Here are a few pics. These should get notebook owners to pop open their notebooks open and clean the heatsink once in a while.
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Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited August 2004
    Yup, I was having problems on my Dell Inspiron 600m, and I encountered the same problem: Gobs of dust caked into the small heatsink. I cracked the HS off of the CPU and applied Arctic Silver and threw the HS in the dishwasher. Now it runs even cooler than factory new, and even when folding, if the ambient temp in the room is good the fan doesn't even come on! I have achieved passive cooling on a folding laptop! :woowoo:
  • dragonV8dragonV8 not here much New
    edited August 2004
    primesuspect wrote:
    Yup, I was having problems on my Dell Inspiron 600m, and I encountered the same problem: Gobs of dust caked into the small heatsink. I cracked the HS off of the CPU and applied Arctic Silver and threw the HS in the dishwasher. Now it runs even cooler than factory new, and even when folding, if the ambient temp in the room is good the fan doesn't even come on! I have achieved passive cooling on a folding laptop! :woowoo:

    Does throwing the HS into the dishwasher qualify for "Water Cooling"??? :)
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited August 2004
    dragonV8 wrote:
    Does throwing the HS into the dishwasher qualify for "Water Cooling"??? :)


    Hmmm.... Trick with water cooling is to do it CONSISTENTLY and CONSTANTLY, right???

    Try Active Semi-submerged and Quick Scrubbing.... :D

    What can I say, I'm a Straight_Man.... :D;D
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited August 2004
    Yeah, this is why I tell people to clean their laptop heatsinks like once a month. The heatsinks are too small to deal with that kind of dust buildup.
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited August 2004
    I tried removing the heatsink when I first got this notebook but the heatsink was stuck to the CPU. It was stuck back then and it's still stuck right now. It's was only yesterday that I got off my ass and stop my overheating problem and thought about removing the CPU along with the heatsink at the same time.

    Anyone know how I can remove my CPU from the heatsink? Sliding a slotted screwdriver over the thermal paste did nothing. The screwdriver would simply slide on top of the glue like thermal paste.

    Geeky, not everybody is fortunate enough to have an access panel to their notebook's heatsink. I know someone that has a Compaq notebook and there's no way to gain access to the heatsink without taking apart the notebook. Too bad not all manufacturers provide an access panel to the heatsink.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited August 2004
    Are you sure it's NOT thermal epoxy? If it is, getting it off is going to be hell. :-/

    Try getting it nice and hot again by running f@h and then IMMEDIATELY try to take the heatsink off. Unbolt it, rock it back and forth and twist it from side to side gently to break the bond between the heatsink and the cpu.

    And you're right, not everyone has that access panel. For those people, it's especially important that they keep the heatsink clean using canned air. You won't get huge dust bunnies like that out with canned air, so if your laptop doesn't have an access panel, unless you want to disassemble the whole thing, you'd better just blow off the heatsink and fan (turn it off and jam the fan with an unbent paper clip first) on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited August 2004
    What colour should thermal epoxy be? The stuff that Toshiba used sure looks like silicon paste.
    I did remove a little of the thermal paste by rubbing it with a alcohol soaked cotton swab.
    I'll try your suggestion a little later today.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited August 2004
    Thermal epoxy can be all sorts of colors. if it came off with alcohol and a cotton swab, it's not epoxy, it's a paste. In that case, my suggestion will work. btw, have you heard of mobilemeter?
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited August 2004
    Nope, never heard of mobilemeter. I'll go google it.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited August 2004
    Don't bother. I'll grab you a link. I suggest that anyone with a laptop install that program, unless you own a Dell notebook that's compatible with i8k.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited August 2004
    Mobilemeter:
    http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley-Oakland/8259/release/0310/mm0310.zip

    i8k (For Dell laptops):
    http://www.diefer.de/software/i8kfangui220.exe

    Compatibility list for i8k (scroll down):
    http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited August 2004
    Thanks geeky but I've already found it on google. Anyway, I don't get a CPU temp reading. I do get the cpu freq, hdd temp, and batt stats. Well, I'm off you remove the heatsink once again.

    Edit: Well, that didn't work. Still stuck on the heatsink.
  • dragonV8dragonV8 not here much New
    edited August 2004
    If it may work by getting it hot/warm, perhaps use a hairdryer. I use one for removing old stickers of things. Might work, just don't burn your fingers.

    Other things require cooling. In the past have put items in the freezer which hardens the item, making it more brittle and end up coming apart.

    Food for thought.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited August 2004
    I wouldn't use a hairdryer... they get too hot; you may cook the CPU.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited August 2004
    Ok, well I grabbed a couple pics of mine. I forgot to get any "after" pics, but I think you can figure out what it should look like ;) I took the fans off, rinsed out the heatsink, and cleaned the fans themselves off with isopropyl alcohol and some cotton swabs. Cleaned the heatspreader for the gpu, northbridge, and clockgen off with some more alcohol, cleaned off the cpu, replaced the thermal compound, and put it all back together again.

    I try to clean it out like this monthly, but I think its been like 3 months since I did it last. It wasn't nearly as bad as mcwc's, but it was bad enough that cleaning it off and using new thermal compound dropped the CPU temps 5-7*C under full load.

    Pics:
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited August 2004
    That's nice that you can remove your fans so they can be cleaned.

    Anyway, using the thermister on my multimeter, touching the base of the heatsink, my temps dropped 20C under full load after the cleaning.

    I also live on Knight Street, a busy road with semi's driving through daily. Makes my house dusty, more dusty than JChretien's house. Bad for my allergies :banghead:.

    dragonV8 wrote:
    If it may work by getting it hot/warm, perhaps use a hairdryer. I use one for removing old stickers of things. Might work, just don't burn your fingers.

    Other things require cooling. In the past have put items in the freezer which hardens the item, making it more brittle and end up coming apart.

    Food for thought.
    I tried removing the heatsink after folding for a few hours. It yanked the CPU out of the locked socket. No damage to the CPU :). I don't think I'll go and freeze my heatsink and CPU. I don't want to damage it trying to pry it frozen nor do I want to buy a replacement CPU. I think the factory thermal paste will work just fine.
  • tcithtcith Sydney, Australia Member
    edited August 2004
    Wow - thanks very mnuch - I never thought to pop the cover and look - the last two weeks my A30 has just been shuting down at annoying points - I popped the pannel and unscrewed the heatsink and viola a 1cm thick carpet of fuzz between the fans and the heatsink.

    The compound between the sink and the CPU was not solid or "glued" to the cpu so the heat sink came off easily - cleaned it - new dab of artic silver and viola one quiet humming notebook again.

    thanks very much - sorry did not take a snap or two of it - but I was amazed at the thickness of the dust "mat".

    Laptop purchased December 2003 new - on preetty much 24/7 on table that gets some dust on it.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited August 2004
    Maybe mcwc should write a guide on how to do this........ :D:D:D

    Get published!
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited August 2004
    You're welcome tcith.

    primesuspect wrote:
    Maybe mcwc should write a guide on how to do this........ :D:D:D

    Get published!

    Hmm...that's a good idea prime! Just need to get a few pics of gaining access and removing the CPU and heatsink.
  • LINLIN Tri_State Area
    edited August 2004
    primesuspect wrote:
    Maybe mcwc should write a guide on how to do this........ :D:D:D

    Get published!
    i'd be interested in that.


    LIN
  • tcithtcith Sydney, Australia Member
    edited August 2004
    Useless info #321 - MCWC, you and I share the same birthday (though I am a few years your senior - my YOB is 1967)

    just thought I'd blurt that out :thumbsup:
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited August 2004
    Interesting bit of info. I've known people who have their birthday either one day before or after mine. You're the first that I know of with the same birthday.

    Well, back to checking over the guide I'm writing for this thread and then shooting an email to keebs.
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited August 2004
    LIN wrote:
    i'd be interested in that.


    LIN
    :bigggrin:

    Just checking over it once before I email keebs.
  • LINLIN Tri_State Area
    edited August 2004
    mcwc wrote:
    :bigggrin:

    Just checking over it once before I email keebs.
    :thumbsup:

    i admit to having unscrewed some of the screws once, myself, but freaked out and screwed them back in, Lol. i also need a more suitable screwdriver; it's tough getting them back in.


    LIN
  • tcithtcith Sydney, Australia Member
    edited August 2004
    mcwc wrote:
    I've known people who have their birthday either one day before or after mine. You're the first that I know of with the same birthday.

    I don't want to scare you but we share our birthday with:
    Bill Paxton (the actor - currently in thunderbirds)
    Sugar Ray Leonard - the boxer
    Jordan Knight (from new kids on the block - oh the shame!)
    Dennis Hopper (actor)
    and even Enya (the singer)
    it's also the National day of Norway (190 years old this year)

    check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_17 for things that happen on "our" day :eek2:
  • rachaelrachael saaaf of the river
    edited November 2004
    mcwc wrote:
    :bigggrin:

    Just checking over it once before I email keebs.

    hello everyone.

    im new to this forum (joined two days ago) :wave:, and geekiness in general (no disrespect intended- i aspire to add a few geek strings to my bow, as it were), but ive learned so much new stuff already, its great :)

    i was wondering if you ever put that notebook cleaning guide up, mcwc?

    i have a rather outdated sony vaio 505SN(GB) (itsy bitsy pentium II!)- not quite sure what the SN means- that uses windows 98 os, and my goodness it heats up something shocking :eek:!

    because i have windows 98 i cant use mobilemeter so i got the 'hardware sensors monitor' from AB software instead. i was wondering if anyone knows anything about this one, cos the readings seem somewhat arbitrary!

    anyway, im convinced that my elderly vaio is filled with dust, lint and fluffy matter... frankly, it would be a miracle if it wasnt! there are no access panels so i would need to open up the case to clean out the heatsink and fan... this necessity fills me with trepidation but also an irresistable desire to have a bit of a tinker!

    im off to google vaio 505 and see if i can find some kind of 'tinkering manual', preferably with pix...

    rach x

    ps i have begun folding (a humble effort as im sure you can appreciate)... 42 frames, of 400. hmmm, this might take some time! i estimate about 15 days based on progress so far. is this so slow as to render my efforts futile? i havent quite got the measure of the thing yet...
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    Welcome to short-media, Rachael.

    First: here is the guide.

    Second: No, it's not too slow to be futile. Any effort helps :) Thanks for joining!
  • rachaelrachael saaaf of the river
    edited November 2004
    excellent! :D thanks a million! im gonna grab coffee and a smoke and get readin'...
  • RobRob Detroit, MI
    edited November 2004
    My laptop is a year+ old, plus I'm a heavy smoker. Needless to say, it got sticky and dirty.

    It got to the point that I couldn't even compile a kernel, it kept shutting off.

    All I did was use a paper clip to hold the fan in place, then a large air compressor and blew both ways across the heatsink, through the vent holes, and around the fan blades. It took a couple minutes, but it got the junk out even with the stickey cigarette goo.

    No disassembly. No neato pics either though ;)
  • rachaelrachael saaaf of the river
    edited November 2004
    there was sticky goo in your heatsink?!! i hate to think whats in mine. probably some of this goo from smoking, and i wouldnt be surprised to find some cat hair since it seems to get everywhere else... ill let you know if i find anything interesting in there ;)

    thanks so much for the advice, its really helpful (no disassembly, but am i correct in assuming you opened the case up? sorry to be dumb...).

    also, is there any danger of inadvertently blasting the 'matter' into other parts of the machine where 'matter' shouldnt go?


    rachael.

    ps being a sometime educationalist i had the pleasure of spending some time working in a nursery, a year or so ago.

    one day the printer ceased functioning and as the person most qualified to deal with this (and i use the word qualified v.loosely) i sat down to try and figure out whatd gone wrong. assuming the problem was software related i tried everything i knew how. still nothing. stressed-out by the impatient stares and questioning of the under-fives ('is the 'puter mended? i want my picture!' etc) i finally had a good old delve in the printer only to find the most ENORMOUS piece of blutack jammed in the mechanism ;D
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