Where can I find GPU thermal pads used in laptops?

[phaZed]

I remember seeing a post some time ago about this but can't seem to find it.

Where can I find the pink or blue thermal foam pads that are commonly found on laptop GPUs? I've been googling my butt off but can't seem to come up with anything but XBOX repair kits and thermal tape which is too thin for my use.

[PCX]

Originally Posted by phaZed

I remember seeing a post some time ago about this but can't seem to find it.

Where can I find the pink or blue thermal foam pads that are commonly found on laptop GPUs? I've been googling my butt off but can't seem to come up with anything but XBOX repair kits and thermal tape which is too thin for my use.

You will have a hard time finding those since most people in their right mind would never CHOOSE to use them. If you are trying to find one for a GPU with overheating issues (or even if not) I would look for copper shims. They work way better and can drop the temperature down 10-20 degrees.

[Knightsman]

Amazon has them



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[Mr.Mike]

I agree with PCX. I just had a copper shim attached to a GPU on a dv7. With new thermal paste and the shim, it's like a new computer.

[gazza]

I agree were possible use copper shims like these on found on ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_n....c0.m270.l1313 combined with reputable thermal paste. Just be sure you get the right size and thickness of the shim otherwise you may find it puts other components out of alignment.

[shamrin]

Wow. eBay in the US has 10 pages of copper shim sellers, most of them referring to dvx000. Are there really that many buyers out there shimming these things?

[abyssinian]

Here are just a few choices (1423 to be precise) ...
http://search.digikey.com/us/en/cat/...=thermal%20pad
Mauser almost certainly carries them as well.

Personally, I'm not a fan of copper shims...seen too many failures. If it were that simple, the manufacturers would simply spec the heat sinks a couple of millimeters closer to the board and use compound themselves. I believe thermal pads are used for their flexible characteristics...something copper shims fall short on.

[PCX]

Originally Posted by shamrin

Wow. eBay in the US has 10 pages of copper shim sellers, most of them referring to dvx000. Are there really that many buyers out there shimming these things?

Yep, they wouldn't sell otherwise.

Originally Posted by abyssinian

Here are just a few choices (1423 to be precise) ...
http://search.digikey.com/us/en/cat/...=thermal%20pad
Mauser almost certainly carries them as well.

Personally, I'm not a fan of copper shims...seen too many failures. If it were that simple, the manufacturers would simply spec the heat sinks a couple of millimeters closer to the board and use compound themselves. I believe thermal pads are used for their flexible characteristics...something copper shims fall short on.

I completely agree, its a design flaw. Simply put, you cant fix stupid. However, in a pinch it can most certainly help and extend the life of a laptop. It's not a repair that I offer, but if I am cleaning out a system or dealing with an overheating issue that is not necessarily causing (or has already caused) a failure, then I will do it for good measure. In general though, I do not do repairs (save for software issues) that I cannot warranty. Again, you cant fix stupid, so you can really warranty stupid.

[phaZed]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. RedFox had the answer:

Thermal Conductive Silicone Pad

I got a 4"x4" sheet of 1mm and 2mm for $15.00. Be careful if you order these things.. they have an energy rating.. I got the 5.0W/mK type, which is one of the more efficient types.

I would agree with everyone here.. I try not to use the pads if I can but I have a system here (Gateway) in which the heat sink does not sit flat on the GPU and has about 1-2mm of space between them.

I make my own shims and have some pure copper sheets of different thicknesses, but because the heat sink doesn't make good contact with the shim it still gets HOT.

[PCX]

Originally Posted by phaZed

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. RedFox had the answer:

Thermal Conductive Silicone Pad

I got a 4"x4" sheet of 1mm and 2mm for $15.00. Be careful if you order these things.. they have an energy rating.. I got the 5.0W/mK type, which is one of the more efficient types.

I would agree with everyone here.. I try not to use the pads if I can but I have a system here (Gateway) in which the heat sink does not sit flat on the GPU and has about 1-2mm of space between them.

I make my own shims and have some pure copper sheets of different thicknesses, but because the heat sink doesn't make good contact with the shim it still gets HOT.

You can't find shim of the right size? You can also stack shims too, just make sure you use some thermal compound between them and use a press.