What a garbage thermal paste is Acer using?

Lyon
Lyon Member Posts: 37 Troubleshooter
edited November 2023 in 2019 Archives

Hi everybody,

 

after one year of usage i realised, that my CPU temps are in red numbers (throttling) in heavy load. So i decided to repaste my Predator. After i removed heat pipes, i was a little bit scared. It looks like Acer is not using thermal paste, but some kind of chewing gum. That paste was in terrible condition, dry and hard, i even had problems to remove it. So i repasted and removed dust. My temperatures on Watchdogs 2 before repasting were 93°C on CPU and 87°C on GPU. After repasting, temperatures went down to 67°C on CPU and 65°C. Difference 26°C on CPU and 22°C on GPU.

 

Like really? How much Acer saves on using such a garbage pastes? 1 buck on 10 PCs? I dont think thermal paste is a good way, how to save money. I dont want to know, what else is such a "quality" as thermal paste in our Predators...

«13

Answers

  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder

    Don't even mention Smiley Happy. I think thermal paste is the only issue. As my laptop is still in warranty, meaning I don't want to open it. I don't know if can ask a warranty service provider to repaste my CPU and GPU with the paste that I want. First when i bought it the CPU temperature didn't go above 85C now it even goes above 90C, still no throttling but 90C is a lot. And to think that this will bring my temperatures down by 20C why not. The GPU is good though, no more than 70C and with turbo mode.

    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

  • Lyon
    Lyon Member Posts: 37 Troubleshooter

    I strongly recommend - do it yourself. They will use the same bad paste and definitely not do it with care. Its quit easy, heat pipes and fans are right under the back cover. Easy to repaste.

     

    [edited to comply with guidelines]

  • Daedronus
    Daedronus Member Posts: 78 Enthusiast WiFi Icon

    there are no warranty void stickers to go trough, so no void warranty if you repaste it.

     

  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder

    Thanks for your suggestions, but about the warranty I have read in other formus that repasting with non-stock paste may actually violate it. So before doing the re-pasting, I will contact acer support. Don't want to lose 3years of warranty(2.5years left) just like that.

    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

  • Lyon
    Lyon Member Posts: 37 Troubleshooter

    Nah, they cannot void warranty because of thermal paste. If you dont brake anything, they cannot void anything.

  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder

    I think you are right, but just in case I will ask them, because I don't want something unpredicted to happen.

    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

  • xen0s
    xen0s Member Posts: 9 New User

    Indeed the thermal paste they use us absolute garbage. Yesterday I changed it with AC MX-4, nothing special and it dropped the temps by about 20-25 degrees on the CPU depending on the loads. Its actually hard to believe, the benchmark I did before the repaste pushed the CPU to about 96-97 degrees. Now on the very same benchmark it barely reached 80. And after a couple of heatingg cycles dropped further down to about 75-78.

     

    Another thing you might want to consider while changing the paste is taking a look at the thermal pads, sometimes they may overlap with one another, therefore deminishing heat transfer and could worsen the contact between the CPU/GPU and the cooler.

     

    Also I can confirm that there are absolutely no stickers outside or inside. The laptop is actually easy to take apart and the original paste is not really sticking.

  • Lyon
    Lyon Member Posts: 37 Troubleshooter

    Not even stickers can void warranty. Its against law, at leats in Czech Republic. They can have stickers on every screw, removing them cannot void warranty by law.

  • Capprice
    Capprice Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    Hi, I got a brand new g9-793. I am seeing something similar in regards to temperature.

    Under 40% load my CPU jumps to 80C. That doesn't seem normal to me, I would expect a bit under 70's

     

    Do you guys remember what load % you had with those temperatures?

    Trying to decide if I should open it and repaste

  • Lyon
    Lyon Member Posts: 37 Troubleshooter

    Not sure about 40% load, but constant 100% load on both CPU and GPU gives me 72°C on CPU and 68°C on GPU.

  • Capprice
    Capprice Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    This was before or after you re-pasted?

  • Lyon
    Lyon Member Posts: 37 Troubleshooter

    After. Before i had 92 and 87 or something like that.

  • Capprice
    Capprice Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    Thanks for the input.

     

    This is unreal! Such a difference...

    I will do Prime95 CPU stress test for before/after scenario, I already ordered IC Diamond paste. I will post results, might as well dig this whole deeper so people are aware of this **bleep** before buying.

  • Daedronus
    Daedronus Member Posts: 78 Enthusiast WiFi Icon

    IC Diamond is abrasive and it will scratch the bare silicon die, yes, it's the back of the cpu but still.

    There are better options, like Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut

     

  • Lyon
    Lyon Member Posts: 37 Troubleshooter

    Artic MX-4 is my choice. Good and cheap.

  • Capprice
    Capprice Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    Hello, I forgot to make a 'before' screenshot. Anyway, these are the results after repaste with IC Diamond. Max temp under prime test is 65.

    ic_diamond.png

     

     

    It's somewhat amazing how much of a difference it makes. In my case, way too much stock paste was used and applied poorly beside the poor quality of it. 

     

    Good luck

     

    edit: use whatever paste you like, I used IC Diamond out of various reasons, not saying it's the best Smiley Happy

  • Karp-Acer_Retired
    Karp-Acer_Retired Member Posts: 2,599 Guru

    If you are experiencing overheating issue, we recommend you send your unit to repair.

     

    https://us.answers.acer.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6695#_ga=1.219189274.263337500.1415824428

     

    https://www.acer.com/worldwide/

     

     

    minimizar para MAXIMIZAR.

    Descubra a mais recente e inovadora tecnologia que chegará no mercado, next@acer.
  • Giuss
    Giuss Member Posts: 1 New User

    So I have 2k euros ready for a G9-593 and can't press BUY because the necessary thermal repasting (there are so many complaints in the internet for this limited issue and only this, still it persists) on day 1 would invalidate my warranty? Insane.

  • AVJim
    AVJim Member Posts: 110 Enthusiast WiFi Icon

    Good luck buying one that has better thermal paste.  All the manufacturers use cruddy paste from my experience.  I've been using my laptop under extreme gaming and benching with stock paste...never had any thermal throttling.  Don't get your panties in a bunch about it is my attitude(You can find this all over the internet about every major gaming laptop)...if I ever have any issues with throttling I will change the paste...Acer has made it very easy to do...see this video by Bob of All Trades.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVEpuZNWLxw&index=11&list=PLrTyFxO3GU2H4hXSwhXSH_XhIhn0Xx3KO

  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder
    You understand that opening the laptop will void the warranty, so I don't understand how Acer has made it easy to do. My laptop is overheating and I was planning to change the thermal paste myself but instead I decided to send it to Acer and they found out that there was an issue with the motherboard and replaced it. What you think would happen if I changed the thermal paste and lost the warranty?

    I suggest you people if you have issues and the laptop is still under warranty better send it to Acer. It is very lilkely that the problem could be from the garbage thermal paste, but what if it isn't? What if it is something else? What are you going to do then?
    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!