THE CHEAPEST Performance Boost For Your Gaming Laptop (Even If It's New)

Summary

In this video, a technician takes viewers through the process of maintaining two gaming laptops: an Acer Nitro and an Asus ROG. The technician demonstrates cleaning fans, replacing thermal paste, and troubleshooting overheating issues. Key challenges include dealing with stubborn liquid metal and poorly placed thermal pads. Through humor and casual commentary, the technician highlights the importance of proper thermal management and offers practical insights into laptop maintenance. With hands-on troubleshooting, the video offers both tech enthusiasts and casual viewers a detailed yet entertaining look at laptop repairs.

Takeaways

• 😀 Proper thermal maintenance can drastically improve the gaming performance of laptops.
• 😀 High temperatures (over 90°C) can cause thermal throttling, leading to poor performance during gaming or heavy tasks.
• 😀 Replacing thermal paste and cleaning the internal components of your laptop can significantly reduce operating temperatures.
• 😀 Thermal paste like PTM 7950 offers better thermal conductivity and is a solid choice for CPU and GPU cooling.
• 😀 Elevating the back of your laptop improves airflow, which can help in reducing temperatures.
• 😀 Running intensive benchmarks like *Cinebench R23* helps in identifying thermal throttling issues and evaluating improvements after maintenance.
• 😀 Liquid metal is not always the best solution due to the messy cleanup and potential damage it can cause to the heatsink.
• 😀 Cleaning out the dust from laptop fans and heat sinks is essential for maintaining efficient cooling.
• 😀 Consistent thermal management (thermal paste replacement, pad replacement, etc.) is critical for ensuring longevity and performance of gaming laptops.
• 😀 It's important to check and replace thermal pads on components like VRMs to maintain overall heat dissipation for the entire laptop.
• 😀 Regular maintenance and cleaning can prevent long-term overheating issues and the need for expensive repairs or replacements.

Q & A

What are the main issues being addressed in the Acer Nitro laptop?

The primary issues being addressed are thermal throttling and overheating. The technician is performing maintenance by replacing the thermal paste, cleaning the dust from the fans, and replacing thermal pads to improve cooling and prevent throttling.

Why does the technician use BenchMate and what is its purpose?

The technician uses BenchMate to run benchmarking tests to monitor the laptop's performance and temperature. BenchMate includes programs like HWInfo and Cinebench, which help assess thermal performance and identify throttling.

What problem does the technician encounter with the Acer Nitro's performance during testing?

The technician finds that the Acer Nitro laptop's performance throttles during gaming and benchmarking tests, with the temperature reaching up to 93°C, causing the CPU to throttle. The technician aims to fix this by performing thermal maintenance.

What is the effect of elevating the laptop during the tests?

Elevating the laptop helps improve airflow and cooling, leading to better performance. The technician observes a significantly higher benchmark score when the laptop is elevated compared to when it is flat on the desk.

What is the role of NitroSense in managing the laptop's performance?

NitroSense is used to control the performance settings of the Acer Nitro laptop, allowing the technician to adjust fan speeds and performance modes. It is particularly useful for optimizing cooling during demanding tasks.

Why does the technician dislike liquid metal as a thermal compound?

The technician dislikes liquid metal because it is difficult to clean and can cause damage. It can scorch the heat sink and CPU, and it is prone to spilling, which could lead to motherboard damage. The technician prefers using thermal pads like PTM 7950 instead.

What significant issue does the Asus ROG laptop have regarding thermal putty?

The Asus ROG laptop has a significant issue with insufficient thermal putty coverage. The technician observes that many of the chips do not have enough thermal putty, which can negatively affect the cooling performance.

What does the technician notice about the fan and vent cleanliness in the Acer Nitro?

The technician observes that while the vents are clean, the fans are clogged with dust. This is important because dust accumulation in the fans can hinder airflow and cause overheating. The technician cleans the fans to restore proper airflow.

How does the technician replace the thermal paste and thermal pads?

The technician carefully removes the old thermal paste and thermal pads, cleans the surfaces, and applies new thermal paste and thermal putty. They also replace thermal pads on various chips to ensure better heat dissipation.

What steps does the technician take to complete the maintenance on the Asus ROG laptop?

For the Asus ROG laptop, the technician removes liquid metal from the CPU and GPU, cleans the heat sink, and replaces thermal pads with new thermal putty. The technician also checks for adequate coverage of thermal materials to ensure proper heat dissipation.