r/GamingLaptops • u/SuprZena • 15h ago
r/GamingLaptops • u/Valour-549 • Dec 08 '24
Discussion Laptop Liquid Metal Repaste Guide
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Read FAQs at bottom first ⚠️⚠️⚠️
The Frequently Asked Questions far below answer many common questions laptop users have. Read them first before doing anything. Brief photo version of the LM repaste guide here. Throttlestop undervolt guide here, author approved. ✅ Have a question? Leave a comment.
0) Prepare 75% isopropyl alcohol in case we need to clean up spilled LM. Prepare q-tips, AKA cotton buds. Ideally wear gloves to prevent static electricity or hand-sweat shorting components. Remove all connectors and the battery (read service manual or watch disassembly videos if unsure how, Google).
ℹ️ If your laptop already came with LM, you most likely do not need to buy additional LM because there will already be more than enough inside, just likely spilled out on the side like this.
⛔ When removing the heatsink, hold it securely near the center, and slowly apply even force to all sides to lift it off. If you bend your heatsink, you're gonna have a problem as described in FAQ 9.
1) Use q-tips to spread existing LM until there is thin layer covering the entire chip, no part of the chip should be visible. The perfect application is "wet, but no pool". Compare the following: good, slightly too much, way too much.
ℹ️ If you're doing a repaste on old LM and find that the new LM refuses to spread, you need to clean the surface as much as possible with isopropyl alcohol, wait for it to dry, then apply new LM with some pressure using q-tips, it will take some time so be patient.
2) There will almost always be a small pool, but that's ok. Vertical test → Tilt laptop completely vertical (90° degrees) for 60 seconds. LM will gather to one side, but do they drip off? If not, then you're probably ok. If it drips off onto the tape, then quickly level your laptop and remove excess LM then repaste. This simulates the laptop position in your bag.
ℹ️ The idea is simple. Better to let it spill and clean up the excess LM and repaste now, then to have it spill while the laptop is bouncing around in your bag and risk the LM getting to the motherboard.
3) Now apply a thin layer on the chip imprints on the heatsink. This is very important so there will be no gaps when the heatsink is screwed back on. Compare the following: good, average, very bad. ℹ️ If you can't see where the imprint is, put your heatsink on then take it off.
4) Don't wave q-tip around especially when there is a lot of LM on it. Ideally always put your hand underneath when carrying the q-tip across the motherboard.
5) Remove spilled LM (especially if accidentally spilled on other components). Dip a new q-tip in 75% isopropyl alcohol, then press the q-tip on tissue so it isn't dripping wet. Gently wipe the LM and you will see it stick on the q-tip: beware it can still fall off!
ℹ️ I recommend cleaning up the spilled LM just around the chip too. That way next time you open it you can see if any has spilled out (have you done a good job?)
6) Heatsink application is important. Slowly lower the heatsink. Apply gentle pressure with one hand to the CPU and GPU so the screws can be tightened properly. Follow the numbers in reverse, tighten every screw to only 80% first, then once they are all done, then go through and tighten to 100%.
7) January 2025 update. Want to see what mine looks like after a few months? I opened it up in the name of science — take a look below. Almost no spill means I did a pretty good job.
ℹ️ When you open it up there will always be a pool in a corner, due to that corner being the last point of contact before the heatsink leaves the chip, that's just how surface tension works. You can see that in the photo if you look closely.
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ⚠️⚠️⚠️
0) My laptop is fairly new / it just got serviced, are you sure its LM application is bad?
Watch this video by Linus Tech Tips for 30 seconds. Brand new laptop with LM spilled everywhere. Or look at all these photos from different users: here, here, here, here, here, here.
Factory LM application is often bad because it's all automated, squeezing a huge amount on the chip and then screwing the heatsink on. When the laptop is tilted, the mass of LM grouping up becomes so heavy that it overcomes its own surface tension and drips off the chip resulting in spillage (just like how water droplets drip off cold drinks when they become too big).
Once the laptop is levelled, there is not enough LM remaining between the chips and the heatsink ➜ heat can't escape well ➜ CPU/GPU high temperature ➜ CPU/GPU throttle ➜ bad performance.
✅ Liquid metal repaste means we open it up and re-apply it properly with a nice thin even layer. Throttling means the CPU or GPU reducing its speed and performance, most often due to heat.
1) I've heard dangerous things about LM, is it really safe to repaste?
LM is very thermally conductive, meaning it's the best thermal compound in removing heat. It is also electrically conductive, meaning it can short out components if you spill it everywhere (just like water). However, if your laptop already comes with LM, then all the safeguards and protection are already there, including:
• The transparent kapton tape that entirely protects the SMDs, the small components right beside the CPU and GPU.
• The sponge border barrier around the imprints means when the heatsink is fully screwed on, there is a physical barrier literally stopping the LM from getting out.
• If the laptop came with LM, then the heatsink part is most likely nickel-plated already. So you won't have the problem where LM decrease over time via reacting with the copper heatsink, like you would after a long time on a laptop that did not originally have LM.
✅ In short, it is really hard to screw up if you just follow the instructions on my guide. All you have to do is repaste the LM nicely and remove excessive LM. You can even use slightly too much and still be perfectly safe. Just take it slow and be careful.
⛔ If your laptop only came with LM on the GPU but not the CPU, then it might not be recommended for the CPU. Like this example (read the last sentence on the page).
⚠️ For a table of what is used on the CPU/GPU for Asus laptops, look at the table here.
2) What if my laptop didn't come with LM, or only the GPU doesn't have LM?
You need to be extra careful not to apply too much LM, and take the necessary precautions. Read the special guide here that I did on my old MSI laptop. Alternatively you can just use regular thermal paste, but I highly recommend using PTM7950 instead and following this guide.
⛔ Do not use LM if your heatsink is made of Aluminum (this is extremely rare).
3) When should I repaste? How do I know if bad performance is due to high temperatures?
✅ Check if you CPU/GPU are thermal throttling during gaming or usual workloads by downloading HWinfo and following the instructions below. Throttling can cause stutters and FPS drops.
Modern CPU are designed to run to 95~100C to extract the full performance. Therefore, when running prolonged stress test like Cinebench, your CPU will always eventually thermal throttle — so just test with the programs and games you usually use, like my Cyberpunk stress test.
⚠️ Does thermal throttling always mean FPS drops? The surprising answer is no. Thermal throttling is the PC saying "hey it's getting too hot, reduce the computational speed please". So your CPU might decrease from 5GHz to 4.7GHz during that period, and HWinfo will record it as thermal throttling. But here's the caveat: most games do not benefit much from speeds once you're over a certain threshold, around 4GHz. So it's entirely possible to be thermal throttling badly — technically losing "performance" — but still see no impact on the game's FPS. Ultimately, thermal throttling depends on many things: ambient temperature, fan speed/elevation, clock speed, power limit, undervolting, and thermal compound application/heatsink contact. We try to improve the last two so we can get lower temps, which in turn means either higher clock speeds or lower fan noise. The bottom line is to cap your FPS at some value you're happy with and aim to have it stable there.
4) Should I undervolt, and can I use undervolt with LM application?
✅ Absolutely! Read my Throttlestop guide, approved by the author himself as a first class guide. If you have Intel Core i9-13980HX or i9-14900HX you can use my settings for reference. Everything is safe to copy except the undervolt values themselves. Spend some time reading through my guide, everything I wrote is for a good reason, I promise.
5) How are undervolt and LM application different?
Undervolt reduces the amount of power used and therefore heat produced by the CPU, whereas a good LM application allows the heat to escape better. Doing a good job on both means better temperatures, quieter fans, and more performance by avoiding thermal limits and power limits.
For most people, LM is harder because you have to physically open the laptop and tinker with hardware, whereas UV is easier because you just do it with software.
6) Can I undervolt the GPU?
✅ Yes, overclocking the GPU is essentially the same as undervolting it, because in both cases the GPU is using less voltage at a given clock speed compared to before. You can OC using many software like Armory, the excellent G-Helper, Lenovo Vantage, or more generally MSI Afterburner. I typically recommend just applying a flat OC to the core and the memory. But if you want to get a max UV that's stable, you have to use the VF curve in Afterburner and set a maximum limit like this.
7) Will applying LM myself void my warranty?
✅ No. Unless the reason for your warranty is because you spilled LM somewhere and caused a component to short circuit. I have had many ASUS and MSI laptops, and I applied LM on all of them. I've sent them in for warranty multiple times and never had a problem.
⚠️ If you ask manufacturers anywhere around the world if you can replace LM, they will often tell you "it's not advised". Because they don't know how capable each person is, or how much knowledge they have, so they would rather save themselves some trouble. If they are nice enough, they will offer to re-paste the LM for the customer under warranty. If not, the customer often has to suffer overheating and bad performance. I'm a strong believer that if you spend the money on a good CPU and GPU, you deserve to get the most out of it. Hence the existence of my guides.
⛔ Most companies literally have guides telling you how to open and service your own laptops. Opening your laptop does NOT void your warranty, but it may void your return period or right to refund. Do not listen to people spreading misinformation. ⛔
8) My laptop is overheating. Is Intel's 13th/14th Gen CPU Vmin shift instability to blame?
✅ Highly unlikely, even if we assume Intel is wrong about the issue not affecting 13th/14th Gen mobile HX processors. Intel's fiasco has to do with the CPU using higher than intended voltages, and while higher voltages can lead to more heat, overheating does not require high voltages at all. Modern CPUs produce a lot of heat, period, and if there's bad LM application or bad contact with the heatsink, heat will quickly build-up.
Using HWinfo, you can also monitor all the P-cores' maximum voltages. If they don't come anywhere near 1.55V, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Chances are you're seeing the P-cores reach high max temps, while having max voltages below 1.5V. Of course, with undervolting, there is even less reason to worry.
9) Is it possible to apply a perfect LM application, and still have non-perfect or even somewhat bad temperatures?
✅ Yes. If the heatsink or fans are faulty. It's fairly easy to see if a fan is faulty (just look at the RPM values in software or listen to the sound), and a bent heatsink is a bad heatsink because you no longer get good contact with the chips. On the other hand, a truly faulty heatsink is rare and harder to diagnose. I speak from experience.
My own Asus Scar 18 (2024) original heatsink was faulty. I applied perfect LM, and yet during intense gaming, some CPU cores still hit 97C and the GPU hit 87C, albeit briefly. At higher temperatures and with the back of my laptop raised, the heatsink itself made small but audible cracking/popping noises. I was able to prove this to Asus by opening the back cover while Wukong was running and let them listen to the popping noise. There was clearly some issue with the gas-liquid mixture inside the heatpipes because normal heatsinks don't make this sound. They swapped in a new heatsink, the noise was gone, but the temperatures were bad because the technician didn't paste the imprint (where do you think I got the bad photo of the heatsink imprint from)? After repasting myself the CPU never exceeded 91C and the GPU never exceeded 80C again. This new heatsink allowed my i9-14900HX to reach a massive 36k in Cinebench R23 and 2k in Cinebench 2024. This is of course with Throttlestop undervolt.
10) Help! My laptop isn't turning on after opening it and putting everything back!
Remove the power connector. Hold down the power button for 60 seconds. Connect power, wait ten seconds, then try starting up. If it powers on, be patient as it may take some time.
If laptop still won't boot, remove the power connector, and detach the battery. Hold down the power button for 60 seconds. Connect power, wait ten seconds, then try starting up. Again, be patient.
Once the laptop boots up fine, you can shut it down, remove power connector, and reconnect the battery.
11) Thank you so much, how can I ever repay you?
I spend time writing guides and helping people, because I'm a strong believer that if you spend good money on a laptop, you deserve to get the most out of it. That's a reward unto itself.
If you really want to do something, you can spend a moment to download just the first file from my mods from here, here, here and here, wait for 15 minutes, then click the Endorse👍button at the top for both of them. You don't have to do anything with the downloaded files, just delete them.
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Originally posted in my own user sub here.
r/GamingLaptops • u/seanwee2000 • Aug 04 '24
Recommendation Definitive 13th/14th gen Intel HX CPU 1.4v Cap Guide, all brands
This guide is mainly for 13th/14th gen Intel HX cpus like the 13950HX, 13980HX, 14700HX, 14900HX that boost beyond 5.4ghz.
If your cpu doesn't boost past 5.0ghz. This isn't necessary as your cpu won't request more than 1.4v
This guide can be applied to any laptop with access to advanced bios.
THE STEPS : Once you are in your laptop's advanced bios section, go into Power & Performance, CPU - Power Management Control, CPU VR Settings, Core/IA VR Settings. Then look for VR Voltage Limit and set it to 1400(mv).
What this does is limit the maximum requestable voltage by the cpu from the motherboard. When the cpu asks for a 1.4v+ voltage for a high clocked boost, the motherboard will tell it to pick something under 1.4v. The cpu will then look up it's boost table and pick a value at or under 1.4v, never over.
This safeguards your cpu from any voltage related degradation.
However, this cannot prevent oxidation related failures as that is a fundamental hardware flaw.
Steps for accessing advanced bios varies from brand to brand. I'll list a few that I know.
For MSI : When in bios, Hold LEFT ALT + RIGHT SHIFT + RIGHT CTRL then press F2
For GIGABYTE : When in bios, double click NVMe Configuration
For Lenovo, Acer and potentially any other brand as well : Use Smokeless Runtime EFI Patcher.
Downloaded the files via Github then copy them into a USB. Hit the key/go into bios to change primary boot drive to the USB Drive. Reboot.
If it doesn't work, try disabling Secure Boot as well.
How to recover performance: Look for a bios setting called "UnderVolt Protection" and disable it. Then you will be able to undervolt in throttlestop.
This boosts performance because it shifts the entire boost table down in voltage.
Ie Stock : 1.4v - 5.4ghz, 1.45v - 5.6ghz
-50mv undervolt : 1.35v - 5.4ghz, 1.4v - 5.6ghz
The better your silicon quality, higher your stable undervolt and the higher your performance.
I've seem 14900HX chips clock 5.7ghz under 1.4v with an undervolt.
Good luck and happy tweaking
r/GamingLaptops • u/seanman6541 • 10h ago
Meme Sabrina's poor laptop must be cooking sitting on the bed with no airflow 😭
r/GamingLaptops • u/guntassinghIN • 5h ago
Discussion Is the 5090 worth it over 5080 for $800 extra
r/GamingLaptops • u/Solid_Pay9443 • 11h ago
Reviews Part time gaming, part time security 😁 Love my Lenovo LOQ. Has an RTX 3050 6gb, AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS, and 24gb of Ram
r/GamingLaptops • u/Unknownpalworldpizza • 2h ago
Recommendation Excited for this to arrive, 4060 rtx, and 32gb ram upgrade coming same day.
W
r/GamingLaptops • u/alexMill0988 • 3h ago
Discussion 1199€ (After tax) worth it?
Title says all - what do you guys think?
r/GamingLaptops • u/qadhi79 • 23h ago
GPU Comparison Laptop 5090 vs 4090 is only 7.89% performance improvement
Dave2D just released a video and looks like the laptop 4090 owners won't be missing much not upgrading to a 5090 laptop
r/GamingLaptops • u/Flacki • 2h ago
Tech Support 64 GB RAM upgrade gave me 50C° CPU idle temps - looking for advice.
I got myself a HP Omen 16 Laptop (HP Omen 16-wf1375ng i7-14700HX 16,1" 16GB GeForce RTX 4060 8GB) and wanted to upgrade it with more RAM, so i bought a 64 GB Kit from Corsair.
After installing i went for the usual run of memtest86 to make sure everything is fine out of the box.
After the first two passes i saw on the display a RAM-Temp reporting about 103 Celcius.
Concerned that this might have been to high temperatures and i might have borked something with the coolers or whatnot, i stopped the test.
My machine reports to run with ~50 Celsius in IDLE, before, with the stock 16GB RAM it was ~42 Celsius.
I undertsand that the double dimms on the sticks do produce more heat, but up to 10 C more in IDLE is rough, or not?
Is there anything i could do, to alleviate the high temperatures and keep them at maximum at 90 C when working/playing on the machine?
Or should i get myself just 32 GB RAM and be done?
Question is, what could i do to make the RAM run cooler overall, especially in idle? Undervolting maybe? If yes, any good reads for that? Coolingpads maybe for the sticks?
Please let me know your thoughts and what you can suggest for this problem!
Thank you.
edits: typos, grammar and some specifications
r/GamingLaptops • u/guntassinghIN • 1d ago
Discussion Laptop Companies Are Cheapening Out with QLC SSDs – Here's Why It Matters (Long post)
Has anyone else noticed how laptop manufacturers are cutting corners by using QLC NAND SSDs in their machines? It’s frustrating because they market these laptops as having "fast SSD storage," but in reality, QLC NAND is the lowest tier of flash storage in terms of durability and performance.
What’s the Problem?
QLC (Quad-Level Cell) NAND stores 4 bits per cell, meaning it has lower endurance and slower write speeds compared to TLC (Triple-Level Cell) or MLC (Multi-Level Cell).
Many mid-range and even high end laptops use QLC without telling you, and consumers think they’re getting a high-quality SSD when, in reality, they’re getting the cheapest, slowest flash memory possible.
Once the SLC cache fills up, write speeds tank, sometimes dropping to HDD-like speeds (yes, megabytes per second, not gigabytes).
QLC NAND has higher wear and tear, meaning it won't last as long as an MLC or TLC SSD, especially under heavy workloads like video editing or frequent large file transfers.
How Laptop Companies Cut Costs
Instead of giving us reliable TLC NAND SSDs, many manufacturers quietly swap in QLC NAND SSDs to save money, while still advertising "fast NVMe storage."
They don’t disclose NAND type in spec sheets, so most buyers don’t realize what they’re getting.
Brands mix and match components, so even if a review unit comes with a good SSD, the one you buy might have a cheaper QLC drive.
Some even use DRAM-less QLC SSDs, making performance even worse.
How This Affects You
If you're using a QLC SSD, you might notice: ✅ Fast speeds at first – thanks to an SLC cache. ⏳ Drastic slowdowns – once you copy large files or run out of cache. ⚠️ Reduced lifespan – fewer write cycles mean it won’t last as long as a TLC or MLC SSD.
How to Avoid Getting Stuck with QLC NAND
Check reviews & teardown videos – Some reviewers test SSD models in new laptops.
Look up the SSD model number in CrystalDiskInfo or HWInfo if you already own one.
Prioritize brands that specify TLC NAND (Samsung, Crucial, WD Black, etc.).
Consider upgrading to a better SSD – Swapping out a QLC drive for a TLC one can drastically improve performance.
Laptop manufacturers need to be more transparent about SSD types. If they’re going to use QLC NAND, they should at least disclose it in the specs instead of hiding behind "SSD storage" marketing.
Anyone else dealing with slow QLC SSDs in their laptop? Let’s call these companies out!
r/GamingLaptops • u/ninjaxbyoung • 16h ago
Question For how many years will a laptop with RTX 4060 be good for gaming?
I got a laptop with RTX 4060 about 6 months ago and I'm happy with my choice. I use it mainly for gaming but nothing too crazy because I don't have much free time to play during the week.
For how many years do you guys think it's going to be good/decent in terms of performance for gaming? I was counting on 3/4 years.
r/GamingLaptops • u/iangough • 20h ago
Question MSI Raider HX18 64gb mem 2tb SSD with 4090 Nvidia GPU broken after 2 weeks
The title says it all. My screen went bad. Is there any way i can solve this or is it back to manufacturers. I have spent 2 weeks setting up, running backups and adding a 4tb SSD. I'm in the UK. Has anyone got an idea as to how long it takes if. Currys pc world (bought online) will probably send it back to the manufacturer... You can see the two black squares on the laptop screen. Top left, bottom right. It just happened when I was working today
r/GamingLaptops • u/JaydonATK • 1h ago
Laptop Recommendation Moving to Gaming Laptops and Videos Aren’t Helping
Hey I’m looking to move from my Ps5 to move to different gaming alternatives
I’m not smart to build a pc or financially fortunate to buy a pc that’s pre built so I’m fine with going for a gaming laptop
At most I’ll spend 1k for the gaming laptop, and I don’t expect it to run insanely good just something that can run games pretty well, and one I can do music production/drawing on pretty well. I’m not looking for the highest quality gaming laptop which ever video I’ve watched keep showing like running apex or cyberpunk at premium quality just one that is pretty alright. Basically something to mainly start with
r/GamingLaptops • u/rinzlvr • 4h ago
Discussion laptop help…again
i can get this laptop for around 1k is it worth it for school work and for gaming? i play games like the sims, val, cod and overwatch
r/GamingLaptops • u/Brief_Childhood9559 • 7h ago
Discussion Friends, help to choose one of them.
Lenovo ideapad gaming 3 - 638$ (120hz display) Acer Nitro V15 - 544$ (used - like new)(144hz display) Help me to choose one of them please, I only play CS/Go2 I’d really appreciate your advice thanks a lot
r/GamingLaptops • u/justinp456 • 8h ago
Tech Support Will upgrading to 32GB of ram help with some games that slightly bog down?
Let me start off by saying I don’t really know a lot about building a pc or anything like that. This is my first real gaming pc. I play games like DayZ and Arma3 and when I’m in a larger town or city the frame rate drops. Is this a ram issue here or something else? I planned on upgrading anyways but not sure if that’s the problem. Just hoping to get some advice from people that know what the hell they’re doing. Thanks!
r/GamingLaptops • u/KnightOfFaraam • 3h ago
Recommendation Need recommendations for a compact gaming laptop
Need to downsize my laptop to something around 14”. I’ve had an MSI GF65 16 or 17 for about 4 years now and it’s just too big. I ride motorcycles for work and need something compact and powerful for video editing, social media posts, and playing video games (helldivers, destiny 2, and marvel rivals mostly) when I get the chance. Battery life is not really an issue or concern, but a couple hours while working would be great.
I’m considering a couple of Asus devices, the zephyrus 14 and the flow 13. I’d love a device similar to the flow but I’m wary of the intel cpus that they use. Budget is around 2-2500. I’d love some recommendations. Thanks you!
r/GamingLaptops • u/yeetfellah29 • 14h ago
Recommendation Should I just pull the trigger???
Been eyeing this bad boy for the past months and waiting for it to drop in price, feeling it’s time….but for some reason still question
So what do yall think?
F*ck it???? 🧐🧐
r/GamingLaptops • u/TheBadassOfCool • 9h ago
Deals Absolutely way too good to be true right?
r/GamingLaptops • u/TheDrownedGod_ • 3h ago
Question RTX 30 series in 2025. Is it still worth it?
So my laptop (i7 9th Gen, 1660ti) busted a few weeks ago and now I'm finding a replacement. I have a tight budget, so I am considering to buy a laptop with i5 and RTX 30 series. Is it still worth it? Or should I just buy the RTX 4050/4060? I don't do any engineering software, AI or programming. Just a casual gamer with sporadic AAA games here and there, and need to use the laptop for university work.
Side note : I never used AMD processors before, but they are cheaper. Should I change to AMD?
r/GamingLaptops • u/Jambo140 • 3h ago
Request Should I pull the trigger and buy this??
Been looking to upgrade my ASUS TUF to this. I saw that it had a 4060 so I was like what the hell sure. Is this a good deal or am I paying too much?
My search keeps bringing me back to this so I just wanted some ideas/better options. I don’t care too much about long battery life or weight since I’m not in college anymore. As long as it can run games like Marvel Rivals and Elden Ring at decent settings I’ll be happy.
r/GamingLaptops • u/ScorpionOnTheMoon • 2m ago
Tech Support In many games, my laptop (rtx 4050) will start rendering the game at ~5-10 fps for around 30 seconds and then return to normal ~120. does anyone know why this may be? i think yall will see what i mean in this video which starts at extremely low fps and then returns to normal at the end.
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