Huge Success with Thermal Paste Re-application

[MBA-MD]

Yesterday, I opened the Air and changed the thermal paste on the processors.

First, there was a ton of paste basically suffocating the processors. I cleaned both processors and the cover very carefully with alcohol and Q tips.

Then I reapplied very carefully a thin layer of silver paste. I put it back together and turned the laptop on.

At first I could not hear the fan running so I thought I messed something up, but the temperature of the laptop was too low to activate the fans.

Next I turned on Coolbook to monitor the temperature. I am running videos and other applications I usually run and the computer is working at an average of 70 degrees Celsius. This is recorded while playing videos at double speed. I am very happy with the changes so far. I have not had a core shutdown since the updates from Apple were installed and the thermal paste changed. I hope this solves the problems because I like the size of the Air.

 

[lenselijer]

can you run 2 terminal windows with yes > /dev/null
and tell me the max temperature after 15 minutes?

did you use arctic silver as thermal paste?

 

[phoobo]

date of manufacture?

First, there was a ton of paste basically suffocating the processors.

Thanks for the report. Can you say what month you purchased this machine - or if you are not its first purchaser, what month it was first bought?

 

[MBA-MD]

can you run 2 terminal windows with yes > /dev/null
and tell me the max temperature after 15 minutes?

did you use arctic silver as thermal paste?

You got to tell me how to do this??

I used a silver paste purchased from Best Buy. It was recommended from the Apple technicians I asked. I could not find arctic silver anywhere in town. Thanks

 

[aleksandra.]

Congratulations! I hope things stay as they're right now and you'll forgive your poor, suffocating Air (can Air suffocate? ) for all the trouble you have had with it.

It's also good to know that those overheating Airs likely have just too much thermal paste, so even if I happen to get one like that it's a solvable problem. Although if that's the case with most of the overheating, it would be nice if Apple admitted to it and had them serviced rather than telling people that it's as it should be.

 

[MBA-MD]

Thanks for the report. Can you say what month you purchased this machine - or if you are not its first purchaser, what month it was first bought?

I bought it the very first week it came out (I think late January) and I waited almost a month to get it. It was produced in January, maybe February. How can I find out?

 

[aleksandra.]

I bought it the very first week it came out (I think late January) and I waited almost a month to get it. It was produced in January, maybe February. How can I find out?

I think the purpose of the question is whether it was one of the Airs produced soon after its release or later ones, like in the last three months. There's some speculation about how the latter apparently don't overheat - the explanation being that Apple identified the problem and eliminated it, but didn't admit to it so they won't have to repair (have their technicians reapply the thermal paste, most probably) or replace older ones.

 

[MBA-MD]

I think the purpose of the question is whether it was one of the Airs produced soon after its release or later ones, like in the last three months. There's some speculation about how the latter apparently don't overheat - the explanation being that Apple identified the problem and eliminated it, but didn't admit to it so they won't have to repair (have their technicians reapply the thermal paste, most probably) or replace older ones.

I am not surprised they don't want to own up to their FAILURES. It's very typical of a major american corporation wanting to screw over their most loyal costumers. I still cannot image how Apple designs the thinnest laptop in the world and yet oversees such a minor detail like properly applying thermal paste.

Now, if I can find a way to fix the screen and keep it from moving around, I would be all set. I found one in the bookstore that was perfect. Then I saw another one at the Apple store that was just like mine and had a lot of give in the hinges.

 

[wolfenkraft]

how to

open a terminal, hit cmd-n to open a second.

In each of them type this: yes > /dev/null

yes space greater than space slash dev slash null
and then hit enter

 

[MBA-MD]

open a terminal, hit cmd-n to open a second.

In each of them type this: yes > /dev/null

yes space greater than space slash dev slash null
and then hit enter

I did that, then what?? It's just staying as is.
Thanks

 

[phoobo]

I bought it the very first week it came out (I think late January) and I waited almost a month to get it. It was produced in January, maybe February. How can I find out?

OK close enough - thanks.

As Aleksandra says right below you, I just wanted to know whether it was part of the early batch, before this problem is supposed to have been corrected. If you had said you bought it in July for example, it would have been a warning flag about quality control.

Good to know - thanks.

 

[phoobo]

I did that, then what?? It's just staying as is.
Thanks

The purpose of dividing by null is to get the processor chugging on an infinite loop so you can see how the heat builds up (or not) over a number of minutes, whether it overheats, or shuts down one of the processor's cores, etc.

 

[MBA-MD]

The purpose of dividing by null is to get the processor chugging on an infinite loop so you can see how the heat builds up (or not) over a number of minutes, whether it overheats, or shuts down one of the processor's cores, etc.

I am getting bits and pieces of information but I have no idea what to look for. I am to do the two terminal thing, give it a command and then what?? Am I to end it at some point? Is there a report supposed to come up? I apologize for my ignorance, I just have no clue what you are asking.

Thanks

 

[glitch44]

congratulations on the thermal paste fix working for you.

 

[ayeying]

I am getting bits and pieces of information but I have no idea what to look for. I am to do the two terminal thing, give it a command and then what?? Am I to end it at some point? Is there a report supposed to come up? I apologize for my ignorance, I just have no clue what you are asking.

Thanks

No, just let it run. Its an infinite loop of nothing. They want you to run it for 15 minutes then afterwards, report what your CPU temperature is. That's it.

 

[MBA-MD]

No, just let it run. Its an infinite loop of nothing. They want you to run it for 15 minutes then afterwards, report what your CPU temperature is. That's it.

Thank you. That makes sense now.

I ran the two windows with the infinite loop of nothing for 15 minutes. The max temp was 85 degrees celcius. What is the normal range?

I don't think it's too bad since two weeks ago I saw it reach over 100 degrees celcius and then it shut down.

I have not experienced a problem yet. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks

 

[ayeying]

Thank you. That makes sense now.

I ran the two windows with the infinite loop of nothing for 15 minutes. The max temp was 85 degrees celcius. What is the normal range?

I don't think it's too bad since two weeks ago I saw it reach over 100 degrees celcius and then it shut down.

I have not experienced a problem yet. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks

Are you using Coolbook or no?

 

[Grimace]

I am not surprised they don't want to own up to their FAILURES. It's very typical of a major american corporation wanting to screw over their most loyal costumers.

Yes, Apple's intention is to screw over loyal customers.

The production plants are in China - that is where the problems occur. It is not Steve Jobs writing a recipe for 3x the thermal paste and grinning that it will piss off his customers.

Anyway, 'glad your solution worked.

 

[MBA-MD]

Are you using Coolbook or no?

Using coolbook.

 

[MBA-MD]

Yes, Apple's intention is to screw over loyal customers.

The production plants are in China - that is where the problems occur. It is not Steve Jobs writing a recipe for 3x the thermal paste and grinning that it will piss off his customers.

Anyway, 'glad your solution worked.

I am sure it's not their intention to make faulty products, but how come they don't stand behind their name and recall all the MBA and replace the paste for free.

They know the laptops are faulty and don't do anything to fix the issue. That is intentional. And that how they screw their costumers.

 

[ayeying]

Using coolbook.

Well that kills your fix completely. Your max temp in coolbook is most likely set to 85 deg C max. No matter what, it shouldn't exceed 85 +/- 4 deg C.

 

[coupdetat]

Was it hard to reapply the paste?

 

[MBA-MD]

Well that kills your fix completely. Your max temp in coolbook is most likely set to 85 deg C max. No matter what, it shouldn't exceed 85 +/- 4 deg C.

Are you saying I should repeat the test without using Coolbook and look at the temp?? If that is so, should I uninstall Coolbook or just stop it from running?

No re-applying the paste was very easy. i just took a few extra minutes to do it very carefully. Overall it took me 15 minutes maybe.

 

[Max Your Macs]

Does anyone have instructions or details on how to do this paste reapplication? Pics would be great too!

 

[ayeying]

Are you saying I should repeat the test without using Coolbook and look at the temp?? If that is so, should I uninstall Coolbook or just stop it from running?

No re-applying the paste was very easy. i just took a few extra minutes to do it very carefully. Overall it took me 15 minutes maybe.

Disable coolbook, restart the computer, run the terminal command (2 terminal windows at once), wait 15 minutes, report temperature.