How durable is a liquid metal repaste from a reseller?

But if you remove the bottom panel of the laptop, say to upgrade RAM or the hard drive, it doesn't in any way destroy or harm the HID custom sealing, does it?

 

No, as long as you don’t take the heatsink off.

 

It's impossible for LM to escape from the CPU package--0% chance of anything being shorted with the HID method.
And I believe it was Mr. Fox who first suggested the RTV +Kapton tape method long ago.

However it is still possible for LM to shift on the die and cause high imbalanced temps after a very heavy jolt, if the heatsink pressure is too low. Keep that in mind. Such a jolt would probably cause other damage to the laptop exterior (or even the HDD if installed) first however. I've seen this happen to some Alienwares after such heavy jolts. If the pressure is high enough, nothing would happen. That's why a proper fit and a flat heatsink with even pressure is important (Doesn't help matters that the CPU die is also slightly convex).

 

That's very helpful, thank you kindly.

Regarding the issue of a flat heatsink and even pressure, I'm guessing this is not something which HID could in any way help with or alter, it is entirely dependent on the laptop's heatsink and manufacturer fit and finish? Is this dependent on a specific laptop model, or even for a specific model, each individual laptop may have different fit and finish to the heatsink as individual tolerances vary wildly?

The laptop I want to buy is an MSI GE75, so I have no idea how flat and high pressure its heatsinks are, such that they would adequately protect against a hard jolt with LM. Do you have any experience with how tight/even MSI heatsinks tend to fit?

Also, one other question, everything which has been said in this thread about LM protection seems to focus on the CPU, but HID also offers LM on the GPU. Assuming they use the same RTV silicone gasket on the GPU as the CPU, is it just as safe to use LM on the GPU as well? Or do most professional LM users don't bother putting LM on the GPU as well?

 

GPU does not heat up as much as CPU, this is why most resellers do not offer to cover it with liquid metal. The only exception is Eluktronics MAG-15 and similar laptops which have 75c GPU thermal throttle limit which is easily reached in games like BF5. MSI GE75 has the usual 87c thermal throttle limit for GPU so using conventional thermal paste should be ok. Of course, if you want the maximum silence from the fans I would put liquid metal on both GPU and CPU.

 

So I asked HID about how they seal the GPU vs CPU, and they mentioned that while it is true that they use silicone on the CPU, they only use foam to seal the GPU.

Silicone seems bulletproof to me, for shaking and jolting the laptop, but am not so sure about foam alone on the GPU. How safe is only foam on the GPU? Perhaps it's better to have LM only on the CPU which is sealed with silicone and use a traditional paste on the GPU?

 

The GPU is different because of all of the tiny SMD resistors all around the GPU core. CPU's don't have those things.
For GPU, all you need to do is just buy some Super 33+ tape, fully tape around (intersecting layers) the SMD resistors, so they are fully insulated, leaving only the core exposed (make sure the tape goes up to the very edge of the core "bottom" and press it down so the top edge of the core is NOT touching the tape), and press all over so there are no gaps in the tape, then apply your cutout foam dam for a protective emergency barrier. The Super 33+ tape stuff works well, and is newbie friendly since it's reversible. If you were ever trying to go back to normal paste (e.g. to RMA or sell), no one would know it was LM'd either (you would still have to sand the heatsink with 2500 grit sandpaper until all of the gallium stain is removed though).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GKC2US/

Instead of the Super 33+ tape, you can also use conformal coating on the GPU resistors, but a lot more care is needed (stuff is a bit messy). Then foam dam it after it dries.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008O9YIV6/

 

Thank you kindly for all of that.

In your professional opinion, how durable and shock-resistant is such a GPU solution, with the Super 33+ tape and foam barrier? Would you say it is as durable against heavy shaking of the laptop as the silicone solution is on the CPU?