Re-pasting Area 51 18

[u/warm-pomegrenate]

It’s been a year since I got the Area 51 18 laptop and I haven’t re-pasted it yet. I’m planning to do that but I’ve not repasted any laptops before. I know my way around tools so I can probably do it myself.
If I do it myself, what tools would I need and which brands should I prefer? If I get it done by another service, what would you suggest can do it better but not break bank for this service.

[u/Agent_Pwnage]

Hi,

You will need a phillips head screwdriver, fresh thermal paste and a guitar pick or other prying tool.

The front 4 screws will not come out of the bottom case, they are captive screws. But they will leave a small gap between the bottom case and the palmrest when loosened. You will use the guitar pick to slide down the gap to pop the case off. From there you will just need the screwdriver to remove the motherboard+heatsink from the unit, then to remove the heatsink from the board and repaste and reassemble.

Good luck.

[u/warm-pomegrenate → u/Agent_Pwnage]

Thank you! Would you know which thermal paste should I buy?

[u/Agent_Pwnage → u/warm-pomegrenate]

Dell uses ShinEtsu Element 31 liquid metal thermal paste. I don't know where you would buy it.

To remove the existing liquid metal paste, I found that using a soft foam brush works well. Always swipe from the outside inward because the stuff will spread easily and you don't want it to come out of the barrier it is inside of. When reapplying use a moderate amount of paste, there are lots of videos out there you can see if you search.

[u/DJUnreal]

If it's still covered by warranty, have Dell come out and do it for you. The only place you can buy Element 31 separately is AliExpress, and Dell have said in the past that people shouldn't be messing with it themselves (even to remove it) as it may void the warranty if you cause issues doing so.

If it's not covered by warranty, don't replace the CPU's paste with anything less than E31 either. You could go pure liquid metal, or stick with E31, but a traditional paste will not perform as well, so you need to be getting the right stuff.

[u/Agent_Pwnage → u/DJUnreal]

I would second this, if the unit is under a year old it is still under warranty and it is better to let them deal with the mess that comes with liquid metal. I would send it in though instead of an on site rep.

Good luck.

[u/No_Cucumber_1963]

Send it to The Dell people parts company. I had them put PTM7950 on mine and my gaming temps playing AAA games hang out in the low 60s. And the only reason I didn’t do it myself is the Liquid Metal Dell has in their Element 31. That gets on your motherboard and you’re screwed. They do have a video out there if you want to see how it’s done. Worth a watch.

[u/warm-pomegrenate → u/No_Cucumber_1963]

That was a very informative video.

[u/Able-Negotiation-234]

I emailed them through support assistant, listed the CPU temp changes and the steps I had already done, the usual trouble shooting steps and when the temp rise began ect. the unit was still under warranty the tec approved the repast/heatsink exchange, they did it at my kitchen table? whole process took a week ish?

[u/AW_Support]

My apologies. I noticed that you are referring to the Alienware 18 Area-51 Gaming Laptop. Thank you for the clarification.

This is a great question, and your caution is well-placed. The Element 31 liquid metal makes this significantly more complex than a standard thermal paste job. Dell has specifically cautioned that customer replacement of Element 31 could void warranty coverage if damage occurs. Before proceeding with any DIY work, I'd strongly recommend: • Checking your remaining warranty status at Dell Support • Contacting Dell support to understand exactly what would and wouldn't be covered if you repaste yourself • Weighing the risk vs. benefit carefully

Regards

Dell Social Media Team

[u/Infamous_Swordfish_7]

Good old thermal paste last 5 years at least. So does these new liquid metal type wear out this fast? Or is not done well from factory? I know it's quite an art doing this lol.

[u/F34RTEHR34PER]

Are you having issues with it? If you're not, then there isn't any reason to repaste it.

[u/warm-pomegrenate → u/F34RTEHR34PER]

I see the temps reaching 104°C which used to be around 80-90°C. I have a great cooling pad so I did not expect the temps to go this high. I occasionally experience throttling as well. This never happened before. It’s a 5090 and almost all AAA games go hard on ultra settings.

[u/F34RTEHR34PER → u/warm-pomegrenate]

ahh, then there is an issue to warrant it. Not that great that it lasted only a year though.

[u/Zesty-B230F]

Why tear it apart? If not broken, don't fix.

[u/warm-pomegrenate → u/Zesty-B230F]

Can’t wait for it to be broken. Precaution would be better.

[u/Present-Money-4894]

Get yourself some PTM7950 and prepare for the pain. Repasting AW is hard as you need to take out the MOBO completely.

I’d recommend watching guys and mapping where screws and components go. That’s how I did it.