Lenovo m81 case modification

Mellon Head said:

It's not that hard to remove a mobo. Just make sure that you ground yourself good. Often, cases will have an access panel or hole in the motherboard's back panel to allow you to put bolts through the motherboard to mount a cooler. That way you don't have to remove the motherboard. Before you give up on the idea, check to see if your case has such an access point.

And the thermal paste would be a good investment, no matter what you do. By the sound of things, your paste is pretty old, and is probably not doing the job well anymore. New paste will definitely help, and AS 5 is the cream of the crop IMHO.

Yes I understand what you mean, however I cannot seem to open the side of the case where my CPU is at. Here are some pics:

logo897 said:

Yes I understand what you mean, however I cannot seem to open the side of the case where my CPU is at. Here are some pics:

heres a better one

Mellon Head said:

Aha! Rivets! Typical OEM manufacturer. You won't be able to do as I suggested then. You'll have to take out the mobo in order to change out the cooler to a better one. If you do it, check your measurements carefully to make sure that the cooler will fit before you start.

Hah yeah I rather not do it yet as of now. I did however order the paste you recommended to me! Should be here within a week or two. I can let you know how it works for me once I apply it if you want.

my two cents......

Download the free program Belarc Advisor and run it - it will tell you everything about your system including your specific motherboard model, then you can google your motherboard model specs to find its size. My guess is its matx, which means its square, 9.6" x 9.6".

Okay I just checked and if this is your machine, your motherboard is a matx size

Amazon.com: IBM Lenovo ThinkCentre M81 Intel Q65 Replacement Motherboard FRU 03T8181: Computers & Accessories

I would not sweat it if you are getting 60c temps but are stable. Temperatures reported by different systems are all over the map. Try running passmark performance test while watching your core temps using hardwareinfo. My cpu gets up to 85c but is stable as a rock...
PassMark Performance Test download page
HWiNFO - Download

Actually I'm running an i7-7700k which reports the on die temp (max is 100C), much higher than the i5-750's heat spreader max temp (max of 73C)

Mellon Head,

I have recieved the thermal paste today and applied it, however, a few things:

- I only had 70% isopropyl alcohol, so I used that, however I made sure that very little came in contact with the processor and only on the top of it, and I wiped it dry completely after I was done.
- I made a line straight down the processor with the thermal paste and then I made sure all of the processor was covered and I did not see any thing on the sides. I spreaded it evenly with my finger to make the pasted surface smooth.

I have run the CPU stress test for a little over 10 minutes and am at 65 degrees Celsius. When I first started, it would go up to 59-60c. Before I even tested anything, my temps went as low as 30 degrees Celsius, but averaged around 35c. Before I applied the paste the lowest it would go is 39c.

Here are some pics