What is this blue thermal putty? Where can I get some?
What is this blue thermal putty? Where can I get some?
It seems like you're referring to a substantial layer of typical grey-blue thermal paste.
K5 should function properly. You can find more details on the Amazon pages provided.
It will be a viscous thermal putty, available for K5 Pro and similar products. It's typically applied to VRAM chips and VRM components in laptops and comparable devices. Manufacturers usually advise against using the original putty again. However, I've used it a few times without any problems when I didn't have it on hand.
The usual heat paste is visible on the q-tip located in the upper right corner of the image.
I've been looking into K5's performance and noticed it seems to cause issues. The thermal pads aren't showing any damage, but they appear to be some kind of putty-like material. I thought about swapping them out with standard thermal pads, though the thickness needs to be precise. The putty in the first example looks very thin, while the second one is noticeably thicker. It seems doubtful that all the coils made proper contact with the putty in the second image—there are no visible indentations or squishy marks from the coils, suggesting the putty might not have made enough contact. Manufacturers typically use thermal pads for different parts, like the heatsink, not just for the board. You can see this in the lower left corner of my earlier photo.
I fully understand the recommendation to refresh everything. However, I might need to collect the blue material and apply it where it’s needed, then adjust the heatsink again. It seems some users used the TG-PP10 sold by Digikey, which they liked, but it’s now discontinued and replaced by the TG-A7000-55CC. That item costs $92 for a syringe, and I’m not sure it includes the tool for installation. I doubt the person who owns the laptop will be interested in spending that much on blue goo for a putty fix. Some TG-PP10 parts are available on eBay at lower prices, but I’m unsure about the seller’s reliability. The TG-PP10 resembles the K5 Pro, but I think it’s less viscous. Still, the K5 Pro Viscous Thermal Paste seems reasonably priced. Just don’t know if I’m comfortable making changes.
I wouldn't suggest using K5 Pro since it doesn't perform well. Consider alternatives like Laird T-Putty 607, CX-H1300, Upsiren UX Pro (Aliexpress), Upsiren U6 Pro (Aliexpress), or models from Halnziye such as HY256 or HY236. I'm not sure which of these putties are available on the card, but they seem different from what I've tried before.
These aren't pads, they're putty. I actually have some on my 7900XT—it feels like play dough and can be reshaped easily.
The question about the type of putty on your 7900XT is unclear. Could you please clarify what you mean? Are you referring to a specific product, model, or context?