I sent my ASUS TUF F15 in for a deep cleaning and thermal paste replacement, but there was a misunderstanding and the technician applied liquid metal instead. Nobody was at fault, and the laptop has been working normally for about six months. I'm still worried that the liquid metal could eventually shift, leak, or short something on the motherboard. Is this a real concern, or am I overthinking it? Would it be worth having it replaced with regular thermal paste for peace of mind?
2 Answers
If the temperatures and performance look normal, there’s no immediate reason to panic. You can run a CPU stress test such as Prime95 while monitoring temperatures to check that the system remains stable under load. Replacing the liquid metal with regular thermal paste is also reasonable if it would give you peace of mind, but it isn’t necessary just because liquid metal was used.
You’re probably overthinking it, but the concern isn’t completely imaginary. Liquid metal is electrically conductive, so if it was applied incorrectly or the laptop’s heatsink shifts, it could potentially cause a short. If the technician applied it properly and the laptop has been running normally for six months, it will likely be fine for the rest of the machine’s useful life.
That’s reassuring. I’m guessing the fact that it has been stable for six months is a good sign that it was applied correctly.