Apple MacBook Air 2017 - Cleaning and Changing Thermal Paste

Quick links for the tools you need:

• KOLD-01 Thermal Paste (includes KOLD-01 Thermal Paste x 1, Gloves x 1 pair, KLEAN-01 Thermal Paste Cleaning Wipe x2, Spreader x 1, Spatula x 1, Instruction x 1 )

• KLEAN-01 Thermal Paste Cleaning Wipe (includes KLEAN-01 Thermal Paste Cleaning Wipe x 20, Gloves x 1 pair, Spreader x 1, Spatula x 1)

• KOMBO-01 螺絲起子套裝 （包括精密螺絲起子頭X100，螺絲起子手柄X1，延長軸X1，柔性延長軸X1，鑷子X1，1/4至4毫米驅動器適配器X1，塑料撬動工具X3，SIM卡拆卸工具X1，吸盤X1，開孔器X8，磁化器/消磁器X1，防靜電刷子X1，磁性螺絲墊X1）

想要更換蘋果Apple MacBook Air 2017的散熱膏，但又沒有在筆電上更換散熱膏與清潔風扇灰塵的經驗，最好還是在專業指導下進行操作。本教程將為嘗試更換散熱膏的用戶提供專業信息。

But first, let’s talk a bit about what you could get after you’ve successfully done the procedure.

What will I get after changing the thermal paste?

為獲得答案，我們在使用了5年的MacBook Air 2017更換散熱膏前後進行了壓力測試。在此測試中我們使用了 Kooling Monster KOLD-01散熱膏。

更換散熱膏前，CPU在進行壓力測試時的溫度高達44.6℃。而在更換散熱膏後，進行壓力測試時的CPU溫度降低至34.4℃。

可見，在使用多年的MacBook Air 2017上更換新的散熱膏，處理器的溫度可以下降大約10℃。 

除了降低CPU溫度外，更換CPU(中央處理器)/GPU(圖形處理器)上的散熱膏還可以提高遊戲幀數。

為了解散熱膏如何增強玩古墓奇兵時的遊戲幀數，我們進行了四輪基準測試。在更換散熱膏后，平均幀數從32.3幀/秒提高到36.2幀/秒。

同時，電腦的渲染性能也能得到提升。

What to prepare before you replace thermal paste?

Before getting started with the process, you need to have all the essentials by your side.

First and foremost, you need to have the new thermal paste with you. Make sure to pick a high-quality one for optimum results.

You also need some equipment to clean up the old paste. We recommend getting a dedicated cleaning solution, like Kooling Monster KLEAN-01. Plus, if you opt in to get Kooling Monster KOLD-01 thermal paste, you get cleaning wipes free of cost in the package.

此外，還需要準備用來拆解電腦的螺絲起子組以及用來整理收納不同螺絲的磁性螺絲墊。

建議準備鑷子和翹棒來移除風扇線纜。

準備一些清潔工具，包括小刷子、皮吹或壓縮空氣，來清潔風扇和其他組件。

Kooling Monster KOMBO-01包裝內含上述所有拆機與清潔小工具。

塗抹散熱膏時需要使用刮刀來將其塗抹均勻，KOLD-01 散熱膏包裝內即含有刮刀。

Lastly, we recommend wearing a pair of protective gloves while doing all this. If you get our KOLD-01 thermal paste or KLEAN-01 cleaning kit, protective gloves come free of cost in the package, so you don’t have to worry about that.

如何拆解蘋果Apple MacBook Air 2017並更換散熱膏?

The first thing you need to do is remove the laptop case and the battery.

To do that, follow the steps below.

1. 將筆記型電腦翻轉過來，使用P5型號螺絲批頭卸下底蓋上的所有螺絲(共10顆螺絲)。可以使用磁性螺絲墊避免螺絲混淆。

2. 打開蓋子后，用鑷子和撬棒拔下電源線，按住電源按鈕15秒放電。

Next, you need to remove the heat sink and then clean up the old thermal paste from below it. To do that, follow the steps below.

1. 使用撬棒取出排線。

2. 使用鑷子斷開風扇電纜。

3. 切換到T5型號螺絲批頭，卸下散熱器風扇上的三顆螺絲和散熱器模組上的五顆螺絲。然後取下風扇和散熱器。

4. 戴上防護手套。

5. 使用散熱膏清潔擦拭紙來清除散熱器和CPU/GPU上的舊散熱膏。為使清潔更高效，建議使用至少兩片擦拭紙。

接下來，清潔風扇。如果不想清潔風扇，可以跳過。以下是操作步驟：

1. 拿起風扇。

2. 使用刷子和壓縮空氣清除風扇上的灰塵。

Next, you need to apply the new thermal paste. Here’s how.

1. Grab your thermal paste and open it up.

2. Apply a thin and even layer of thermal paste on the CPU and GPU. You can use a spatula to make the layer thin and even.

3. If there’s any excess thermal paste on the edges, remove it.

And finally, it’s time to assemble the laptop. To do that, all you need to do is put everything back in reverse order, i.e., reinstall the heatsink, fans, battery, then the case.  

How often should you change the thermal paste?

It depends on what you do on your laptop and how good is the thermal paste you’re using.

打遊戲屬於密集型任務。若每週都使用電腦打遊戲，建議每1-2年更換散熱膏。但是，如果使用質量欠佳的散熱膏，可能需要縮短散熱膏的更換週期。（了解更多關於應該多久更換一次散熱膏？)

The general rule of thumb is to keep an eye on your thermals. As soon as you notice that your thermals are going higher than they should, it’s likely that your thermal paste needs changing — and you should replace it at that point.

How long does it take for thermal paste to work?

Good quality thermal pastes don’t need any time to start working. For example, if you use KOLD-01, it starts giving you the best possible performance as soon as you assemble your laptop and start using it.

However, some pastes do have a “curing time”, which means that paste requires a certain period of time before it starts giving its best performance. The curing time is usually mentioned on the product page.  (Learn more about How Long Does It Take for Thermal Paste to Work?)

底線

Let us know which laptops to demo this process with next!

Even though replacing the thermal paste may sound like a hefty job, it’s pretty easy if you follow the right instructions. To begin with, make sure you have the right equipment by your side.

Disassemble your laptop, clean up the fans, remove the old paste, apply the new one, then put everything back together.