How to Apply Thermal Paste to Phones

ID: 157417

Description: Use this guide to re-apply thermal paste to...

Steps:

1. Look for existing thermal paste above or below the motherboard.
2. Thermal paste is often gray, but can be any color. It's opaque and thick, with a wet texture. Older thermal paste is drier.

3. Use the flat end of a spudger to scrape away large pieces of old thermal paste from your phone's motherboard.
4. Don't use sharp or metal tools. They can scratch the motherboard surface or puncture the battery in an accident.

5. Scrape away large pieces of thermal paste from the frame or cover.

6. Apply a few drops of highly-concentrated isopropyl alcohol (over 90%) to any remaining thermal paste residue.
7. Wipe away the residue using a coffee filter or lint-free cloth.

8. Clean the cover or frame using isopropyl alcohol and a coffee filter or lint-free cloth.

9. Apply a small bead of thermal paste to the motherboard in the same location as the old thermal paste.
10. Unlike full-size processors found in computers with heatsinks, phones need very little thermal paste.

11. Return to your phone's guide to continue reassembly.
12. When you compress the thermal paste, it will evenly distribute and form a thermal bond with the processor.