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The original was posted on /r/pcmasterrace by /u/MarvelBinger on 2025-06-19 02:50:41+00:00.

I've used computers my entire life (even before the internet was a mainstream thing and Colecovision was a choice gaming console). Throughout all of this time, I've always either replaced my dying system (typically a cheap one) with a newer model or had it break down and then replaced it with a newer model.

I splurged one time on an MSI with cherry keys and the bastard died prematurely so...never again.

Fast forward to last year, I got Midnight Suns for free (Epic Games) and couldn't get it to run reliably on my laptop despite the specs suggesting it should work. I did a lot of things to try to make it work, but ultimately played it via GeForce Now (I'm a Marvel junkie and had to play it).

More recently, I'm trying to clear my Steam backlog and playing some older classics that I never got around to in the past. Duke Nuke'Em is the current one (amazing game that feels like it was ahead of its time) and the game slows down and my laptop struggle after a few minutes. I'm pissed that my laptop can't even run such an old game. I tried several things (including Process Lasso which I may or may not retain...undecided). I bitch about it to AI asking for help and AI says (nicely) that it's likely an overheating issue. YouTube being an amazing resource, I buy everything that I think I need to in order to clean my laptop and apply thermal paste (I have twins and college expenses waiting in the future so this laptop has to live a long, long life...as do my progressive lens glasses ha ha).

Here's where it gets good. Everyone everywhere says it's easy to do, but I did not expect it to be easy. That being said, I was quite excited to do something so invasive (invasive for me, anyway) for the first time. It took me 2 hours, approximately and went as follows:

1. Decide to jump the gun and see if I can start despite not having my laptop screwdriver set delivered. If my current screwdrivers are insufficient, I'll just wait.

2. Hooray, I have sizes necessary and unscrew the bottom screws of my laptop.

3. Discover that I don't have a spudger. I swear I thought I had everything that I needed, but I did not. This ate a lot of time. Eventually I managed to use a plastic card and my thermal paste spreader to pop the case. However, this was not achieved before cracking one nail, breaking another off painfully, and slicing open a third finger on the edge of the case. Comically, while I was working on prying open the case, I saw plastic shaving and thought "Oh no, I'm damaging the case." before realizing they were fingernail shavings ha ha.

4. Cased popped and I proceed with my YouTube video baby-stepping me through the process (I used this one: Dell XPS 9500 / 9510 / 9520 / 9530 – Thermal Paste Replacement & Cooling System Cleaning Guide).

5. Everything goes well as far as unscrewing and pulling everything out. He did not mention holding the power button down after disconnecting the battery, but I did so anyway out of fear and because other videos have said it's good practice.

6. Good Lord, the dirt, dust, and debris. My long-hairded dachshund is no longer allowed in my study room! Two handfuls came out. I vacuumed it up before proceeding. Brushed and compressed air cleaning. Fan works all good. Next step.

7. Remove the old paste with IPA (99%) and Q-tips and microfiber cloth (the one thing I had on hand just because of my expensive glasses).

8. Applying pea-sized drop, it made a tail and fell over the side. I thought that would be a problem so I cleaned that off (saw on here that it was a waste of IPA to do that, but oh well. Live and learn.)

9. Plug and screw everything back in.

10. Stripped the last screw of the laptop case. That'll be something I worry about next time I have to open the case.

11. Panic as I turn on the laptop. Will it turn on? Will it recognize the battery?

12. All seems good and I fire up Speccy to see what the temperature is. God damn it! It's even hotter than before! But then it cools down. AI told me there can be a settling in period. On average, my temperature is now about 20 - 25 degrees Fahrenheiter lower and Duke can blast strippers and aliens with no slowdown freezing (ever with my web browser open). Hot damn!

13. Five hours later, my laptop screwdriver kit comes in the mail and includes several spudgers (HA!)

Hope you enjoyed my old man prattling.