ASUS Zephyrus M16 Liquid Metal Corrodes CPU

An ASUS laptop owner found the liquid metal thermal compound caused corrosion on the heatsink and CPU. Replacing it with PTM7950 pads tripled the FPS.

An ASUS Zephyrus M16 gaming laptop owner found the device's liquid metal thermal interface material, mixed with chemicals to prevent spillage, had corroded both the heatsink and the processor's silicon die. The user, who purchased the laptop in February 2023, reported the issue after the machine powered off, likely from overheating, despite not being used for intensive gaming or engineering tasks.

" the corrosion was discovered when the laptop was disassembled to replace the thermal paste. The source states that ASUS appears to be mixing abrasive chemicals with the liquid metal to prevent it from spilling within the laptop, a common risk with the material.

Liquid Metal's Risks and a Superior Alternative

Liquid metal is favored by some manufacturers for its thermal performance but is electrically conductive and can dissolve aluminum. It is typically only suitable for use with nickel-plated or pure copper heatsinks. The source questions why companies like ASUS continue to use liquid metal when alternatives like PTM7950 phase-change thermal pads exist without the same application risks.

The speculation from the report is that ASUS may purchase liquid metal in large, cost-effective batches. It emphasizes that the damage found on the Zephyrus M16 was likely caused by the liquid metal itself, not necessarily the added chemicals, though the chemical mixture was implicated in the corrosion.

User Fix and Performance Results

The Zephyrus M16 owner removed the damaged liquid metal compound and applied G900 thermal paste temporarily while waiting for an order of PTM7950 pads to arrive. After repasting with the new material, the user reported experiencing a threefold increase in frames per second during games.

The source recommends that owners of gaming laptops using liquid metal on the CPU and GPU consider removing it and applying PTM7950 instead. For reference, it lists current prices for these replacement materials, which can be checked against our component fixtures for value comparisons.

The report suggests using thermal putty on components like VRMs, MOSFETs, and GPU memory during the repasting process. The performance uplift noted by the user highlights the significant real-world impact that thermal interface material can have on gaming hardware, a key factor for enthusiasts tracking frame rates per dollar.

Source: ccftech.com