Why does the HP Pavilion laptop overheat and when does the thermal paste need to be replaced?

Laptops HP Pavilion is a popular series for work and entertainment, but many users experience overheating after 2-3 years of use. The main reason is drying of thermal paste, which loses its thermal conductivity properties and turns into a hard crust. This leads to an increase in processor temperatures to 95-100°C even under moderate loads, throttling (automatic performance reduction) and sudden shutdowns.

Symptoms indicating the need for replacement:

  • 🔥 The laptop gets very hot in the keyboard area (especially on the left where the processor is located)
  • 🎮 Games or video editing cause a sharp drop in FPS after 10-15 minutes
  • 💻 The cooler operates at maximum speed even in idle mode
  • ⚡ The laptop turns off spontaneously when connected to charging

In models Pavilion 15, Pavilion Gaming And Pavilion x360 The problem is aggravated by the compact case and weak cooling system. The manufacturer often saves on thermal paste by applying it in a thin layer at the assembly stage. In 80% of cases, replacing thermal paste with a high-quality composition (for example, Arctic MX-6 or Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut) reduces the processor temperature by 15-25°C.

Which thermal paste to choose for HP Pavilion: 2026 rating

50% of the success of the procedure depends on the choice of thermal paste. Cheap silicone-based compounds (KPT-8, AlSil-3) dry in 6-12 months, and metal-containing pastes (for example, with liquid metal) require careful application. The best option for HP Pavilion - pastes of medium viscosity with high thermal conductivity (10-12 W/mK).

Thermal paste model Thermal conductivity Service life Price (3 g) Features
Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut 12.5 W/mK 3-4 years 1200-1500 ₽ The best choice for gaming models (Pavilion Gaming 16)
Arctic MX-6 11.0 W/mK 8+ years 800-1000 ₽ Does not conduct electricity, suitable for beginners
Noctua NT-H2 11.8 W/mK 5 years 900-1100 ₽ Convenient spatula included, does not require firing
Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra 38.4 W/mK 3 years 2500-3000 ₽ Liquid Metal - for advanced users only!

For most models HP Pavilion (For example, 15-ec2xxx or 14-dv2xxx) enough Arctic MX-6 — it does not require frequent replacement and is safe in case of accidental contact with contacts. If you are overclocking your processor or using a laptop for rendering, it is better to take Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, but remember: it must be applied in a thin layer (0.1-0.2 mm) and replace every 3 years.

⚠️ Attention: Pastes with liquid metal (Coollaboratory, Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut) cannot be used on aluminum radiators - they cause corrosion! Check the radiator material before purchasing.
📊 What thermal paste do you use?
  • Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
  • Arctic MX-6
  • Noctua NT-H2
  • Another (write in the comments)
  • I don't know which one to choose

Tools and preparation: what you need for replacement

Before disassembling your laptop, prepare your work area and tools. You will need:

  • ⚒️ Screwdriver set: Phillips PH00 (for most screws) and flat 1.5 mm (for connectors)
  • 🧴 Thermal paste (3-5 g is enough for 2-3 applications)
  • 🧹 Lint-free wipes and isopropyl alcohol 90%+ for cleaning
  • 🔍 Plastic spatula or pick for separating latches
  • 📸 Phone for photographing disassembly stages (required!)

We also recommend downloading service manual for your model from the site HP (search by code, for example, Pavilion 15-eg0xxx). It contains diagrams of the location of screws and connectors. If there is no manual, use YouTube demos - but be careful: designs may vary even within the same series!

Disconnect the laptop from the network and remove the battery (if removable) |

Back up important data|

Prepare an antistatic mat or work on a wooden surface|

Place the screws in containers (for example, for medicines) with signatures|

Check the processor temperature before replacing (for example, in HWMonitor)

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⚠️ Attention: In models HP Pavilion with a soldered battery (for example, Pavilion Aero 13) before disassembling, be sure to disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard! Otherwise, you risk shorting the contacts when cleaning.

Step-by-step disassembly of the HP Pavilion laptop: from the cover to the cooling system

Laptop design HP Pavilion varies depending on the year of manufacture, but the general principle of disassembly is the same. Let's consider the process using the example of a popular model HP Pavilion 15-ec1xxx (with processor AMD Ryzen 5/7).

Step 1: Removing the back cover

  1. Turn the laptop over and remove all the screws on the back panel (usually 8-12 pieces). The screws can be of different lengths - remember where each one was!
  2. Using a plastic spatula, carefully pry the cover off, starting at the corner near the screen hinges. Be careful: the latches are fragile!
  3. Set the cover aside - under it you will see the motherboard, cooler and battery (if removable).

Step 2. Disconnecting the battery and cables

  • 🔋 If the battery is removable, remove it. If it is soldered, disconnect the power cable from the motherboard (usually a black connector with 4-6 pins).
  • 🖥️ Disconnect the touchpad and keyboard cables (they go to the top of the case). In models with IPS screen There may be an additional backlight cable.

Step 3. Dismantling the cooling system

This is the most critical stage:

  1. Remove the screws securing the heatsink to the motherboard (usually 4 in the corners). On some models (Pavilion Gaming) there may be an additional plate for the video card.
  2. Carefully remove the radiator by rocking it from side to side. If it gets stuck, don’t force it! Pour alcohol over the joint and wait 2-3 minutes.
  3. After removing the heatsink, you will see the processor and (if present) the video card chip. Old thermal paste will look like dried crust.

What to do if the radiator cannot be removed?

If the heatsink is stuck to the processor, do not try to tear it off by force - this may damage the crystal! Water the joint isopropyl alcohol (not vodka!) and wait 5-10 minutes. Then gently rock the radiator left and right until it comes away. As a last resort, you can slightly heat it with a hairdryer (temperature no higher than 60°C), but this is risky for the motherboard.

Cleaning and applying thermal paste: mistakes that kill your laptop

Cleaning up old thermal paste is a critical step. If even microscopic particles are left, the new paste will lie unevenly and heat dissipation will deteriorate. Use only lint-free wipes And isopropyl alcohol 90%+ (pharmaceutical alcohol or vodka leaves a film!).

How to clean:

  1. Moisten a cloth with alcohol and gently wipe the surface of the processor and heatsink. Do not press hard - the processor crystal is fragile!
  2. For hard-to-reach places (for example, between the radiator fins), use cotton swabs.
  3. Allow surfaces to dry completely (2-3 minutes). Check that there are no lint left from the napkin.

Applying new thermal paste:

  • 🎨 For processors AMD Ryzen (models Pavilion with 4000/5000/6000 series) optimal method - cross: Apply a thin stripe down the center and short lines along the diagonals.
  • 🖥️ For processors Intel Core (For example, i5-1135G7 in Pavilion 14) better method points: 3-4 drops at the corners of the crystal.
  • 🔄 Avoid the “smearing” method - it creates air bubbles!

Paste volume for HP Pavilion:

  • 📌CPU: pea diameter 4-5 mm (or a strip length 10 mm)
  • 📌 Video card (if separate chip): pea 3 mm

💡

Before applying thermal paste, slightly warm the tube in your hands (hold for 1-2 minutes). This will make the paste more flexible and easier to apply in a thin layer.

⚠️ Attention: In models HP Pavilion Gaming with a two-channel cooling system (for example, 16-a0xxx) do not forget to apply thermal paste to both heat pipesconnecting the processor and video card to the heatsink. Skipping this step will cause the GPU to overheat!

Assembling the laptop and turning it on for the first time: checking the result

After applying thermal paste, reassemble the laptop in reverse order:

  1. Reinstall the radiator and tighten the screws criss-crossto avoid skew. Tighten them gradually, in 2-3 approaches.
  2. Connect all cables (battery, touchpad, keyboard). Check that they are seated tightly - an under-tightened connector can cause future glitches.
  3. Install the back cover and tighten the screws. Do not overtighten them - the plastic is on HP Pavilion fragile!

Before turning on for the first time:

  • 🔌 Connect the charger and let the laptop stand for 5 minutes - this will allow the thermal paste to distribute evenly.
  • 🌡️ Run a stress test (for example, in AIDA64 or Prime95) and monitor temperatures in HWMonitor. Normal values under load:
    • Intel Core i5/i7: to 85°C
    • AMD Ryzen 5/7: to 90°C (for HS series norm 95°C)

If temperatures remain high:

  • 🔄 Check if the heatsink is installed correctly - perhaps one of the heat pipes is not touching the processor.
  • 🧹 Make sure the cooler rotates (sometimes the power cable comes off during assembly).
  • 📉 Reset BIOS settings (remove battery CR2032 for 10 minutes) - sometimes the fan control parameters are lost.

💡

If after replacing the thermal paste the temperatures dropped by 10-15°C, but the cooler is still noisy, check the energy saving settings in Windows. In the power management tablet (Control Panel → Power Options) select the "High performance" scheme - this will make the cooler work more actively at low loads.

Additional measures: how to improve the cooling of HP Pavilion without disassembly

Replacing thermal paste is not a panacea. If your laptop still gets hot, try these methods:

  • 🪟 Rear lift: Use a tilted stand or simply place it under the back edge of the book. This improves air circulation by 15-20%.
  • 💨 Cooler cleaning: Once every 3 months, blow out the radiator with compressed air (can 400 ml costs ~300 ₽). Hold the cooler blades with your hand so that they do not rotate due to the air flow!
  • ⚙️ Fan settings: In BIOS (F10 when loading) find the section Fan Control and set the mode Always On or Performance.
  • 🛡️ TDP limit: In the utility ThrottleStop (for Intel) or Ryzen Controller (for AMD) reduce PL1/PL2 at 5-10 W. This will reduce heat without much loss of performance.

For models HP Pavilion Gaming with discrete video card (GTX 1650, RTX 3050) effective replacing thermal pads on GPU. Over time, they dry out and stop transferring heat from the memory to the radiator. Optimal replacement - gaskets Fujipoly Ultra Extreme thick 1.0 mm.

How to check if thermal pads need to be replaced?

Run FurMark (video card test) and monitor GPU temperatures in GPU-Z. If the memory temperature (Memory Junction) exceeds 90°C, and the radiator in the area of the video card is barely warm - it’s time to change the gaskets. B HP Pavilion Gaming 15 This is a serious problem after 2-3 years of operation.

Frequently asked questions about replacing thermal paste on HP Pavilion

❓ How much thermal paste does HP Pavilion 15 need?

A pea in diameter is enough for the processor. 4-5 mm (or strips length 10 mm). If the laptop has a separate video card chip (for example, NVIDIA MX450), add more 3 mm paste on it. Don't skimp, but don't apply too much either - the excess will squeeze out around the edges and can short the contacts.

❓ Is it possible to use thermal paste from a phone for a laptop?

No! Thermal pastes for smartphones (for example, Arctic Silver 5 in small tubes) have low thermal conductivity (8-9 W/mK) and dry quickly. For laptops HP Pavilion compositions with thermal conductivity from 10 W/mK. The exception is pastes based on liquid metal, but they require experience in application.

❓ How often should you change thermal paste in HP Pavilion?

The period depends on the type of paste and operating conditions:

  • 🔹 Cheap pastes (KPT-8, AlSil-3): once every 6-12 months
  • 🔹 Middle class (Arctic MX-4/6, Noctua NT-H1): once every 2-3 years
  • 🔹 Premium pastes (Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut, Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra): once every 3-5 years

In gaming models (Pavilion Gaming) and under constant high loads (rendering, streaming), replacement should be done 30-40% more often.

❓ What to do if after replacing the thermal paste the laptop began to heat up more?

Possible causes and solutions:

  1. Incorrect application of paste: Remove the radiator and check if the layer is too thick. Optimally - 0.1-0.2 mm after pressing.
  2. Poor radiator contact: The heat pipes may not be touching the processor. Check that the radiator is sitting evenly.
  3. Forgot to connect the cooler: In models HP Pavilion The fan cable is easy to miss - it is thin and black.
  4. BIOS settings are lost: Reset BIOS to factory defaults (F10 → Load Defaults) or update it to the latest version from the site HP.

❓ Is it possible to replace thermal paste on HP Pavilion without disassembling?

No, that's impossible. In laptops HP Pavilion The heatsink is rigidly attached to the motherboard, and the processor can only be accessed after complete disassembly. Alternative methods ("blowing", "cooling pads") provide a temporary effect, but do not solve the problem of paste drying out. If you are afraid to disassemble it yourself, contact the service (average price for replacing thermal paste in Moscow: 1500-2500 ₽).