Compaq Presario CQ57 Thermal Compound Replacment and Cooling Fan Inspection/Cleaning

This is how I replaced the thermal compound, inspected and cleaned the cooling fan, and removed dust from the interior of a Compaq Presario CQ57 laptop. These steps resolved the issues that this computer was having with overheating.

This is the link to the site where I downloaded the CPU temperature monitor: http://openhardwaremonitor.org/

A note about thermal compound application: The amount of thermal compound you use and how you apply it is a matter of preference. Although some people warn that an excess of compound can actually over-insulate your processor and, consequently cause it to overheat, I have never had that problem—I believe you would have to use quite a bit to cause that to happen. One of the frustrating things about working with the compound is that most of it ends up stuck to the applicator. So, even though you start out with an amount the size of a grain of rice (as recommended by most technicians), most of it doesn’t make it onto the processor. This is the problem I have encountered. Since it’s hard to show on a video just how much to apply, my personal recommendation is to cover the entire surface with a paper-thin amount and then add slightly more to the very center so that the pressure from the heat sink will even everything out nicely. I also like to smear a tiny amount to the heat sink as well, just to create a smoother adhesion. Above all, avoid bubbles—which is why I spent so much time smoothing the compound. The computers on which I have used this method are still running cool and happy. However, I would encourage anyone attempting this repair to consider several methods of thermal compound application (as I did) before choosing the one that seems best to them. Some of the comments below may be helpful as well.