Hello Android Radio friends,
I have thought a lot about how to solve the problem of overheating Android devices with PX5 and PX6 processors. Next summer will come for sure.
My specially designed passive heat sinks are probably known by some people.
This time, I'm going to focus on active cooling + heatsink.
It was important that as many people as possible can use this method. It should be as easy as possible to install, even by people who have no manual skills.
Therefore I created 3D models of different top covers which you can easily print out if you have a 3D printer.
In this lid there are already the drillings for mounting a fan. I make the whole project available for the community on Thingiverse. I also add number 1 - 22 to each 3D model. If someone doesn't find the 3D model for his own top cover. Tell me the dimensions. I will create the 3d model. Let's make a collection of compatible devices.
Because high temperatures can occur in a car in summer, I used ABS as material. This can withstand temperatures up to 100°C.
Of course you could also drill a big hole in the top cover. But it does not look so nice. ?
If someone doesn't have a 3D printer. There are many different websites that offer 3D printing at low prices.
In the video I also show some used fans and some methods of power supply.
German video on YouTube
https://youtu.be/U36MYCj7FfY
English video on Youtube
https://youtu.be/U36MYCj7FfY
The whole project on Thingiverse
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4240690
What do you think of this project?
Alex
Update 10.07.2020
Meanwhile there are 22 different 3D models.
Nice ideas.
Had some thoughts about that first minute I unpacked radio upgrade for my car, PX6 unit. It has some perforations on the back but it is all closed underneath with plastic so I think almost no air circulation happens there. Yeah it is 2DIN with aluminium heatsink on the back, and yes in my car ventilation is right above it but - I don't like it. Maybe some holes could help.
I'm writing this because of an experience with completely different thing, had annoying fan noise on an instrument amplifier, which was at 100% all the time. No matter how it was used or maybe unused at the time, noise was unbearable. Manual control is too dangerous because I know sooner or later I would forget to turn it up when needed, but it can be automatic so quick and nice fix was temperature control board: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32886053224.html . I think it could work nice for projects like yours :good:
Is the fan mod really useful?
Does anyone else use a fan in his HU?
iMattmax said:
Is the fan mod really useful?
Does anyone else use a fan in his HU?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
simply useless. If you switch stock thermal pad with a better quality one and install a good heatsink all is done. I did it one year ago and nothing more is necessary.
Consider that PX5 is a 5W SoC so a passive cooling is more than sufficient to remove heat
giouncino said:
simply useless. If you switch stock thermal pad with a better quality one and install a good heatsink all is done. I did it one year ago and nothing more is necessary.
Consider that PX5 is a 5W SoC so a passive cooling is more than sufficient to remove heat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely not useless. Did you see the temperatures in combination with a heatsink?
A fan in the top cover cooling down the whole device.
Ati_gangster said:
Definitely not useless. Did you see the temperatures in combination with a heatsink?
A fan in the top cover cooling down the whole device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I performed a torture test and SoC temperature during this test was between 70-80°C (never reached during normal use). So as I stated before: a 5W SoC can easily be cooled passively. If you want to increase noise, failure probability of the fan and dust inside the radio, you can but it's not necessary at all. I have experience in cooling CPUs (also with massive overclock) for decades, this is not my first experience.
Moreover my radio is working passively since last year and I've nevere experienced stuttering or problems due to heat.
Other parts of the radio are not hot at all.
Awesome job Alex, and great video. Comprehensive tests too. Thanks so much for your hard work
giouncino said:
Yes, I performed a torture test and SoC temperature during this test was between 70-80°C (never reached during normal use). So as I stated before: a 5W SoC can easily be cooled passively. If you want to increase noise, failure probability of the fan and dust inside the radio, you can but it's not necessary at all. I have experience in cooling CPUs (also with massive overclock) for decades, this is not my first experience.
Moreover my radio is working passively since last year and I've nevere experienced stuttering or problems due to heat.
Other parts of the radio are not hot at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
70 to 80°C under which conditions?
What outside temperature?
Device 1Din or 2Din?
Cover open or closed?
Air conditioning on?
The advantage of active cooling is that not only the CPU is cooled, but also all other components such as voltage regulators, capacitors, amplifier chip and other microchips.
And if the 5€ fan should break after years, it's still better than if a 300€+ device breaks down.
Ati_gangster said:
70 to 80°C under which conditions?
What outside temperature?
Device 1Din or 2Din?
Cover open or closed?
Air conditioning on?
The advantage of active cooling is that not only the CPU is cooled, but also all other components such as voltage regulators, capacitors, amplifier chip and other microchips.
And if the 5€ fan should break after years, it's still better than if a 300€+ device breaks down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested a lot with and without heat sink and fan, same as you did.
By the way... Thanks a lot for providing the 3-D-images to print the top cover. :highfive:
I printed the top cover for my head units to be used with a 80mm "be quiet" fan, which is really not audible if the unit is mounted in the dash board. Even on bench test the fan is really quiet.
The CPU temperature of all my 2-DIN units got down from (in Throttling Test) ~95°C down to max 48°C. Throttling was a real an issue. Up to 55% throttling without cooling down.
With normal usage (navigation with active route guidance, some Tasker tasks in background working, audio decoding active) the CPU is cooled down from nearly 80°C to ~30°C at ~25°C outside temperature, which is much more comfortable for all the parts in the unit and resolved the throttling issues to less than 5-10%, dependent of the unit.
Tested on:
PX5 (RK3368)
CSN2 (RK3368) ...which was delivered with a complete closed top cover. I got temperatures without any running apps of something about 85°C, because no ventilation was possible.
RL7A (RK3399)
SC9853i
Guys I’m in search for heatsink that fits my 1din PX6 unit. Do you have the measurements for the module size I need to cover with the heatsink?
Thanks
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I added this to mine:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RYK3J41/ref=dp_prsubs_1
the temps on my px5 swap were 90c which is way too hot for my liking, with this it never went above 60c and you cant hear any noise.
Hi, great job. Congratulations. Anyway, where to buy Alex's android fan kit from?
Geox70 said:
Hi, great job. Congratulations. Anyway, where to buy Alex's android fan kit from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Directly from him. Search for his channel on YouTube, there is somewhere his WhatsApp number written. Just contact him over there and ask for fan kit.
Don't know if this is the right location to post this but I just purchased a Vanku px6 4/64 and had every intention of at least putting a heat sink on it and I was pleasantly surprised to find this.. and it was even secured with screws. Win win View attachment 5114453
Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
View attachment 5114487
Sorry don't know why the picture isn't showing. It is a pretty robust heat sink.
Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
My solution is a low-noise 12v fan stuck on top of the heatsink with strong double-sided mounting tape. Works like a charm.
Attached is the picture I was trying to show earlier. This is the stock heatsink in the Vanku
Edit:
Sorry, I give up. I can't get the pic to show.
I simply put an old intel mobo southbridge chip heatsink on a px6, some of them are very large
It has very long fins (over 1 1/4 ") by chance i could mod it to put longer screws to hold the px6 in place with the added heat sink
Fully passive, never had any problems
I simply run my PX6 with no lid. Makes zero difference to induce RF noise etc and my temps are cut in half for free.
Kudos to Alex (Ati_gangster)!
Simply sent the width of the original cover and the position of the two side holes and the size of the favorite fan (not included in the scope of delivery) via WhatsApp and two days later I had my cover in the mailbox. The fit is great and my fan fits perfectly into the existing holes.
My fan:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08WHMP2CD/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_6X7857YXKXYD8QC9SYDB?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
(trial assembly, still without fan)
Related
I'm looking a waterproof, and hardwearing phone for my mum.
She wants an android phone that she can take kayaking with her. She is planning on using an app like 'endomondo' to track her activities on the river but when paddling you do occasionally fall in!
So... a question for all Active owners... how waterproof is it really?
It's not going to go very far underwater, a meter or so at most. The advertising blurb says it should be fine but was after some assurance from users that know!
many thanks in advance...
waterproof
Yes it is waterproof!
video
thanks for the link.I guess that proves it!
Are there any phones that can go deeper underwater atm?
andymet87 said:
thanks for the link.I guess that proves it!
Are there any phones that can go deeper underwater atm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google something like "rugged phone 2011" - there are several phones that claim to be especially made for outdoor persuit activities and you'll be able to check the specs (and see what they actually guarantee). I'd also look at (less geeky) sites specialising in such activities - perhaps a canoe club or society. Good money says that they'll have greater expertise on this subject than the average software writer.
One other point - there are protectors available for many phones. The cheapest are basically plastic bags - the dearest are custom fitted, sealed hard-cases (pretty much the same sort of thing you get for cameras). You can find those in online stores but you may get more detailed infromation by looking at specialist outdoor shopping sites (you can always get the info then see if it's cheaper elsewhere).
hi thanks for the reply.
ive tried numerous searches however there are many phones that are 'coming out soon', or are simply in japan and not over here yet!
I was seeking some inside knowledge lol
I've seen waterproof cases for nearly every phone around however would rather it did not have to use a case as it it very important for it to be hassle free and easy to use. She will be upgrading from an old nokia in a plastic bag!
Although not entirely submerged, mine was tested in a glass of water at work during a lunch break.
Evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7a0HH6brAQ
(but for super-rugged, I'd look at Sonim. Some models they'll apparently replace no-questions-asked if water damaged. Not android, however)
yes
Yes, but my experience says, the network coverage goes quickly down - the deeper You submerege the phone underwater. So speaking underwater or texting is not possible, but....
Camera still works fine even deep.
ha... i dont think she will use it underwater! Its just in case the boat capsises...
so ideally the phone would be ok down to about 2m... just in case!
Is there really not an android phone in the UK that will go down to 2m and survive?
i dropped my active in a bucket of water and left it there for 5 minutes
i discovered water between the main and the second cover and my voice sound robotic after taking a call , there was water in the mic hole ..
i will never drop it again for sure !!
switcher said:
i dropped my active in a bucket of water and left it there for 5 minutes
i discovered water between the main and the second cover and my voice sound robotic after taking a call , there was water in the mic hole ..
i will never drop it again for sure !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this true? I had motorola defy and submerge it on a pitcher for 2hours but still good after that.. No I have an active but never tried to submerge or even splash it with h2o...
Sent from my ST17i using Tapatalk
waterpoof
Yes, the water is supposed to go between first and second cover. If You open it up, You'll see, the second cover has a seal to make it waterproof. So that's normal.
If mic is wet, the sound distortion is also normal, since water distorts it quite badly. The first cover holds the second tightly to keep it waterproof.
Would something like a Sonim XP3300 Force be suitable - around £250.
That phone is sold as water-proof to 2m for an hour and can even be dropped 2m into concrete without harm (it also claims to have the longest battery life of any phone in the world). Has A-GPS and the usual "extras" to go online etc. Buttons designed to be used whilst wearing gloves. It's basically designed for heavy industry.
Double check but I understand it comes complete with a load of "extras" included in the price - case, car and wall charger, dashboard mount etc - that may make the price more attractive.
It just made it into the Guinness Book of Records - it's officially the world's toughest phone
From personal experience I can assure you its
As waterproof as it should be. The obly review that managed to make me buy this phone was this: dcrainmaker.com/2011/09/hands-on-review-of-sony-ericsson-xperia.html
This guy actually makes a real life test of the phone. I myself work at construction so I have cement splashing on it, and all I have to do it take a shower with it to make it aaaaalright
Regarding the defy... Well its got a larger screen, but it looks more flimsy than the Active. What sorta put me off on the defy is the quality of the power and minijack rubber plugs. They would only last not so long on my hands... All you have to do on the active is change the back cover. The only drawback for me being accustomed to a physical keyboard amd a 3,7" screen of my Desire Z is the size of the onscreen keyboard of the 3 inch screen.
Also expect somewhat better battery life on the Active than the defy. Almost 50% of the battery drain is from the screen, and having 60% less pixels on a screen you easily go through 2 days of moderate-heavy use.
Sent from my ST17i using XDA App
From http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=44929981#post44929981
plaster said:
What lg could have done, was put an aluminum heatsink that had a thin fin that spread to all four sides of the phone that would dissipate the heat from the center. Then again, I haven't ripped my phone apart. It may have that already.
Sent from my Optimus G using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[r.]GimP said:
I've ripped it apart a few times, no fin, but there is enough clearance to do so, I might give that a shot just because.
Not sure of the potential interference to cell signal though..
Good idea regardless, even aluminum foil at that close proximity with maybe thermal compound or a pad would do more than nothing, in theory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(edit - all that tape covers areas i didn't want to short, antenna connections mostly. )
View attachment 2220069
So I actually went for it. This is 8 layers of aluminum foil stacked, by folding on of the precut sheets on top of itself until it almost exactly matched the internal dimensions of the LGOG.
This picture is slightly dated, The red+blue borderd box indicates more material I had removed and is no longer present in the rear cover of the phone. The WiFi antenna is located in the backplate for our phone, I thought it wouldn't be affected by the foil but there were two seperate issues.
1.) The contacts themselves didn't always make contact, effectively leaving no antenna.
2.) wireless signal sucked
Also, directly under that area on the opposide side of our mainboard is the LTE antenna. Again *should* is the key work that in theory it would run with no issues, able to radiate out the front of the device.
1.) LTE signal was dramatically impacted. Disabling LTE and using 4g showed fantastic signal. So if you don't use LTE or have LTE in your area this foil can stay, maybe increase the cutout around the contacts so WIFI antenna reattaches correctly.
Also note the cutout area on the bottom. That is our main antenna block attached to the speaker.
1.) Every part of the antenna areas has to be taped to try and use this area.
2.) Foil by itself with no thermal interface material is very unlikely to be sponging or collecting any heat at this relative distance from the hotspots anyway.
3.) Overall signal sucked, not worth it.
Take note of the two metal shims on the top and right of the battery. There is an almost entirely metal "basket" that houses every bit of our phone on the front side.
1.) This is in place to transfer some of the heat that the foil picks up from the transceiver module (metallic thing that is NOT taped over above the top right corner of the battery)
2.) This yeilds a very nice increase in thermal "density" overall. It is a much increased area over which has to heat to reach thermal equilibrium.
In the end I've been running this for about a week now. Placebo effect over and done, testing here and there and I can report.
It makes a dramatic impact on overall temperature regulation of the phone. It does not completely eliminate the hotspot on the back but it does spread it very effectively.
The phone can still reach "thermal saturation" as it were, and will given enough time. There is a weird tradeoff now involved, and I'd have to go back and test this separate to draw any definite conclusions, thusly;
1. You now have more material that can eventually heat up to the point where the phone throttles, this naturally takes much longer to occur (which is good)
however, in theory, this added material still has to find a way to radiate its heat, which might take LONGER to do so.
However, however: ..You also have a greatly increased the surface area that this material can dissipate heat over, so it could take LESS time.
Needs to be tested, but subjectively I can say it is better overall.
Most dramatic increases I get for my personal use case that made this worth it,
repeated restarts from multiple flashes and validating startup tweaks, voltage settings, governer advanced settings properly all taking and setting, etc. Much cooler overall, verified by constantly checking CPU and Battery temps during and after.
Running the phone on LTE, with bluetooth and GPS on, while actively navigating with maps, while actively streaming audio to my car stereo via bluetooth, while hooked up to car charger.
Does NOT hit the point where the screen is impossibly dim and refuses to charge because of how hot the phone gets doing this.
If you've used your LGOG as navigation while docked to a stand on your dash you know exactly how hot this phone can get. It also cools itself insanely faster after this.
Ultimate tradeoff: I have slightly less signal for LTE overall, and it's very slight. I could continue customizing my cutout, and will eventually, but this is working very well for now. It's almost much cleaner than the picture indicates, as once I finalized what worked I trimmed all the edges and cutouts around the backplate fasteners, etc.
Good luck and have fun if you're feeling adventurous.
Much cooler overall, verified by constantly checking CPU and Battery temps during and after.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you share a few sample temps for comparison?
2.) Foil by itself with no thermal interface material is very unlikely to be sponging or collecting any heat at this relative distance from the hotspots anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you end up using thermal compound, and if so, where?
Ultimate tradeoff: I have slightly less signal for LTE overall, and it's very slight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you share a decibel amount of what you're used to getting, with regards to LTE signal, and what you are getting after the mod?
It's almost much cleaner than the picture indicates, as once I finalized what worked I trimmed all the edges and cutouts around the backplate fasteners, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you mind sharing an updated picture?
Overall, this is awesome! Great idea and I would definitely love to give this a shot myself.
ousoonerchase said:
Could you share a few sample temps for comparison?
Did you end up using thermal compound, and if so, where?
Could you share a decibel amount of what you're used to getting, with regards to LTE signal, and what you are getting after the mod?
Would you mind sharing an updated picture?
Overall, this is awesome! Great idea and I would definitely love to give this a shot myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes to all these things, except thermal compount, not yet anyway. I wouldn't mind updating and trying to do with comparisons, but in my ADHD world right now I'm trying to get ubuntu booting under chroot on my phone to see if I can compile source, for the hell of it.
dont feel like opening my phone up at this exact moment but I will, eventually.
lol, awesome. I'm too poor to take my phone apart, but if it needs a battery replacement before 2015, I'll definitely try this out. If you could machine a solid piece of aluminum, or even better, copper, it would work even better. :good:
plaster said:
lol, awesome. I'm too poor to take my phone apart, but if it needs a battery replacement before 2015, I'll definitely try this out. If you could machine a solid piece of aluminum, or even better, copper, it would work even better. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've humored the idea of taking the much cleaned up foil template i made out, tracing it on paper, and getting a copper shim machined to the same size and similar thickness, believe you me
Wish I had the balls to do this
Sent from my Optimus G using XDA Premium HD app
Definitely gonna do this if i need to swap the battery anytime soon.
I remember you mentioning his on the BeanStalk thread. Didn't think you'd make a post. Well as an update for you, I go my dad to re-solder the battery connector, so it's like new i'm thinking i'll give this a try. I keep LTE off due to battery drain anyway.
You must live with spotty lte service. I get plenty of battery on lte with excellent signal strength. Your drain likely stems from frequently switching between lte and hspa
Sent from my Optimus G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
,
Tesy
Qq
Sent from my LG-E970 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I found out a quick cool down trick recently, but I think it's better to prevent instead of healing.
So what I did was simple, won't cost you money (maybe).
1. Remove the back plate
2. Remove sim & battery
3. Remove the 7 screws
4. Split the phone from the left of the headphone jack
5. Clean it if it is needed
6. Remove the heatsink (right from camera and a bit under sim card)
Skip to 10 if you don't have a old unused pc
7. If you have an old pc you dont use it's good or you will have to buy thermal gel.
8. Open your old pc, remove the heatsink above the processor.
9. Get something like a card and scrap some of the thermal gel on the downside of the heatsink and processor.
10. grease the phone processor with thermal gel (be careful). Also the downside of the phone's heatsink.
11. Put the heatsink back to place.
12. Put in your sim card and grease the rest of the heatsink with the thermal gel. (simcard is a bit above the heatsink so you won't grease that part)
13. Put everything back together.
14. Enjoy
My phone got about 10C colder when playing games.
Quick cooldown trick:
1. Get some cold water
2. Make your fingers wet (or a towel)
3. Make the screen and the backplate wet with your fingers or towel (don't overdo it!)
4. Dry it with a towel.
5. Repeat it till it gets cold enough for you.
Good suggestion with the thermal gel. I wouldn't use water at all anywhere on the phone though. The S2 is notorious for easily suffering moisture exposure/subsequent component failure (normally takes ages to show & often sudden).
Edit - You should still look for details of that discussion about putting a thin copper plate b/w the battery & the case, it's worth trying if you use the phone in a way where it's always running hot.
MistahBungle said:
Good suggestion with the thermal gel. I wouldn't use water at all anywhere on the phone though. The S2 is notorious for easily suffering moisture exposure/subsequent component failure (normally takes ages to show & often sudden).
Edit - You should still look for details of that discussion about putting a thin copper plate b/w the battery & the case, it's worth trying if you use the phone in a way where it's always running hot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its just a little bit of water. My phone isn't damaged (just don't put it in the water).
Also it makes your screen clean from those fingerprints.
Well, the point is that there are no heatsinks from copper or any metal for the s2. so you will have to make one yourself. And it doesn't look easy to make if you don't know how to do that.
Metal case could be useful, but the point it that some sensors will act weird. My friend has an external heatsink, but I can't find them anywhere.
I don't have any copper plate at home, and I don't know if aluminium foil will work good with it (since its ultra flat it could fit easily)
Great trick:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:.
I wonder if there is a video for this cuz it seems a bit hard for me .
Sent from my GT-P5200 using xda app-developers app
LYandroid said:
Great trick:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:.
I wonder if there is a video for this cuz it seems a bit hard for me .
Sent from my GT-P5200 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I can't do it. But it's really simple.
And it works great. I mean, my battery was ~49C and now ~35C after using thermal gel on the processor and heatsink.
Anyway, does somebody know an app that I can use so I can see the tempratures of the processor instead of the battery?
Great! Will do it.
Awesome man... Great share... But little risky to play with water...
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
GreekBlood said:
I found out a quick cool down trick recently, but I think it's better to prevent instead of healing.
........
My phone got about 10C colder when playing games.
....
Quick cooldown trick:
.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You discuss here about two differents things:
- 1/ how to improve heat dissipation from internal components to the hull
- 2/ how to dissipate heat from the hull
The first step is actually a good idea, but this will not cool the hull : in the opposite way, your phone will be more quickly warm in your hands just because it dissipate internal heat more efficiently ( and this should be a good thing ) . So the question is : on which part of your phone did you have measured the 10C colder temperature ?
sksbir said:
You discuss here about two differents things:
- 1/ how to improve heat dissipation from internal components to the hull
- 2/ how to dissipate heat from the hull
The first step is actually a good idea, but this will not cool the hull : in the opposite way, your phone will be more quickly warm in your hands just because it dissipate internal heat more efficiently ( and this should be a good thing ) . So the question is : on which part of your phone did you have measured the 10C colder temperature ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where the simcard is and connector pins of the battery
GreekBlood said:
Sorry, I can't do it. But it's really simple.
And it works great. I mean, my battery was ~49C and now ~35C after using thermal gel on the processor and heatsink.
Anyway, does somebody know an app that I can use so I can see the tempratures of the processor instead of the battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found an app to monitor the CPU temperature and it's free "System Tuner" but its better to use "Android Tuner Free",i didn't test them but here you go:
System tuner:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ccc71.pmw
Android Tuner Free:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ccc71.at.free
Hope it helps .
Sorry for bad enghlish.
i'm trying this...will revert back with the results
thanks
Warning: This MOD will void your warranty. You will have to open the device and leave traces behind by performing it. Only perform this Mod if you are willing to take a risk.
Since I have already voided my warranty of both my Nexus 5 (2013) and Nexus 7 (2013), why not do it again? There are a few things I do not like about the Nexus 6P and having looked at some pictures from various Teardowns, I was pretty confident that I could improve this device as well. Be warned that this device is really hard to open and I had a few failed attempts before.
What can you expect from this MOD? A more reliable device, better cooling and less Thermal Throttling.
I want to thank Aquatuning Germany for helping me out with this guide by sending me this nice thermal paste as well as the required Heat Gun I was lacking.
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Phobya NanoGrease Extreme: This thermal paste has a insane thermal conductivity of 16W/mK which promises excellent results and will replace the pink rubber used by Huawei.
I tried to open the Nexus 6P before but failed miserably with a regular hair dryer. It seems that you need plenty of heat and the right tools in order to open such a device. I have never needed a Heat Gun before but everybody has to start somewhere
Alphacool HardTube Heat Gun Pro 2000W: This Heat Gun has 3 different levels of heat: 100°C - 450°C - 600°C and can burn a hole in your hand if you´re not careful.
I was afraid at first because the visor glass is very thin, curved and looks like something which will break just by staring evil at it. If you really think you have what it takes to torture your device, let´s proceed!
Material needed:
- a Heat Gun
- rubbing alcohol
- a razor blade or parts from a soda can
- a precision screwdriver set
- premium thermal paste
- premium 0.5mm thick thermal pads
- a guitar pick or spudger
- a very thin guitar pick or chirurgical knife
- some thin plastic card
You might also consider to get some sort of basic repair kits for mobile devices if you´re not confident that the tools mentioned by me are enough for you to perform this MOD too.
This video inspired me to give it a try too. I think this one is a nice example and since it helped me to finally give it a shot, I guess it is worth mentioning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdWR7cU0sdc
You need to open your device and to make sure that you lay down your display on a soft surface in order to prevent it from being scratched. Don´t forget to remove the SIM card tray right after.
Use a Heat Gun to soften the glue and carefully insert a very thin razor blade between the visor glass and the Aluminum case. It is a great idea to raise the phone from your table by using some spare piece of wood or else you might heat it up too. Be warned that you might need several tries before you can cut through with a thin razor blade or some self made blades out of a soda can if you are not a experienced phone technician who does this kind of stuff on a daily basis. I tried at first the 100°C setting but this one took too long. I switched over to the 450°C setting and kept a good distance because there is a high risk of damaging the components or even igniting stuff.
Finally, I removed the critical visor glass without shattering it. This is really scary if you have never done anything like this before.
Use a Heat Gun for the lower plastic part but be careful because this part does not like heat at all and might warp and change the colour. You really need to be patient on this part. Fitting a razor blade works too but it is not as easy as you might think. Once you have built a lever and raised one lip, everything is pretty easy. Use a thin plastic card or similar object to cut through.
Now you need to remove all 6 screws with a precision screwdriver set and make sure that you don´t lose them. Removing the back was quite tricky if you lack the tools. I had to borrow a very thin guitar pick made of metal in order to open the case.
Remove the screws of the motherboard and disconnect all connectors. It is easier to remove the motherboard if you remove the 3.5mm headphone jack and front camera first. Now you will see the rubbery thermal paste used by Huawei. It looks cheap and also feels cheap. I bet it is not the highest grade paste used either!
I put the motherboard on a antistatic foam and had a closer look.
Use rubbing alcohol and some cue tips for ears, paper towels or even toilet paper in order to get rid of the old thermal paste. This looks a lot better, eh?
Clean the closed container with rubbing alcohol too.
What is inside? More of that lovely thermal paste. In order to open the lid you need to use a lever. Make sure that you do not use much force and especially damage the small components around. It is not very hard to open the lid once you have figured it out
The back of the lid also needs some cleaning too.
That looks a lot better. Use rubbing alcohol again and clean the SoC and the back of the lid.
Alphacool Eisschicht: These pads have a insane thermal conductivity of 17W/mK which promises excellent results. I´ve used them in my Nexus 5 (2013) Mod too since these 2 stripes are enough for many modifications.
Attach the thermal pad you want to use. You will need about 15x15x0.5mm in order to fully cover the SoC. Make sure to attach the pad in such a way that you can still close the lid later. The SoC is a really tight fit but it seems that such a pad might work out too if it can adapt to the gap without high pressure. At first I used the Phobya NanoGrease Extreme thermal paste I received. This paste reminds me of Arctic Silver 5 and it is not very easy to apply. It is quite thick and needs some patience. You can use thermal paste instead of a thermal pad too but it´s up to you to decide, how much you need in order to fill the gap which is quite noticeable.
Apply the thermal paste on the metal area too, make sure that you do not use too much of it. Let some space for the metal contacts to touch the area too. It does not look too good but once you attach the motherboard back, it will fit like a charm and adjust itself to the existing structure. Use a thick "drop" of paste and let the lid of the EMI shield spread the paste for you.
Now reassemble the device. You can use the old glue of the visor glass and lower plastic part and it will still fit. I might buy some thin double sided adhesive bands later and fix these parts again. At least now I will not need to apply that much heat again in order to remove them
There was a huge discussion about how much thermal paste I´ve used and in order to avoid it. I´ve performed this Mod 2x now and there is barely any difference noticeable between the first and the second try. The thermal paste between the SoC is a lot dirtier while a thermal pad does not create that much mess.
Update 29 February:
Like I said before, I´ve performed this Mod twice and there is barely any difference noticeable between using a pad or using thermal paste. I get slightly better scores in Benchmarks now but in the end I should have let the device like it was after the first try.
Here is a nice picture for you. This is how the area looked after I removed the motherboard again. I simply used a larger surface of the lid to connect with the metal area which wasn´t a issue after all. Did I flood the whole device with thermal paste? Did it change the thermal conductivity for the worse? Absolutely no.
And now some of you might wonder, what happened to the SoC first? Was this one drowned in thermal paste too? Well, just have a look at this picture too after I scraped off the thermal paste. As you can see, there was barely any "mess" at all or else it would have looked a lot worse. The "grey" layer is tough to remove though but it does not matter in the end since you cannot reach some pores with a paper towel. It won´t affect the thermal conductivity of the now attached thermal pad.
There was nothing wrong with the modification itself, I simply wasted more material than necessary.
The whole device runs smoother and feels warm and nice after a while. The display remains warm too and also the Aluminum back needs a while to heat up. Sooner or later this device will throttle too but it will take a lot longer before it heats up enough because the heat is dissipated faster through the elite thermal pad and thermal paste. I´ve played again with various benchmarks and the high scores and linear temperature increase are evidence enough for me that the cooling is great the way it is now.
Update 27 February:
Many guys have mentioned that I used way too much thermal paste. I might have used a lot more than necessary which is quite a waste but it doesn´t flood the entire case and spills out of every corner. You can use a lot less paste or even try a small metal plate (about 0.3mm - 0.5mm thickness) if you have the patience to measure the actual gap between the EMI shield lid and the metal area on the display frame.
I´ve tortured this device a lot and can confirm that the heat dissipation is still a lot better than it was before. I might open this device at a later time again and see if I really made a mess and also provide you with pictures.
I don´t force any of you to modify your device but you´re free to tell me your experiences in case that you actually performed this Mod too
I just wanted to show you my Mod and also inspire some of you who also like to perform crazy experiments. This was the main reason why I went through the trouble of creating this guide.
Tests:
Update 10 March:
RngrYogi was brave enough to perform this Mod too and used nearly the same ingredients (similar thermal paste and thermal pads) like I did. Check out what he has to say about his results. He can confirm that the Mod helps the device to lower the thermal throttling intervals and to recover faster His Benchmark results also show that this phone can deliver a great performance when it doesn´t heat up too often.
I will update the OP from time to time if I get more success stories like these.
Update 28 February:
How reliable are Benchmarks when it comes to testing for stability or performance? Even if you perform 100 runs, you have a high tolerance between the results you get. All I was interested in was the temperature increase which is shown in some Benchmarks. It´s linear which is a good sign that everything worked out fine, even if I used a lot of thermal paste to fill the major gaps. That´s enough evidence for me that the cooling of the SoC works like intended and didn´t change for the worse.
On the other hand, if this Mod would have decreased the cooling performance of this device, the scores should also be way lower? Simple logic because a hotter phone tends to throttle more often than a device with a better cooling.
How did I test?
I use a customized, rooted and debloated Stock based ROM (MMB29Q) which suits me well. Every system is different and it also depends which kind of Apps you use. I used two different ways of stressing the whole system by forcing the CPU to use the max. speed at any times in order to generate as much heat as possible. The right tool for me was the usage of the ElementalX Kernel and the EX Kernel Manager App by flar2.
1)Stock Speed, no overclocking at all: Performance Mode activated and Min=Max frequency enabled for all cores.
2)Max Speed, set highest overclocking settings of the Kernel: Performance Mode activated and Min=Max frequency enabled for all cores (1708Mhz and 2054Mhz)
I also killed all active Apps like eg. WhatsApp and let the device stay idle for a while before performing the Benchmarks. Like I said before, there is no way to ever get the same results because every device has a different configuration and amount of Apps installed. The used Kernel settings can also influence the performance.
Here is a great example of how unreliable Benchmarks are when it comes to comparing the performance. I don´t want to link huge image files directly in this OP, this is why I post external links this time. If you don´t trust me, see for yourselves that both images are 100% unaltered.
27 February, Antutu 6.0.1 @ maximum overclocked speed: I was offered a update yesterday but only received a parsing error when I wanted to install it. Have a look at the Playstore ratings and see for yourselves, this is why I could only use 6.0.1
http://abload.de/img/screenshot_20160227-1lirkv.png
28 February, Antutu 6.0.4 @ maximum overclocked speed: This time I was able to install the update and perform the test under the same conditions like yesterday since I didn´t change anything again.
http://abload.de/img/screenshot_20160228-1frrar.png
You get a different result for many reasons. I guess I made my points clear why I don´t really trust Benchmarks when it comes to comparing scores only? I trust my user experience instead. If the device performs well, Apps open fast and I don´t feel any lagging at all, I don´t care if one Benchmark would show me 100k points or even 40k points.
In the end I want to make clear that this modified device will also throttle sooner or later when the device heats up after a while which is inevitable, even if you use the best thermal paste available. The cooling system of this phone is physically limited. Even if you use a diamond sheet instead of thermal paste, this device will still heat up at some point. It would also take a longer time.
This MOD can prolong the time needed for the Thermal Throttling to kick in because it helps to dissipate the heat faster. If you play heavy games or use the phone for Benchmarks only, you might notice the Thermal Throttling to kick in after eg. 2 hours instead of 1.5 hours.
I also made a full NANDroid Backup in TWRP which included all partitions and also enabled compression. The phone heated up like you are already used too but it was not as hot as before. It felt a lot cooler.
I am happy with the results, in terms of reliability this is a great improvement for me At least now I know what I have inside and for me it was worth it.
I feel honored that this Guide has been mentioned at XDA in this article and also in the video.
Impressive efforts to open the phone. How do you go about sealing it back up when you are finished?
Agret said:
Impressive efforts to open the phone. How do you go about sealing it back up when you are finished?
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Using a heating gun to re-melt the adhesives to make it sticky again. Buying thermal paste for a phone that is so difficult to take apart (2/10 repairability score on ifixit) is a complete waste of time/money/effort. If someone does this, they will see little, if any, noticeable gains where it effects the way they use the phone, and they will have severely weakend the bonding strength of the adhesives in the process. Not to mention the numerous ways of messing up the disassembly/reassmbly and resulting in a brick. And now since the warranty is now voided, they have to buy a whole new phone at full price to replace the one they just turned into a paper weight..
It's just asking for trouble and definitely not worth it. Tons of risk for little gain.
OP - that is way, way too much thermal paste. Even if you were to only apply it just to the CPU like your pic above, it would have been too much - yet, you double downed by applying just as much on the heat shield as well...
Chances are if you were to take it out again, it would have gotten everywhere by now. I wouldn't be surprised if it started leaking out at one point.
I ended up doing kinda of the same thing on my M9, except i used thermal paste under the metal rf/heat shield, then i had a couple xbox 360 motherboards laying around, and instead of using thermal paste from the heat shield to the metal casing i used a thermal pad, i cut it in half to make it thinner and reassembled without creating a mess. and no bulges during reassembly.....
just my experience
ksoze said:
OP - that is way, way too much thermal paste. Even if you were to only apply it just to the CPU like your pic above, it would have been too much - yet, you double downed by applying just as much on the heat shield as well...
Chances are if you were to take it out again, it would have gotten everywhere by now. I wouldn't be surprised if it started leaking out at one point.
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Yep, definitely too much. For a CPU that size, something like a grain of rice should be enough.
Way too much paste. Also, spreading it around like that creates air pockets which are a no-go. Not a huge deal for this little processor, but still something to note. Also, toilet paper? Hell no - at LEAST use some high quality paper towels. Toilet paper would make a mess and fall apart.
Good on you for being brave and trying it. Some real tests would've been cool to see how much of a difference was truly made though!
Way too much paste. The paste is a lot less conductive than the metal. A LOT. You only want it to fill the air gaps which is way more insulating. Hopefully it works out for you
OK, I might have gotten over the edge with the thermal paste and I see that in case I would want to remove the motherboard again, it would be a lot harder now. This kind of thermal paste is also quite sticky.
I've created the guide to show you what would be possible to achieve with this phone, in case you like stuff like this.
However, like I mentioned in the OP, this modification is very hard to perform since opening the device involves many risks.
I like experimenting though and if my Nexus 6P should fail, I'm out of luck.
I also have my doubts that most guys would want to perform this Mod too but what if someday the battery fails and needs to be replaced? You would have to open the device anyway and also use the chance to apply fresh and better thermal paste
with that amount of TP it's gonna heat up even faster and in a few days you'll be left with a hardened up layer that doesn't conduct heat
I was thinking to get another plate of copper, if there is a gap,or some thermal pads, not alot you can do, better to have an efficient SOC or implement a better way to get the whole phone to absorb the heat.
As above, alot of thermal paste, a small dot would be better as you used a better paste than stock,
Anyway it's silly to think we should have to do this,
OP, thermal paste is not the same as icing on a cake. You don't try and layer the CPU in it.
WAY to much paste .......
Yeah...... No thanks
Thanks for all the Feedback. I´ve updated the OP I don´t force any of you to perform this Mod and I will use less thermal paste next time For now, everything is still OK and I didn´t see any thermal paste leaking through the motherboard and the whole case. I got over excited and used more paste than really necessary which is a waste of material but didn´t change the results for the worse.
I´m performing a series of extra Tests which will also include a overclocked device in order to see if I can somehow teach this guy the "Art of Heating" again and trying to burn my fingers.
Just asking if this would work on other devices?
It should work on other devices too because many of them are built in a similar way. Other devices might be easier to open though, like it was the case with my Nexus 5 (2013) and Nexus 7 (2013)
nick37332001 said:
Just asking if this would work on other devices?
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Gorgtech said:
It should work on other devices too because many of them are built in a similar way. Other devices might be easier to open though, like it was the case with my Nexus 5 (2013) and Nexus 7 (2013)
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Click to collapse
I hope so because some devices do not even have thermal paste/ whatever it is on their CPU and the CPU is usually soldered and tightened down.
It depends, the SoC of the Nexus 7 (2013) faces towards the back and not the display frame. A slight improvement is still possible because you can use a thin metal plate or a thermal pad to connect it with the lid of the EMI shield. It´s better than nothing.
Even if you manage to find a gap inside the case and to glue a thin plate of metal to eg. the back and connect the SoC with it, it will be a great improvement. This kind of ICs can perform very well, even without a passive cooler attached to them.
What I noticed now is that my battery temperature is lower because it gets less heat from the SoC now. The heat is dissipated faster through the better thermal paste. I will post a few Screenshots later and also describe the measuring conditions used by me
How did I get here?
Oh yeah, WAY too much thermal paste. That's counter-productive. Thermal paste basically fills in the scratches/imperfections to help heat transfer. A goopy snot of bubble gum wadded there will insulate the chip, and it will have less cooling ability.
So is this aero cooling fan really works? Or just another gimmick? Anyone can confirm that the temp is much better with the fan Acc on? Thanks
theoryzz said:
So is this aero cooling fan really works? Or just another gimmick? Anyone can confirm that the temp is much better with the fan Acc on? Thanks
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I don't have the phone yet, but all the reviews have said it does make a difference in long term performance. I think it's supposed to keep things about 5°C cooler and reduces/eliminates thermal throttling. Doesn't sound gimmicky to me.
In the reviews that I have seen, that showed the backside of the cooling fan, it doesn't look like there is actually any ports that directly interface with the unit itself. But rather, from what I have read, it keeps your hands cooler and not as sweaty. So, maybe that is where the 5 degree difference comes in. If your hands are cooler and not transferring heat to the unit, then that would make sense why it would help keep it cooler by 5 degrees.
ZeroKool76 said:
In the reviews that I have seen, that showed the backside of the cooling fan, it doesn't look like there is actually any ports that directly interface with the unit itself. But rather, from what I have read, it keeps your hands cooler and not as sweaty. So, maybe that is where the 5 degree difference comes in. If your hands are cooler and not transferring heat to the unit, then that would make sense why it would help keep it cooler by 5 degrees.
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Yeah, it's the surface temp that goes down 5°C, not internal. I haven't seen any tests on internal temps, but several reviews have shown a definite increase in the amount of time before thermal throttling kicked in, and not at all in some cases.
ZeroKool76 said:
In the reviews that I have seen, that showed the backside of the cooling fan, it doesn't look like there is actually any ports that directly interface with the unit itself. But rather, from what I have read, it keeps your hands cooler and not as sweaty. So, maybe that is where the 5 degree difference comes in. If your hands are cooler and not transferring heat to the unit, then that would make sense why it would help keep it cooler by 5 degrees.
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Mr_Mooncatt said:
Yeah, it's the surface temp that goes down 5°C, not internal. I haven't seen any tests on internal temps, but several reviews have shown a definite increase in the amount of time before thermal throttling kicked in, and not at all in some cases.
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I read somewhere the tested temp drop with the cooling fan was something like 5C to 10C on the back of the phone and 2C to 4C internal temp drop.
Allright thanks a lot guys. Maybe I'll be getting the Acc after all.
This Active cooling fan doesn't drain much battery, it's like you don't have it at all.
It's surprisingly lightweight, it doesn't make the phone heavier at all.
It comes with adhesive hard-rubber cushions you can put under it, to make the phone stand alone, just like having a pair of shoes on its feet.
The writing "Republic of gamers" on is is also RGB-backlighted, and it's really bright!
The cooling stand extends itself for half centimeter, so you can attach it easily on the phone.
And it does the job! Also, keeping your fingers refreshed, neither too much nor too little, so they won't sweat.
Above all, keeps the phone cooled enough. A must have accessory, for Asus ROG Phone 2!
I love the aero cooler, it works and cools your fingers at the same time.
cypherflowgamingnation said:
I love the aero cooler, it works and cools your fingers at the same time.
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Yea my favorite thing is that it keeps your sweaty hands cool
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