Question Thermal paste on which components

[gtrayyy]

Hey all!

So as the topic title states, which components in a laptop require thermal paste on them, other than the CPU and GPU, because I saw a friend once who had applied thermal paste to more components on his laptop and heatsink other than these 2. Do any other components require it?

 

[Eximo]

Chipset usually.

Every design is a little different. If the VRMs are efficient enough they'll have pads, but if they are close enough to hit the heatsink/heatpipe, sometimes they get paste.

 

[gtrayyy]

Chipset usually.

Every design is a little different. If the VRMs are efficient enough they'll have pads, but if they are close enough to hit the heatsink/heatpipe, sometimes they get paste.

Interesting, so does that mean that thermal paste can be placed on the VRMs regardless? I'm asking because I've noticed my laptop doesn't have any pads, but it does have a lot of paste, also could thermal paste be damaging in any way if placed on a component which it doesn't belong onto? Sorry for the basic questions, I'm a beginner with this stuff, and I'd rather not damage my laptop

Also could thermal paste be technically placed on any component which gets hot then?

 

[CountMike]

Interesting, so does that mean that thermal paste can be placed on the VRMs regardless? I'm asking because I've noticed my laptop doesn't have any pads, but it does have a lot of paste, also could thermal paste be damaging in any way if placed on a component which it doesn't belong onto? Sorry for the basic questions, I'm a beginner with this stuff, and I'd rather not damage my laptop

Also could thermal paste be technically placed on any component which gets hot then?

Thermal pads are usually placed between components with uneven surface/height like when ther's several chips covered by one heat sink for instance. Paste is very thin comparing to pads and shouldn't de interchanged or combined. Always put same type as it was from factory.
Both, paste and pads only function is to help transferring heat from a component to it's heat sink. Paste just to fill up small gaps in the contact between two elements because of fine scratches and holes and pads to take up any space between two elements so placing them on an element that is not covered by heat sink is not needed or helpful.