We FIXED Apple’s New MacBook Pro
Linus Tech Tips
·Linus Tech Tips
·2019-05-06
·
2,318 words · ~11 min read
0:00
So the basic premise of today's cooling experiments
0:03
with Alex, I super don't know why this is here,
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is that the MacBook Pro 2018 does a pretty subpar job
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of keeping its Core i9 CPU cool,
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if you opted for the tricked-out Core i9 model.
0:18
Well, we think we can fix that
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using the same cooling principles
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as we were able to fix the Razer Phone
0:25
and its throttling while gaming with.
0:27
That is to say, liquid metal cooling.
0:30
But then there's also like a radiator and a reservoir
0:34
and some laptop stands and some water blocks,
0:37
so I have no idea what the is going on today.
0:41
Why don't we all find out together?
0:50
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0:52
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0:56
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0:59
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1:01
Find out more at the link below.
1:02
You pulled out all the stops,
1:03
like there's two iFixit kits.
1:05
Yeah.
1:07
What are we doing?
1:08
Oh, I actually just had a difficult time getting it open,
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so I thought that I might've stripped one of the screws,
1:13
but it's actually just the P's and not the T's,
1:16
so I was just an idiot.
1:19
So step one of any cooling project is,
1:23
wasn't me, rip open the device you're trying to cool.
1:27
So I will take you up on one of these kits.
1:30
These things are kind of nerve-wracking to open.
1:32
Cause they're, how much is this one?
1:35
Five grand?
1:35
Six grand?
1:36
Yeah, five grand-ish.
1:37
You could like that.
1:38
It looks so much easier in iFixit's video.
1:40
How do they do that?
1:42
Are you free?
1:42
Yes.
1:43
There we go.
1:44
Beautiful.
1:46
You can really tell what gives it the rigidity though.
1:49
Yeah, that's pretty nice.
1:50
Yes.
1:51
Can I make a computer case
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out of a solid block of aluminum?
1:54
Gorgeous.
1:55
How many bits would you go through?
1:57
So do you want to know my really bad idea
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that probably won't work?
2:00
Sure.
2:03
You want to water cool it.
2:05
Yeah.
2:05
I really don't know
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if this is a very good idea.
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I don't even see how the heat pipe comes off
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to be perfectly honest with you.
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Usually it's more apparent.
2:14
You have to take the whole board off
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and the screws are on the other side.
2:19
Okay, so what are we taking off?
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Track pad first, I think.
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Track pad out?
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How are we keeping track of all of this?
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I've been placing them in here.
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I will be back.
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So lower are these ones.
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Track pad upper are these ones.
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Track pad clippy chums.
2:49
Also there's T4s and T5s in here.
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Yeah, that's fine.
2:53
Let's draw the fans on there.
2:56
There, is that pretty self-explanatory?
2:58
Yep.
2:59
It's got a bigger head.
3:00
Ugh.
3:02
Where'd those two come out of?
3:04
It was right here and right here.
3:06
Okay.
3:09
What was the purpose of this screw being shorter?
3:12
There's plenty of room for it to go further if it needed to.
3:15
Oh, they're just a different screw.
3:16
Yeah, different screw.
3:18
I think you're drunk.
3:19
I don't know how you're not getting it with the T4.
3:21
It's T3.
3:23
Do all of these have to come out?
3:24
Yes.
3:26
Oh my God.
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Yeah.
3:29
Right?
3:31
Oh my God.
3:32
Is this yet?
3:33
This is yet another different screw.
3:36
Holy ballsack.
3:38
So that's top left.
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And there's more screws underneath that.
3:42
Oh wow.
3:43
So this little thing hooks on a little thing here,
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then goes down.
3:50
Why you do this?
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Perfection, Linus.
3:57
I think this whole thing is a mistake.
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That's what I think.
4:00
Now I just kind of want it to go back together and work.
4:04
I think we're close.
4:06
I'm starting to think we need to do away
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with the grand plans of water cooling
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and whatever this is though.
4:13
But it would be so fun.
4:14
Fun?
4:15
Fun, yes.
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Are you having fun?
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How many types of screws does it take to get to the fun?
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16.
4:22
I think we're just gonna have to peel off the adhesive.
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Uh.
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Something's holding.
4:27
Oh, there must be a ribbon under there.
4:29
Yeah. Are you for real?
4:30
Yeah.
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Look.
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There's a ribbon right here.
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I just missed it because it's super small.
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There we go.
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Now we can probably lift it up this way.
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That's it.
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This is a royal pain in the ass.
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I actually feel legitimately very bad
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for people whose job is to fix MacBooks all day.
4:51
That's their cooling solution?
4:53
Yeah.
4:54
No wonder the thing thermal throttles.
4:55
How much does it even weigh?
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I actually want to know.
4:58
Okay, nevermind why I have this thing.
5:00
For your drugs?
5:01
53.
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54-ish grams.
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By contrast, a desktop processor would get a cooling solution
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that weighs in the neighborhood of 1.2 kilos.
5:15
That's a pretty excessive cooler, bud.
5:17
Yeah, okay, that's true.
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I don't even think liquid metal is gonna solve this.
5:22
No, it'll help.
5:24
Like, that looks like some not great thermal paste.
5:28
Well, we have to try.
5:31
I mean, we don't have to try, but like, actually.
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We're Linus Tech Picks.
5:36
We have to try?
5:37
Yeah.
5:38
So it's conformal coating time, then.
5:40
Oh, wow, that's a lot.
5:44
Can I help pick some of that up, or?
5:47
Yeah, let's just spread that around.
5:50
No components are dying here today.
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You can say with a straight face that they're not dying
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because they're dead already, or?
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We might want to get the heat gun out
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to have that dry a bit faster, though.
6:03
Well, look at it this way.
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MG Chemicals says that you're supposed to do three coats,
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but we'll probably be fine with one.
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Really not how painting things on works.
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That moment when people are watching a video on YouTube,
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and they are literally watching us watch paint dry.
6:24
So this is it. Liquid metal time.
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Yeah. Do you want to do it?
6:27
Sure. I don't have a liquid metal.
6:30
Hell yeah, brother.
6:33
I'm gonna prime it.
6:35
You wanna give them-
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I made that mistake last week.
6:40
Why are you doing that over the board?
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You don't have a lot of time for this.
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It's like a ball of it.
6:49
Oh, that's kind of sketch.
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Yeah. There we go.
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Okay, we're good.
6:55
Oh, there's some there.
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We should get that.
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I think you could use a touch of water.
6:58
I don't think so.
6:59
All right, fine.
7:00
Maybe just try spreading it around.
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Fade is fade.
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Actually, that's maybe even too much.
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Wow.
7:56
What the actual ?
8:00
Okay, we're not gonna get-
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And we're done.
8:04
I really want to hear an ASMR cover of Chopped Cimino.
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This is such a surprisingly stressful operation.
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Yeah.
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I was expecting it to be more like-
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A normal laptop?
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Yeah, all of the other laptops that are taken apart,
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which has been like, boom,
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and like five minutes later, you're done.
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I'd like to think you go a little more carefully
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than, boom, but pretty much.
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It's no wonder Rossman didn't think the iMac Pro
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would be a big deal.
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Like compared to tooling around with these all the time,
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it's nothing.
8:34
So we are now liquid metaled,
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and now we have to put this back together.
8:39
Yeah.
8:40
Do you remember where the screws go?
8:43
There was one that went on the bottom, right?
8:46
So we need-
8:46
No, that was on the top.
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It was just really hidden.
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It's possible that there's like,
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this is similar to,
8:55
no, I'm like quite sure.
8:58
Okay, so there's nothing that goes in on the bottom.
9:01
Not without permission anyway.
9:03
Right, we can put all the connectors back on.
9:05
Yeah, don't go gently.
9:07
Is that like a Dylan Thomas reference?
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Who's Dylan Thomas?
9:12
Poet.
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You don't get to quote a poem if you don't know who it's by.
9:16
That's like actually a rule.
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It's a screw that goes into a screw.
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It's screw-ception.
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No wonder we couldn't figure that one out.
9:24
Holy crap.
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Can you imagine if we had tried to do this
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without the project mat?
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We would have been so screwed.
9:31
Wow, that's really obnoxious.
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Like you have to have this whole thing on.
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What is this?
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That goes on this little peg here.
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So you sort of get it in position,
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and then give her a push.
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Fun.
9:46
So unnecessary.
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Everything about this is unnecessary.
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It could just sit on there,
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and you could just screw it in.
9:54
Oh, we probably shouldn't do that quite yet.
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I wanna see it.
9:57
Fan spin!
10:05
You don't think that we like need these, do you?
10:09
I doubt it, but let's put them in anyway.
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Like it's not hard.
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And it wasn't.
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It is!
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Ah!
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Ha ha!
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Oh goodness.
10:25
Wow, that was stressful.
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That moment when the delay
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was just a moment too long for comfort.
10:35
So, you need screws in the MacBook for it to turn on.
10:40
We know that now.
10:41
What the hell, Apple?
10:44
Why?
10:45
That needs to be a gift, that moment when you can just-
10:48
How does it just turn off?
10:50
Yeah.
10:52
Okay.
10:54
Maybe it was just unhappy
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because it tried to resume from sleep,
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and actually it was like unplugged for a while.
11:01
Hold on, let me try and log in here.
11:04
Okay, track pad's working.
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Shall we get some after results?
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Yes.
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I know if our operation was worth the stress and time.
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So not cool.
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Get it?
11:17
Because it's about the MacBook Pro.
11:24
All right.
11:25
So we're looking for 1083.
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1083 is what we had before.
11:29
Okay.
11:30
Didn't we get like 1600 in the ASUS?
11:33
Yeah, but that was with low-emotrons, fair.
11:37
Yeah, it doesn't totally count.
11:38
The fans haven't even ramped up yet.
11:40
Are they working?
11:41
Great question.
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1068.
11:43
Okay, that's within margin of error.
11:45
Should we just hit it again and-
11:48
Sure.
11:50
No, it's ramping, I think.
11:54
Yeah, yeah, it's ramping really slowly.
11:57
Interesting.
11:57
Does it normally take that long to ramp up?
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Yeah, I think they're pretty on the go
12:01
by the end of the Cinebench run.
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I wonder if the liquid metal is helping us with that.
12:06
1086, so-
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So exactly the same.
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So, okay.
12:09
Performance.
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The same.
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But now let's try the longer test.
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Normally use the F keys, but-
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What, you don't like the touch bar?
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I really hate it.
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Bitch, cry some more.
12:20
The Blender BMW test stock took six minutes and 11 seconds,
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and with the liquid metal,
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it was six minutes and seven seconds.
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So basically the same.
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So a big fat waste of time.
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And the Classroom took 22 minutes and 58 seconds stock,
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and took 19 minutes and 26 seconds with liquid metal.
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No!
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So that's actually pretty good.
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That's like 13% faster or something like that.
12:46
That's actually like a pretty big improvement.
12:48
So there was a point to doing this.
12:50
Yeah.
12:51
And then how loud was it
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towards the end of that second test there?
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Like spooky quiet almost.
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Well, that's fantastic.
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So once again,
13:01
liquid metal saves the day.
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And once again,
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we are not recommending that you try this at home.
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this actually comes in the box of the liquid metal we don't recommend doing this because
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the risk of damaging your hardware during the disassembly the application of the liquid metal
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and the reassembly is quite high not to mention that we have definitely voided the warranty on
13:28
this machine in the process and the uh the benefit is maybe 10 to 15 faster renders which is actually
13:36
pretty sick but over time liquid metal does actually need to be periodically reapplied
13:43
and that's not a great user experience no no it's not i'm just really sad that we can't put blowing
13:49
the trons on the bottom yeah me too we'd have to like actually cut holes in it because of the whole
13:54
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description so thanks for watching guys if you disliked this video then you probably work at
14:36
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14:37
but if you liked it and you like our fix for the macbook pro and it's thermal issues you can
14:41
hit that like button get subscribed and maybe consider checking out where to buy the stuff
14:45
we featured at the link below so we'll maybe what we'll have a macbook down there we'll have
14:49
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14:54
throw that down there yeah why not uh while you're down there we'll also have a link to our
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15:01
join