I have the Acer Nitro 5 AN515-53.
I have a screw that is tightened but may not be tightened ALL the way since the head is stripped, and I don't want to get a new one until I have to open my laptop again to re-apply thermal paste.
As long as all the other screws are fully tightened, will one screw being slightly less tight have no repercussions in heat conductivity?
Is there also no chance of causing damage or making heat conductivity less effective in making screws too tight other than stripped screws and is completely fine?
31 Answer
Overtightening a heatsink screw could strip the screw, crack the cpu, or damage the socket.
Uneven pressure on the cpu may cause an uneven gap between the cpu and the heat sink, causing one side of the cpu to overheat.
Of course, just because one screw can't be tightened all the way doesn't mean that the heatsink isn't properly seated. It might be fine. That is in part why there are springs on these things.
There is a range of tightness that will work. Overtightening other screws to make up for the stripped one is probably a bad idea, as it is less likely to seat the heat sink evenly.
4
