Poor liquid metal application corrodes Asus Zephyrus M16 CPU heatsink, causes performance issues

Liquid Metal Corrosion Discovered

A user of a 2022 Asus Zephyrus M16 laptop, equipped with an Intel Core i9-12900H processor, encountered severe overheating and system crashes. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the factory-applied liquid metal thermal interface material (TIM) on the CPU had corroded the heatsink and spilled from its designated cavity. The corrosion had worn through the heatsink and almost reached the CPU's silicon die.

Performance Degradation and Instability

The laptop, primarily used for light tasks, began exhibiting performance degradation in games, followed by thermal throttling and hard crashes. The user noted the machine was running hotter than usual, prompting an investigation into the thermal management system. The instability was directly linked to the compromised liquid metal application.

Risk of Short Circuit

Liquid metal is electrically conductive, posing a risk of short-circuiting components if it comes into contact with surrounding circuitry. The corrosion observed on the heatsink and the spillage of the liquid metal increased the potential for a catastrophic failure. The article suggests that chemicals mixed into Asus's liquid metal for adhesion might contribute to this corrosive effect over time.

Resolution and Improved Performance

The user replaced the problematic liquid metal with PTM7950 phase change material. This intervention successfully resolved the overheating and crashing issues. Post-replacement, the laptop's framerates reportedly tripled, and system stability was restored, indicating the significant impact of proper thermal management on performance.