Can you upgrade a laptop fan and how would it affect performance?

[IGR_Games05]

Hello! I use this laptop for low-grade gaming... although it isn't really made for it... Whatever. The fan seems to be running kinda louder and also I don't think the cooling is the best. So I wanted to ask from the limited amount of fans usable for this laptop (if it's more than one ) are there any which will improve cooling and performance? Thank you to everyone who is useful!

[Huffer · Accepted solution]

No the fan is the fan. Its a specified HP Part and not an industry standard generic thing like a desktop computer. 

They make a thing called a cooling pad which has extra external fans but I have always thought a laptop should be able to cool itself. You can also disassemble and replace the cooling compound and generally clean up around the cpu and fan to enhance cooling. 

[IGR_Games05]

Thank you a lot! An off-topic question is: I was thinking of swapping the thermal paste this summer and taught if I can apply some paste both to the CPU and GPU? Probably yes but I'm still learning about tech, so I will be very grateful to get an answer by someone who knows more. Once again thank you!

[Huffer]

Typically the heatsink has a pad that covers CPU and GPU and you apply thermal paste on both pads. 

heatsink with 2 pads

[IGR_Games05]

So it isn't applied to the chip, but to the heat sink pads. And you can apply the same paste to both. Ok got it. Usually I know that desktop GPUs have some thermal pads which go there instead of thermal paste, I think, but as I see laptops are very different. Thank you a lot! I appreciate it!

[IGR_Games05]

Oh I hope you're still here. If we say that I bought this laptop in 2015/16 and never changed the thermal paste, but put the laptop under average to heavy load almost every day how will changing the thermal paste with a medium to high quality one and also cleaning it fully (never cleaned it on the inside) affect performance?

[Huffer]

You can't draw general rules. Some laptops use pads. This model seems not to. You actually apply the paste to the top of the chip and then bolt the heatsink down on top so paste also sticks to the pads on the heatsink. In this picture too much paste has been used.