Adam Patrick Murray is a man on a mission: Make the Asus ROG Ally perform better when the heat is on. He’s already tried out re-applying thermal paste to the handheld PC’s AMD Z1 Extreme APU, with results that were conclusive, if less than dramatic. In the latest PCWorld YouTube video, he’s back to try out suggestions from our viewer community, a few thermal paste brand and a pad with perfectly even application.
After running baseline benchmarks and cracking open the retail ROG Ally unit, Adam disconnected the power, got the stock double-fan cooler off the primary PCB, and cleaned off the original thermal paste. He then applied Kryonaut Thermal Grizzly, a popular aftermarket paste for desktop gaming PCs. He then re-assembled the Ally, did more benchmarks, and re-did the whole process, removing the Kryonaut paste and applying a custom-cut thermal pad, PTM7950. It’s an interface material that stays in one piece for an easy, OEM-style application.
The results? Unlike the boost in thermal performance in the similar Steam Deck, the ROG Ally doesn’t seem to get a huge improvement with new thermal paste alone. With the time and materials it takes to try this, not to say the risk anytime you expose a device’s central processor, you’re better off leaving your Ally be.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.