I have the same Acer Aspire in your photos, and I think its about time to change my thermal paste. You used Arctic Silver. At the moment I can’t get me hands on some Arctic Silver, but I do have another brand called EVERCOOL, Sidewinder Thermal Compound. Can I use it?

I think you can. I used Arctic Silver just as an example.

thanks

I have an HP Pavilion 9548 and am replacing the systemboard on it. The HP guides says to use Thermal Pads AND Thermal Paste when replacing any of these components. I have ordered both, but how do I apply both the pads and the paste? I am nervous about doing in incorrectly since heat is what apparently fried the GPU in the first place

Some chips require thermal paste, other chips required thermal pads but you don’t use them together.
When you replace the motherboard, you’ll see where HP uses thermal paste or thermal pads. Make some notes so you don’t forget and apply them in the same order.

thanks!

Mine feels like it will rip the CPU off if I attempt to lift it carefully (more like a pull) ?

Apparently in your laptop thermal grease dried out and glued the heatsink to the CPU.
I know, sometimes it fills like you are going to rip the CPU off the socket and very often it comes out attached to the heat sink.

Let’s say you removed the heat sink and the CPU came out attached to it. What should you do?
1. Very carefully separate the CPU from the heat sink with a flat head screwdriver.
2. Open the CPU socket by turning the screw-lock into the “Open” position.
3. Insert the CPU into the socket. Make sure the orientation is correct. Lock the socket.
4. Now, when the CPU is installed back into the socket and secured, you can clean old thermal grease with alcohol.

I have an XPS 13, here is a picture of both my GPU and CPU.

Can you tell me if Arctic Silver 5 would be suitable, if not then what type of thermal pad should I use?

I’m not sure what XPS 13 is. Are you sure the model number is correct? Is is XPS M1330?
Take a look at this picture of the heat sink assembly.

Do you see blue thermal pads for the GPU chip? That’s what I’m talking about. I would use thermal pad instead of the grease. I think using thermal grease on the CPU is OK.
I don’t know where to buy thermal pads separately, but you can buy a new heat sink with thermal pads here. Contact the seller and make sure the heat sink comes with thermal pads.

Can you tell me if Arctic Silver 5 would be suitable, if not then what type of thermal pad should I use? are there any substitutes that can be used?

Is arctic silver 5 ok for the NVIDIA chip. Do you have any photos on how it should be applied to the GPU?

Maybe you should use thermal pad instead of Arctic Silver. What is your laptop brand and model?