Inspect it for any thermal paste where it came into contact with the heatsink.
Clean heatsink thermal paste.
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Avoid using rubbing alcohol which is just 70 ipa.
I like to use kimwipes as they leave very little lint.
If it isn t clean it reapply thermal paste and make sure it is now connected much more stable to the cpu.
Use a coffee filter or a lint free cloth and a little isopropyl alcohol a k a.
6 5w m k thermal paste cpu paste heatsink past thermal compound.
But since air is a notoriously poor conductor of heat.
Clean out the heatsink and cpu then apply a very thin even coat of thermal paste on the cpu.
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Wipe away most of the thermal paste that you can and then use 99 pure ipa to clean away any residue.
Remove the heatsink depending on what kind of heatsink you have flip the latch or release the retention clips that keep the heatsink attached to the cpu.
I usually keep the heatsink as level as possible when i put it back on and tighten the screws little by little in a star pattern like lugnuts on a car.
However if you use a spudger to scrape the old paste away only use a plastic one to reduce the chance of scratching or otherwise damaging parts.
Note that if you remove your cpu cooler for any reason you should always apply new thermal paste.
Macbook pro 15 unibody early 2011.
Replace the heatsink careful to put it straight down on the cpu.
Looks like you have no ventilation.
If you find any use the same steps to clean the surface.
Thermal paste can sometimes harden which greatly reduces its effectiveness.
Chances are if you ve noticed an increase in temperature over the years it s due to the paste drying out.
Thermal paste can get mighty hard depending on how long it has been applied for.