The use of liquid metal thermal interface material (TIM) is increasingly common among high-performance computer systems makers. However, this thermally attractive substance can be tricky to apply and keep in place. So Asus ROG China has outlined a new liquid metal performance guarantee. Hopefully, this enhanced level of service will be applicable worldwide in the coming months.
While several companies have dabbled, Asus ROG has arguably done more than most rivals to adopt liquid metal TIM and highlight it as an attractive feature of a PC / laptop build. Indeed, earlier this year Asus ROG celebrated four years of liquid metal in ROG laptops. Having had such extensive experience with liquid metal application, placement retention, and other safeguards, it seems right that Asus should now be able to confidently guarantee system cooling performance reliant on this TIM.
In a notice to Asus ROG owners, as spotted by ITHome, Asus makes clear the benefits of a fully working and intact liquid metal interfaced cooling system. It reminds users that liquid metal’s thermal performance “far exceeds that of ordinary silicone grease.” Asus quotes thermal conductivity comparison figures of liquid metal at 85.4 W/mK and regular thermal paste at 6 W/mK, asserting that this comparison means liquid metal is typically 14x better at wicking heat away. Moreover, Asus ROG heralds liquid metal’s minor shrinkage characteristics over a long service life.
Liquid metal isn’t without its drawbacks though, hence the necessity for this enhanced guarantee. It has a reputation for seeping or leaking out from where you want it to stay, and needs special care and attention to apply. Asus says it uses “a tiny barrier sponge just 0.1 mm tall around the CPU socket, safeguarding against any accidental seepage.”
The Asus ROG liquid metal TIM performance guarantee in China means that buyers of 2023 laptops with liquid metal can return the device to a service center for free testing and assessment if the user thinks the cooling system isn’t working as well as it should. Perhaps the user noticed a drop-off in performance since new, or the fans have started to become more active or much louder. Signs like these might warrant further investigation.
The Inevitable T&Cs
Naturally, there are a number of terms and conditions Asus China ties to this service guarantee. Firstly, the product must have been bought in China within the last year. The user must have registered for product accident insurance (which is likely a paid service). Also, there must be no signs of previous user disassembly affecting the cooling components. Apparently, there are special tamper-evident stickers placed around the cooling module.
Lastly, as well as limiting the guarantee to 2023 ROG laptops, only some laptop series will get this reassuring service guarantee. In China, the selected models appear to include the Gunslinger 7 series, Moba 7 Plus series, Moba Xinrui laptop, and Ice Blade 7 dual-screen models. We aren’t sure what the Western equivalent to these are, but they may be similar models to the ROG Strix, TUF, and Zephyrus gaming laptops. Asus says further 2023 models will be added to the after-sales service plan in due course.
It is good to see Asus providing enhanced service and guarantees for its gaming laptops, which often come at a price premium. Offering this improved service in China also bodes well for a similar service rollout worldwide, and shows Asus must be confident in its liquid metal application and retention technologies in 2023.
