Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
After 7 years using liquid metal on a laptop CPU and GPU, I check the copper heatsink, dry residue, temperatures, and long-term damage.
đź“Ś*Useful links*
Liquid Metal: hfixt.com/lqm
Conformal Coating: hfixt.com/tgs
Liquid insulation coating: amzn.to/3Ghkyjs
Flitz polish paste: amzn.to/3LWI1IS
HowFixit Store: amazon.com/howfixit
Global AliExpress:
Liquid Metal: hfixt.com/alm
Liquid insulation coating: hfixt.com/lic
🌟*Useful links*
Best Thermal Paste vs Liquid Metal: youtu.be/rwSuyQOzgPo
How to Remove Liquid Metal: youtu.be/-hCHKnZxUpQ
More DIY repair guides: how-fixit.com
📱Follow us for more tech tips and guides!
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*Description*
Three years after my last liquid metal experiment, it’s time to check the real long-term result. This Dell laptop has now been running with Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut liquid metal on the CPU and GPU for a total of 7 years under heavy daily workloads, including 4K 60FPS video editing and rendering.
In this video, I remove the heatsink and inspect what happened to the liquid metal after 3 years on a bare copper heatsink. Did it stay liquid? Did it turn dry? Did gallium damage the copper surface? And most importantly, did liquid metal destroy the CPU, GPU, or heatsink?
I explain why liquid metal can react with copper, why it may turn into a dry metallic powder-like residue, and why this is different from the dangerous reaction between liquid metal and aluminum. I also share my practical conclusion about how often liquid metal should be serviced in a laptop with a bare copper heatsink.
This is a real-world long-term test, not a short benchmark. The laptop is still working perfectly after 7 years, but the result clearly shows that liquid metal is not a “set it and forget it” solution.
Watch the full video to see the copper-gallium surface layer, liquid metal residue, and my next one-year experiment.
🎬 Timecodes:
0:00 — Liquid metal after 7 years: introduction
0:28 — What was tested in the first video
0:58 — Why people are skeptical about liquid metal
1:53 — Liquid metal removed after 3 years
2:10 — Why liquid metal reacted with copper
2:36 — How heat and thermal cycles affect liquid metal
3:10 — Could too little liquid metal be the reason?
3:50 — Why the laptop still transferred heat
4:26 — Fresh liquid metal vs dry residue
4:38 — Copper-gallium surface layer explained
4:54 — Why copper is different from aluminum
5:18 — Did liquid metal damage the heatsink?
5:29 — How often should liquid metal be replaced?
6:16 — Main conclusions after 7 years
7:03 — Can you switch back to regular thermal paste?
7:34 — New one-year liquid metal experiment
8:43 — What should I test next?
8:53 — Laptop overheating advice
🌟FAQ:
âť“Question: Does liquid metal damage a copper heatsink?
✔️Answer: Liquid metal reacts with copper and can create a permanent copper-gallium surface layer, but in this test it did not destroy the heatsink or create serious damage that prevented proper contact.
âť“Question: How often should liquid metal be replaced in a laptop?
✔️Answer: Based on this long-term test, liquid metal on a bare copper heatsink should be checked or replaced every one to two years, especially in laptops under heavy load.
âť“Question: Why did the liquid metal turn dry?
✔️Answer: The liquid metal likely lost part of its liquid phase because gallium continued reacting with bare copper over time, especially under high temperatures and repeated thermal cycles.
âť“Question: Can I switch back from liquid metal to regular thermal paste?
✔️Answer: Yes. The copper surface can be cleaned more deeply with Flitz polishing paste or a similar non-abrasive metal polish, and regular thermal paste can be applied again.
AFFILIATE PROGRAM
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
#howfixit #liquidmetal #thermalpaste
After 7 years using liquid metal on a laptop CPU and GPU, I check the copper heatsink, dry residue, temperatures, and long-term damage.
đź“Ś*Useful links*
Liquid Metal: hfixt.com/lqm
Conformal Coating: hfixt.com/tgs
Liquid insulation coating: amzn.to/3Ghkyjs
Flitz polish paste: amzn.to/3LWI1IS
HowFixit Store: amazon.com/howfixit
Global AliExpress:
Liquid Metal: hfixt.com/alm
Liquid insulation coating: hfixt.com/lic
🌟*Useful links*
Best Thermal Paste vs Liquid Metal: youtu.be/rwSuyQOzgPo
How to Remove Liquid Metal: youtu.be/-hCHKnZxUpQ
More DIY repair guides: how-fixit.com
📱Follow us for more tech tips and guides!
TikTok: tiktok.com/@howfixit
Instagram: instagram.com/howfixit
Facebook: facebook.com/HowFixit
X: https://x.com/HowFixit
*Description*
Three years after my last liquid metal experiment, it’s time to check the real long-term result. This Dell laptop has now been running with Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut liquid metal on the CPU and GPU for a total of 7 years under heavy daily workloads, including 4K 60FPS video editing and rendering.
In this video, I remove the heatsink and inspect what happened to the liquid metal after 3 years on a bare copper heatsink. Did it stay liquid? Did it turn dry? Did gallium damage the copper surface? And most importantly, did liquid metal destroy the CPU, GPU, or heatsink?
I explain why liquid metal can react with copper, why it may turn into a dry metallic powder-like residue, and why this is different from the dangerous reaction between liquid metal and aluminum. I also share my practical conclusion about how often liquid metal should be serviced in a laptop with a bare copper heatsink.
This is a real-world long-term test, not a short benchmark. The laptop is still working perfectly after 7 years, but the result clearly shows that liquid metal is not a “set it and forget it” solution.
Watch the full video to see the copper-gallium surface layer, liquid metal residue, and my next one-year experiment.
🎬 Timecodes:
0:00 — Liquid metal after 7 years: introduction
0:28 — What was tested in the first video
0:58 — Why people are skeptical about liquid metal
1:53 — Liquid metal removed after 3 years
2:10 — Why liquid metal reacted with copper
2:36 — How heat and thermal cycles affect liquid metal
3:10 — Could too little liquid metal be the reason?
3:50 — Why the laptop still transferred heat
4:26 — Fresh liquid metal vs dry residue
4:38 — Copper-gallium surface layer explained
4:54 — Why copper is different from aluminum
5:18 — Did liquid metal damage the heatsink?
5:29 — How often should liquid metal be replaced?
6:16 — Main conclusions after 7 years
7:03 — Can you switch back to regular thermal paste?
7:34 — New one-year liquid metal experiment
8:43 — What should I test next?
8:53 — Laptop overheating advice
🌟FAQ:
âť“Question: Does liquid metal damage a copper heatsink?
✔️Answer: Liquid metal reacts with copper and can create a permanent copper-gallium surface layer, but in this test it did not destroy the heatsink or create serious damage that prevented proper contact.
âť“Question: How often should liquid metal be replaced in a laptop?
✔️Answer: Based on this long-term test, liquid metal on a bare copper heatsink should be checked or replaced every one to two years, especially in laptops under heavy load.
âť“Question: Why did the liquid metal turn dry?
✔️Answer: The liquid metal likely lost part of its liquid phase because gallium continued reacting with bare copper over time, especially under high temperatures and repeated thermal cycles.
âť“Question: Can I switch back from liquid metal to regular thermal paste?
✔️Answer: Yes. The copper surface can be cleaned more deeply with Flitz polishing paste or a similar non-abrasive metal polish, and regular thermal paste can be applied again.
AFFILIATE PROGRAM
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
#howfixit #liquidmetal #thermalpaste
