Regarding the thermal pads: I used 2.5 mm. I tested different thicknesses but I felt everything thinner than 2mm did not make reliable contact. 2 mm is kinda ok too but I prefer 2.5 mm
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Thanks. Is that both for the main CPU and for the WiFi? (Not sure if the WiFi card needs one or not)
I use the same thermal pads everywhere
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Is there something I can do to keep the temperatures low while waiting for heatsinks or a new plate?
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Thanks for your spec for PCBWay - I’ve ordered for a quote, so looking forward to seeing how it compares. Also got some 2mm and 2.5mm thermal pads on order too… was slightly tempted by having a red version (for my black unit), but stuck with the black - will likely put some stickers on it anyway (which will add back some nice insulation!)
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Has anyone tried adding Thermal Vias to the stock covers. I was pondering trying to add some. I am just worried that I will not be able to make them look good.
I think if someone wanted a short term fix it would probably be pretty easy to find an appropriate piece of aluminum or even brass at a hardware store and some machine screws that don’t require countersunk holes, and cut and drill appropriately using the existing plate as a template
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What would that do to Wifi reception though?
In this thread people are replacing their stock fr4 backplate with aluminum and apparently improving wifi, check the graphs in the first post.
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Ordered mine in black from PCBWay yesterday. Thanks a lot for the files and order guide!
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I’m following this thread very closely in anticipation of my pocket reform arriving!
@jbmorley How is the weight compared to the stock lid?
Out of curiosity a question for those who have ordered already: to how much does the quote from PCBway amount to with the details provided by @jbmorley ? Would be great to know how much to set aside for this upgrade 
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my total after shipping & taxes was around $66 usd, but i imagine ymmv a little depending on where y’all are in the world
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Same here. If you are new to PCBWay they will give you a coupon that takes a few dollars off.
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JLCPCB charged me $32.00 shipped to the US (though I have not yet received the piece yet).
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I payed 90.69 and the distribution of the fees is also nearly the same as for @rwv . However, we are both based in Europe and about half of the total is VAT and shipping, which could be drastically different for others…
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Received my lid (based on @jbmorley’s design) from JLCPCB today. It’s flawless, fits perfectly, does indeed have appropriately countersunk holes, and appears to make the wifi much more reliable. Highly recommend especially for $32.
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Sweet! Really glad to hear it works for you too!
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I’m noticing that wifi disconnects (now, with the aluminum back plate) if I close the lid — my suspicion is that the signal is coming through the fr4 plate that forms the display bezel? I may try mounting antennas on the inside of that plate both for nicer cable routing and in case it improves signal strength
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