Thermal paste in cpu pins... help?

DespisedIc0n

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Feb 12, 2015
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I know this topic has been beaten like a dead horse - use isopropyl alcohol, cotton swabs, toothpicks, the works. Only problem is, all this has done is pushed the thermal paste flat against the chip... Like, I tried to get it out of the pins, but wound up just pushing it down. This is dried thermal paste too, mind you, from when I was cleaning old thermal paste off my cpu. Any tips on getting it off? I've tried letting some alcohol drip down onto it and then flossing it out with unflavored floss and then using a toothpick to pick it out but it wasn't exactly effective. I was thinking of getting a small bowl, setting the cpu in it, and filling it with alcohol until it touches the paste - no further than that, and then letting it soak for a while, and then trying to take it off. thoughts?
 
Use a very soft toothbrush and some alcohol. That should clean it out well enough.

If it is the sticky grey or pink paste, maybe try using some goo-gone first, then alcohol.

Put just 1-2 drops of goo-gone on it and let is soak for 2-3 minutes to soften the paste. Then try brushing it out. Once you can see no more paste, clean the pins and CPU surface with some 90% alcohol.
 

Rookie_MIB

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Electronics spray cleaner or carburetor cleaner, along with an air compressor. I would say use nothing PHYSICAL to try and get it out, don't want to bend the pins. You -could- also soak the cpu in rubbing alcohol, then blow it out with compressed air...
 

DougLYX

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Apr 9, 2011
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alot of the pastes are oil based, u need mineral oil or baby oil to help break it down enough to clean it out. carb cleaner is good idea too..it will loosen it up as well. i use this method for cleaning cpu tops =
1 scrap paste off with plastic wedge(razor if it's stiff)
use paper towels to wipe excess, then use baby oil to get remaining layers
then use alcohol to wipe excess oil off after i ran dry towel over it first.
the try dry towel again.
final thought..make sure your cleaning methods don't harm the unit you are cleaning..some solvents eat the plastic or glues used.
 

DougLYX

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Apr 9, 2011
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soak effected area in mineral oil or baby oil overnight( or carb cleaner if it's enough for it), use razor edge to fine scrape the effected areas(chip edge only), fine brush for other effected areas..slowly and carefully for both methods, fast won't make it get out faster...just confuse u more and might damage the item. repeat if needed.

one last item = switch to non-conductive pastes so u don't have to worry about this again