What's the best stuff to clean a heatsink and cpu?

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Vince604

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Just want to know what you guys use to clean your heatsink and cpu core?

I used nail polish remover on my heatsink and after there was still a little amount of material stuck to it that I wasn't able to remove.. any idea how to get rid of it?
thanks
 
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Vince604

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alright thanks.

if you take off a heatsink that already had thermal grease on it, do you have to clean the whole thing and re-apply new thermal grease or compound?
or can you just put the heatsink back on again?
 
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btvillarin

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Unless you cleaned off the core, you can just put it on again. If you did clean off the core, then you should clean off the heatsink as well, then reapply.

If you get AS on the ceramic part of your processor, you can use dishwashing liquid (without water) to clean it off. I just used a cotton swab to apply and wipe. After it's clean, use rubbing alcohol to remove the excess residue. One year can't be wrong... :lol: (Sorry if that wasn't funny, it was for me. :smile: )

<font color=red><A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com" target="_new">btvillarin.com</A> - My Windows XP-based Website</font color=red>
 
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Vince604

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Hmm okay then.. I thought if you take it off clean both the core and heatsink and reapply new stuff... to ensure good heat conduction..
you got any idea if the core is the whole processor? Not sure but it's chipped but loads up and everything but skips files at some point when installing..

opps.. I just used rubbing alcohol to get rid of the acetone.. not sure if it will do the job but I think it'll be okay!
haha okay so I'm guessing it can't go wrong with me either for the next year!
 
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btvillarin

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Well, if you transport your computer somewhere, and the HSF is kind of heavy (i.e. Swiftech MCX models), then if you take it off and don't rub that thermal compound at all, you can put it right back on. (I had to do this when I brought it to class for a demonstration.)

The core isn't the whole processor, but it is the part that gets the heat transferred.

If you have some files being skipped when installing, check to see if your memory is being overclocked; either your FSB or it's clock timings. If it's rated at CL=2.5, and your BIOS is set to 2, then it might be the reason.

Rubbing alcohol should be just fine. :smile:

<font color=red><A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com" target="_new">btvillarin.com</A> - My Windows XP-based Website</font color=red>
 
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Vince604

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alright then. thanks

what you mean the core gets the heat transferred? your saying that's the part where all the heat goes through to keep the processor cool?

alright I'll check the bios..
thanks again
 
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GeoVincent24

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I have a related question. My heatsink had some terrible thermal paste that came with it---this pink stuff with the consistency of chewing gum. Very solid. It seeped onto the edges of the processor, and now I am replacing it. How the heck should I get it off the processor and heatsink?

-Vincent
 
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btvillarin

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The tiny part in the middle. It's surrounded by the ceramic portion of the processor. The core heat is transferred thru to the heatsink, so the fan can dissipate the heat more efficiently. Thermal compound is used because there are microscopic pores that will create air bubbles, which isn't good. So, the better thermal compound you have, the better it will aid in heat transfer.

(Someone correct me if I explained this wrong. Thanks...)

Take care,
Bryan

<font color=red><A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com" target="_new">btvillarin.com</A> - My Windows XP-based Website</font color=red>
 
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btvillarin

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I haven't had experience with that stuff, so I hope someone else can help you out with this. Don't do any scrubbing, because that would damage the finish of the heatsink. It's vital that it stays as smooth as possible...

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GeoVincent24

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Yes...what I beleive this is is a thermal pad...a parafin (wax) based TIM which melts into the CPU and heatsink at high temperatures. That would work, except that it bled all over the place. apparently this cannot be removed. Any other TIM I use will be applied over the remnants of that junk. I wonder why AMD sent such a terrible thermal paste with their CPU and heatsink...never again will I use what comes with the processor.

-Vincent
 
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Vince604

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Ahh.. is it like a small rectangular area that has the stuff stuck on to? If it is you can use the end of a plastic pen cap and scrap it off... it won't damage the heatsink as it's pretty hard to actually put a scratch into the heatsink unless your using a nail or something..

then clean with anything that has acetone like nail polish remover.. then finish it off with rubbing alcohol.
 
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Vince604

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Okay.. just want to make things more clear and straight..
if you head to:
http://www.articsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm
(they have good close-ups of the processors)

look at number three.... and you will see an AMD processor and 2 Intel processors...

each of the cores are highlighted red...
looking at the AMD processor.. imagine if the top half of the M on the core were it has AMD writen on was chipped off... I would say halfway deep down but not all the way.. so you only see the bottom half of the M and it's just silver were the little piece chipped off is...

Would this kill the processor automatically? or do you think it should still work fine if I fill it with Artic Silver three and put back on the heatsink?
 
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btvillarin

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Make that clickable:
<A HREF="http://www.articsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm" target="_new">http://www.articsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm</A>

I wish I knew what effect that chip would have on it. Start up a new thread about this and see if people have had this experience. Fortunately, I haven't been through this. :eek:

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Vince604

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Alright. well I've asked people before and they didn't know either so it's okay.

sorry but how do you make it clickable???
Never figured it out how to do that..

oh yeah got a quick question.. can you put thermal compound on the old slot processors?..
I have a old celeron that is in the slot type form and when I took it off the mobo and cleaning the fan the pins that hold it together unclipped and open making the cpu and heatsink losing contact... so just wanted to fix it back up.
 
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btvillarin

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<A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq" target="_new">FAQ to your left</A> :smile:

I don't know about that either. New thread... :wink:

See ya,
Bryan

<font color=red><A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com" target="_new">btvillarin.com</A> - My Windows XP-based Website</font color=red>
 
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SEB

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The tiny part in the middle. It's surrounded by the ceramic portion of the processor. The core heat is transferred thru to the heatsink, so the fan can dissipate the heat more efficiently. Thermal compound is used because there are microscopic pores that will create air bubbles, which isn't good. So, the better thermal compound you have, the better it will aid in heat transfer.

(Someone correct me if I explained this wrong. Thanks...)
Click to expand...

I think that you have said that quite well bt

:cool: <font color=blue><b>BAD ASS BOYS OVERCLOCK BAD ASS TOYS</b></font color=blue> :cool:
 
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HonestJhon

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yeah, you explained it well.
but i would like to add something.. :smile:
the reason the air pockets cause problems is because air is an insulator when compared to metal/metal contact. but since it is VERY hard to make the base of the heatsink perfect, and very difficult to make the cpu core perfect, they invented thermal interface material. and when it fills in the microscopic valleys, it transfers the heat better than air. this is especially true with arctic silver's products, because they contain like 80% silver, (which is a very good and relatively inexpensive heat conductor). but the white paste from radio shack is also better than nothing at all...and even better than the thermal pad that most heatsinks and all retail heatsinks come with.
hehe. :smile:

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-
 
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btvillarin

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Thanks SEB!

And Dave, nice extension... :smile:

<font color=red><A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com" target="_new">btvillarin.com</A> - My Windows XP-based Website</font color=red>
 
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HonestJhon

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AHYUK! :smile:
now hopefully, people will search the boards for this, instead of asking the same question again...hehe.... :smile:

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-
 
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btvillarin

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Yeah, I'll be sure to either bookmark it, or copy it in article form to my website... :smile:

Bryan

<font color=red><A HREF="http://www.btvillarin.com" target="_new">btvillarin.com</A> - My Windows XP-based Website</font color=red>
 
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