How do you Remove Thermal Grease?

[f1racer8292]

Topic^ ?

 

[Zorg]

Topic^ ?

Wipe it off with a coffee filter and rubbing alcohol, and let it dry.

I use Heptane (Bestine). It can be gotten from any graphics arts supply. It also removes any rubber cement based stickers.

 

[curnel_D]

I have a bottle of 'cleaner' in my desk that I may take sips from after seeing certain customers.

Vodka is a little more pure, and leaves no residue compared to normal rubbing alchohol, which I use most commonly for Video equiptment.

Any alchohol will work though. I generally use old Tshirts I've sliced up. Though I've never thought of coffee filters, I dont think I could stand working with that texture.

 

[bluzman32]

i will also be replacing my heatsink for the first time. Is it recommended that I remove the CPU and clean it while holding it, or should I leave it on the motherboard slot? Also, is a credit card really necessary to remove the stock intel grease?

 

[f1racer8292]

Do you think like a cotton ball with alchohol on it would work, and do you keep it on the motherboard or take it off the mobo? THanks

 

[millwright]

If you leave it in the socket you can't bend the pins if it is a pga.
If by stock intel grease, you mean pad, a credit card might help, pads are pretty tough. when trying to remove a heat sink I've pulled PGA processor right out of the socket with our lifting the lever they stick so hard.
solvents like mentioned above will remove a pad , but it takes a while. Even if you scrap it off with a credit card, you will still need solvent

 

[Zorg]

You can probably leave the CPU on the mobo. You will know when you try to remove the TIM. All of the TIM residue must be removed, if it won't come off easily then use something to scrape it off that won't scratch the top of the CPU (IHS).

Use pure rubbing alcohol i.e., no additives lanolin etc. and preferably 90% or better but not critical, 70% will do.

Lightly wet the coffee filter and rub the CPU, don't douse the CPU.

Don't use a cotton ball, either a coffee filter or other non shedding cloth.

Run the machine if you can and remove the HS when it is warm. Use a slight twisting motion to break the HS free. Be very careful with ZIF sockets e.g., Intel 478 etc.

 

[millwright]

don't use too much past either. the past is only for the places that don't touch directly between the heat sink and the processor.
If processors and heat sinks were perfectly smooth and flat on a microscopic basis you wouldn't need past at all. the past only fills the microscopic holes, no past made can transfer heat as well as the parts that touch directly