Taking off CPU cooler

[Lazar_99]

Hi guys. i heard that i should heat up the thermal paste before taikng the cpu cooler off. I did heat it but the cooler kept sliding on the surface of the processor and won't get off. I came to the conclusion that its same as non heated paste. I twist the cooler and take it off which i find safer. with heated paste the heatsink is glued to the CPU but it slides on it and when i was taking it off i felt like i was gonna take out the CPU with the heatsink.

 

[InvalidError]

The easiest way to get a HSF off a CPU is to gently twist it to break the vacuum bond between the HSF and IHS and then gently tilt the HSF.

 

[vx53c]

i usually do it in circular motions while tipping one side a little. It happens and if it does it means whoever applied it did a good job. Don't force it, be gentle and persistent.

 

[Lazar_99]

i usually do it in circular motions while tipping one side a little. It happens and if it does it means whoever applied it did a good job. Don't force it, be gentle and persistent.

Yeah well when i did it my friend wanted to have a look at the CPU and got his hands greased by the paste and got some of it on the pins... if i hadn't noticed it would have been a short for sure....

 

[Lazar_99]

The easiest way to get a HSF off a CPU is to gently twist it to break the vacuum bond between the HSF and IHS and then gently tilt the HSF.

Does that count when the paste is cold or hot?

 

[spookyman]

It really does not matter if the paste is cold or hot.

As for the Thermal paste, just clean it up with some rubbing alcohol. Its what I use and does the job well.

 

[InvalidError]

Does that count when the paste is cold or hot?

Doesn't matter. Both the twist and rocking methods will work cold or hot.

Heat may reduce the paste's viscosity and make breaking the vacuum bond easier but if the paste has fully settled, most of the oil will have seeped out and temperature will have little to no effect.

 

[Lazar_99]

It really does not matter if the paste is cold or hot.

As for the Thermal paste, just clean it up with some rubbing alcohol. Its what I use and does the job well.

Yeah i used alcohol as well.

 

[Lazar_99]

Doesn't matter. Both the twist and rocking methods will work cold or hot.

Heat may reduce the paste's viscosity and make breaking the vacuum bond easier but if the paste has fully settled, most of the oil will have seeped out and temperature will have little to no effect.

I also have another question. Why do they say that the CPU pins break if they are touched? I have a dead phenom II lying around and i touched its pins and attempted to break them but i only succeeded in getting my fingers spiked lol

 

[InvalidError]

I also have another question. Why do they say that the CPU pins break if they are touched? I have a dead phenom II lying around and i touched its pins and attempted to break them but i only succeeded in getting my fingers spiked lol

Unless the bonding between the pins and package or the pins themselves are defective, pins will not spontaneously fall off by merely touching them. But these things are not generally meant to be touched and are still on the rather quite fragile end of the breakability scale so it should still be avoided as much as possible to avoid accidentally bending pins since pins can only be bent so much so many times before breaking off from metal fatigue.

 

[Lazar_99]

Unless the bonding between the pins and package or the pins themselves are defective, pins will not spontaneously fall off by merely touching them. But these things are not generally meant to be touched and are still on the rather quite fragile end of the breakability scale so it should still be avoided as much as possible to avoid accidentally bending pins since pins can only be bent so much so many times before breaking off from metal fatigue.

I was merely testing the "endurance" of the pins of my dead CPU. Even though my first impression is that the pins are tough it is still not recommended touching them on a fully working CPU. Though i think bashing them with something would have done the job but i tried dropping the CPU to fall on its pins and still nothing although i dropped it on a carpet, i'm guessing if it wasn't on a carpet there would be some broken pins

 

[InvalidError]

i'm guessing if it wasn't on a carpet there would be some broken pins

Maybe not broken but bent at the very least and possibly to the point of not surviving straightening afterward.

 

[vx53c]

paste leakage on the cpu means too much paste was applied. You needa veeeery very thin but uniform coating.
I use plastic or rubber spoons with straight edge to spread it before attaching cooler to cpu. Size of half a rice on each and spreading (takes a while)

 

[Lazar_99]

paste leakage on the cpu means too much paste was applied. You needa veeeery very thin but uniform coating.
I use plastic or rubber spoons with straight edge to spread it before attaching cooler to cpu. Size of half a rice on each and spreading (takes a while)

Well OMG. I let my friend clean up the paste from the CPU and he ended up getting it on the pins

 

[Lazar_99]

Best answer selected by lazar_99.