How do you remove thermal paste?

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Bona Fide

2[H]4U
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Aug 26, 2005
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Whenever this question comes up, the recommendation is always the same: Alcohol, usually ethanol or isopropyl, at least 90%. But, where do you go from there? I don't suppose you just drizzle the chip with alcohol and wipe it off do you? What I figured was you dampen a cloth with alcohol and then wipe the goop off.

Any input on this? I got a new northbridge cooler [DFI's stock fan is SO LOUD] and I had initially applied AS5 to it. Could someone tell me the right procedure for getting it off?
 
don't dampen anything, you don't need water

Personally I use lint free cloths for cleaning glasses, they're pretty small but work well
 
Go to Walmart or similar, buy Denatured Alcohol in paint section ~$5 for a large can. Take a paper coffee filter (they are lint free), any will do, dampen with alcohol and rub off compound. Repeat until coffee filter comes out clean after rubbing processor.
 
I recently had to remove some from my CPU. I ended up using a makeup sponge and some rubbing alcohol. It worked wonderfully, and event gave it a bit of a shine ;)
 
Bona Fide said:
Whenever this question comes up, the recommendation is always the same: Alcohol, usually ethanol or isopropyl, at least 90%. But, where do you go from there? I don't suppose you just drizzle the chip with alcohol and wipe it off do you? What I figured was you dampen a cloth with alcohol and then wipe the goop off.

Any input on this? I got a new northbridge cooler [DFI's stock fan is SO LOUD] and I had initially applied AS5 to it. Could someone tell me the right procedure for getting it off?
Click to expand...

What did you replace the stock cooler with? Just wondering in case I decide to do the same :).
 
Trick of the trade, use the material that comes with most motherboards(on the bottom of the board) I use it and it works well for getting the paste off.
 
creedAMD said:
Trick of the trade, use the material that comes with most motherboards(on the bottom of the board) I use it and it works well for getting the paste off.
Click to expand...

Do you mean that gray/black coarse-ish foamy stuff or the pink/white/yellow spongy styrofoam kind of stuff?
 
coffee filters work pretty good, i also dab a cotton swab with some isopropyl too.
 
kirbyrj said:
What did you replace the stock cooler with? Just wondering in case I decide to do the same :).
Click to expand...

I'm also curious as I'd like to go passive if I could, but the placement of the stock cooler is overlapped by large video cards (ie; 7800GT) so it would have to be a funky custom passive to work.
 
Lukano said:
Do you mean that gray/black coarse-ish foamy stuff or the pink/white/yellow spongy styrofoam kind of stuff?
Click to expand...

just the gray porous stuff, not the plastic shiny.
 
Yeah, that's what I thought...Vantec Iceberq. They seem to be pretty a pretty common replacement. Let me know how it works when you get it. I'm interested in moving that way also ;).
 
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