Please Help, thermal compound NOT coming off

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Operaghost

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
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I'm trying to clean off the arctic silver from this CPU and just isn't coming off for shit.

Using 91% isopropyl alcohol and q-tips.

Anyone suggest another safe method besides buying some expensive remover from AS?
 
It seems it is coming off cause there is residue on the q-tips but it doesn't seem to be making any progress on the cpu
 
I just douse or wet a paper towel a little bit in isopropyl and use that to remove the thermal paste. Wipe and clean. If you want a cleaner solution, use coffee filters, dip in isopropyl, and wipe and clean.
 
You may have to buy the AS stuff. it works ALOT better than alcohol.

I had to remove themalpaste that was literally caked on after years of not being redone and it had to be removed with LOTS of alochol and LOTS of qtips and elbow grease. trust me, you'll save yourself alot of effort if you get the AS stuff and just let it sit. its pretty amazing how well it breaks down the paste and its only 10 bucks and lasts a long time for many times.
 
Pretty sure it was AS5.

This compound isn't like I've seen any before on a chip. Its surface is like glass....

I'm gonna keep trying with the alchohol for tonight and if I can't get it clean then I'll just buy the AS stuff I guess.
 
You can try nail polish remover, just be sure to follow up with alcohol afterwards.
 
Operaghost said:
Pretty sure it was AS5.

This compound isn't like I've seen any before on a chip. Its surface is like glass....

I'm gonna keep trying with the alchohol for tonight and if I can't get it clean then I'll just buy the AS stuff I guess.
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What CPU are you cleaning this off of?
 
I used a bit of WD40 in a paper towel. It wipes right off. Clean with isopropyl. Now you're golden to re application.
 
Lighter fluid also works well for the really stubborn stuff. Just make sure to clean it really well with alcohol to get all of the lighter fluid off.

 
Try a little laquer thinner. That'll cut right through it. Then clean with alcohol.
 
ArcticClean..............guaranteed not to FUBAR your chip.
 
Goof Off (not to be confused with goo off) is the best stuff I have used.
41DV4GK6SXL._SS400_.jpg

You can pick it up at Walmart for around $4. I hate Walmart but it sure beats waiting for AS to be delivered if you don't have a store around you that carries it.
 
Well I got my Arctic Clean today and guess what?

Its not doing jack shit.
Compound is still staying on there.
I got no clue what to do now.
 
are you sure you're not talking about the artic silver epoxy product? Because believe it or not, that happened to me. I needed nail polish remover to get it off.
 
I'm not sure what was used on it. It belonged to a friend of mine. I'm trying to get him to tell me but he said he wasn't sure. Just knows it was AS something. I'm trying to get him to look up exactly what it was.
 
Operaghost said:
I'm not sure what was used on it. It belonged to a friend of mine. I'm trying to get him to tell me but he said he wasn't sure. Just knows it was AS something. I'm trying to get him to look up exactly what it was.
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just ask him if the product came in 2 parts; if he had to mix 2 products together before applying it. then it is indeed the thermal epoxy. I can't imagine any other as5 product even resembling what you're describing.
 
Tried some nail polish remover. That worked as bout as well as the isopropyl and the artic clean worked.
 
You might need to get a slighly more heavy duty solvent, like denatured alcohol. I can't say how safe something like denatured alcohol would be though.
 
I have a can of engine degreaser I use to clean procs sometimes. It will cut through most any thermal compound stuff. Just a bit of the foam is plenty. Just watch the fumes, and clean it off promptly, clean well afterwards, etc.
 
Ok he just got back to me. Looks like he used an adhesive/epoxy cause he said he had to mix 2 bottles.

Sooooo....anyone have anymore suggestions on how to get this shit off.
 
Kmical said:
Using adhesive/epoxy on a QX9770 = FAIL :(
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Yea. Was it actually thermal epoxy or did he use other stuff. Cause if its not even thermal epoxy then well WTF.

Take a razor blade and scrape it off or just lap the thing. Sand it all off. You'll get better temps anyways.
 
Yes ot was Arctic Silver thermal epoxy.

I read of some people who had the same problem who froze it to remove it because it becomes brittle at cold temps. So I'm going to try to freeze it and scrape it off with a razor
 
Yes ot was Arctic Silver thermal epoxy.
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ouch, gonna be almost impossible to get it off with solvents. I would just pretend you are lapping the cpu and start in with 200 grit wet and dry sandpaper and go up in grit as you feel necessary after you sand the epoxy off.
 
Pour a small amount of acetone in a glass dish.

Put the chip face down in the acetone. You just want the acetone to come up to the rim of the chip (IE, the chip goes in about a 1mm puddle of acetone)... Not enough to get the circuit board wet.

Then place this in the freezer. Add more acetone as it evaporates, but it should stop evaporating after an hour or two. This will dissolve the epoxy... Just make sure you don't submerge the entire chip in the stuff ;).

And, how the hell did he get the HSF off if he epoxied it :confused:
 
And, how the hell did he get the HSF off if he epoxied it
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I have no clue man. I even asked him if it was a pain to pull off. He said it wasn't hard at all. So I'm not sure how he managed it.
 
We've established that he fucked up.

Could we stop bashing my friend now? He isn't a stupid guy he just isn't a computer hardware guy. I'm sure there is shit he could tell you that would make you look like a blabbering pissant too. Knowledge is all relative man. You don't know everything either.
 
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