Removing Thermal Paste.

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Trendy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Messages
199
I'm buying some Arctic Silver to replace the stuff that came with my Zalman CNP9500 this week and I want to know, is it safe to use this: Thermal Paste Remover without removing my CPU? Should I just put this stuff on a cloth and then gently remove the material on the CPU or should I take out the CPU and do it?
 
Just take out the cpu and do it, Use a cloth to remove the white paste. Just make sure the cpu is clean and dosent have any fibers on it when you are done.


Use a few drops of water (put on the towel or cloth) or just put some saliva on it. Or use rubbing alcohol, that stuff works great and evaporates pretty fast.




I recommend the Alcohol personally, its cheaper and will work just fine.
 
saliva is a natural solvent and I wouldn't trust my saliva on my 200+ dollar processor :p

I say alcohol ftw!
 
THRESHIN said:
pee on it
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:confused: That works for jellyfish but probably not the best solution for removing TIM. :p

Anyway:

A) Seriously, your CPU is in a ZIF socket, which means it takes all of about 2.2 seconds to remove it. Take the damn thing out of the board. It makes it much easier not only to clean the old TIM off but also to apply a nice thin even coat of the new stuff.

B) I use 96% rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs. Works like a charm every time. Don't use the grocery store crap as the concentration is low and it contains impurities. Go to a Rite Aid or Walgreen's or such and get the high percentage stuff; it will eliminate the need for a "surface purifier" whatever that is (ahh, marketing departments - gotta love 'em). A pint bottle will only cost you a few bucks, and even if you use it generously it lasts for friggin' ever.
 
Soak the CPU in boiling water for 5 minutes and then its clean as nothing.

jokes aside, I always use soft tissues.
 
alcohol with your choice of removal aid... lint free wipe, tissue, whatever, just make sure the surface is clean and debris free before you re-apply anything.
 
I always used isopropyl alcohol in the highest concentration you can find (90% or around there). Avoid using anything with lint, I use lint free foam swabs that I got for general electronic cleaning, soak them in the alcohol, and wipe off the paste. If the previous owner or company (or you :p) was especially "generous" with the previous application, it may take two or three swabs. (some people just do not understand the concept of a little goes a long way :p)

I have always done it this way, and have never had a problem.

Oh yeah, take it out of the socket, just make sure you are grounded and not wearing wool socks on shag carpet and you should be good.
 
Thanks for the replies, and I'm understanding it should be okay to use a lint free cloth with store bought alcohol then?

Sweet.
 
EvilTwinSkippy said:
it will eliminate the need for a "surface purifier" whatever that is (ahh, marketing departments - gotta love 'em).
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I've used the Arctic Cleaner kit the OP linked to in the first post. It works GREAT!
That kit lasted me more than a year... I just re-ordered the larger kit.

What I don't understand is why everyone puts this stuff down. I mean their thermal paste is the "standard" by which all other thermal pastes are judged, but the cleaner product is crap??? Has anyone who has replied to the OP ever used this stuff???

The cleaner is citrus based, and two drops of this stuff will clean off permanent marker ink off any surface without "rubbing". What seperates this cleaner from all the other "citrus" based cleaners out there is the fact that it is clear (not yellow or orange tinted) and doesn't feel greasy like the other cleaners of its type. The purifier works way better than any alcohol (I used to use the 95% stuff) available. It dries faster and I have used the "purifier" on brand new heatsinks and was amazed to notice that it made the surface brighter (cleans off the oxidation). Some may think it's a waste of money and suggest alcohol instead... I was in the same camp until I tried this product. I've been converted.

Some hard headed people will buy the fastest CPU available, most expensive feature ladden motherboard, dual 8800GTX cards, a couple of Raptor X drives, a customized water cooling system, 4GB of the fastest RAM available, slap it all into a Lian Li or other high end aluminum case, but are not willing to spend $6.00 on Arctic Silver's own cleaning kit? Awesome logic! :rolleyes:

BTW, use a coffee filter (unused) to wipe down your mating surfaces... its lint free and much better than using q-tips, cotton balls or paper towels.
 
Trendy said:
Should I just put this stuff on a cloth and then gently remove the material on the CPU or should I take out the CPU and do it?
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The great thing about the Arctic Silver cleaner is VERY LITTLE goes a long way.... I don't like dealing with CPUs with the pins exposed (too much chance of damage), so I leave the CPU in its socket and apply 1 (one) drop of cleaner, let it soak for 10 seconds, wipe it off, apply one drop of purifier wipe it off and the CPU is ready for some AS5. Hell... it took me longer to type this than it would've taken me to clean off a CPU.
 
NordicRX8 said:
I've used the Arctic Cleaner kit the OP linked to in the first post. It works GREAT!
That kit lasted me more than a year... I just re-ordered the larger kit.

What I don't understand is why everyone puts this stuff down.
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Nobody here has stated this product is crap or anything close to the sort. They are simply stating that other options are just as viable and more cost effective. I'm glad you've had a good experience with the product, and perhaps the OP will take your advice. Or, perhaps he'll take that of those who have had great success with high-purity alcohol. He has asked for input, and that's what everyone is giving him. Don't be so defensive.
 
NordicRX8 said:
I
What I don't understand is why everyone puts this stuff down. I mean their thermal paste is the "standard" by which all other thermal pastes are judged, but the cleaner product is crap??? Has anyone who has replied to the OP ever used this stuff???
snip
its lint free and much better than using q-tips, cotton balls or paper towels.
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I certainly was not bashing the product, I am sure it works great. Also, I do not think any of the other posters were bashing it either. As a matter of fact, I might throw it in my next newegg order. I was simply telling the OP the way I have been doing it for years, as have many others, before AS even existed (and certainly before the removal stuff did). Back in the day, the white stuff was the only thing to use. Also, as I mentioned in my post, it is very advisable not to use anything with lint. I mentioned the large, foam swabs that I use for thermal grease removal and contact cleaning. No lint there.

EvilTwinSkippy said:
Nobody here has stated this product is crap or anything close to the sort. They are simply stating that other options are just as viable and more cost effective. I'm glad you've had a good experience with the product, and perhaps the OP will take your advice. Or, perhaps he'll take that of those who have had great success with high-purity alcohol. He has asked for input, and that's what everyone is giving him. Don't be so defensive.
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What he said. :)
 
Yesterday I went to Walgreens and bought 91% Isopropyl Alcohol for 1.99 and a pack of lens cleaners for .99. 3 bucks and I can clean cpus for my whole damn family if they each had one, and I'm mexican!
 
I like to use 99% alcohol. The benefit is that not only does it clean your hardware up, it gives you a nice little buzz while you do it! Hell, I'm gonna go sniff some right now..
 
EvilTwinSkippy said:
Nobody here has stated this product is crap or anything close to the sort. They are simply stating that other options are just as viable and more cost effective. I'm glad you've had a good experience with the product, and perhaps the OP will take your advice. Or, perhaps he'll take that of those who have had great success with high-purity alcohol. He has asked for input, and that's what everyone is giving him. Don't be so defensive.
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Sorry if I came across as defensive, didn't mean to, and certainly doesn't matter much to me if anyone else uses it... I don't own any stock in it.

Actually, this reference:
EvilTwinSkippy said:
it will eliminate the need for a "surface purifier" whatever that is (ahh, marketing departments - gotta love 'em).
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gave me the impression you have never used the AS cleaning kit and didn't realize the surfice purifier is just what it says, and not some type of "snake oil" the marketing department came up with. I had to educate you... sorry. I must have been a rough day for me, didn't mean for it to come through in my post. :confused:

The OP also stated:
Trendy said:
is it safe to use this: Thermal Paste Remover without removing my CPU? Should I just put this stuff on a cloth and then gently remove the material on the CPU or should I take out the CPU and do it? ]
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To which your reply was...
EvilTwinSkippy said:
Seriously, your CPU is in a ZIF socket, which means it takes all of about 2.2 seconds to remove it. Take the damn thing out of the board. It makes it much easier not only to clean the old TIM off but also to apply a nice thin even coat of the new stuff.
Click to expand...

I was trying to convey... maybe a little too excitedly and enthusiastically, that using this product was "safe without removing his CPU", because of its superior cleaning performance (and how very little you needed to use). The part where you say "it makes it much easier" is a moot point because of this cleaner, it just works that good. As far as applying AS, I've used the "rice grain sized" application, so again having to remove the cpu has become unnecessary. Maybe I'm a clutz cause I've bent my share of cpu pins... but I can now leave the cpu in its socket without fear of "drowning" the circuitry, by using this arctic cleaning kit.

The OP specifically asked "for input" about the AS cleaning product, but was inundated by the usual, "I use alcohol" replies. A search of this.... or any tech forum will show numerous threads asking about the removal/reapplication of thermal pastes... most of the responses are guess what? "use alcohol!" Since the original question was regarding the AS cleaning priduct, and not the typical "what product should I use", I thought I'd share the personal experience I have had with the actual product instead of increasing my post count with "just use 9x% alcohol, it cheap and widely available." Like I said, probably was having a bad day and it came through in my post (I deal with a lot of penny wise/dollar foolish issues at work too)... I didn't mean to offend anyone, and wish to apologize if I have.

GO AND BUY SOME ARCTIC SILVER CLEANER YOU CHEAP BASTIDS!!! :p I kid! I kid!
 
NordicRX8 said:
Sorry if I came across as defensive, didn't mean to, and certainly doesn't matter much to me if anyone else uses it... I don't own any stock in it.
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Fair enough, and I apologize in return if I came across as bashing the product as I tried very carefully not to do so. Your points are well presented and well taken, and you are correct that I have never used the AS cleaning kit. Because of this I can't rightly say how well or poorly it works, but I can say that I have never had a perceived need for the product because I have had much success with alcohol. That's all I was trying to convey to the OP. As far as leaving the CPU in the socket, point taken. I personally don't use the grain of rice method as my own opinion (flamers please take note of those last three words) is that it doesn't provide uniform coverage and I prefer to have the entire IHS covered, but that's just me and that's the viewpoint I was speaking (well, technicall typing :rolleyes: ) from.

OP, if you want to go with the cleaning kit method, sounds like Nordic has some experience with what you're trying to do, and it seems to work just fine.


Nordic, just so I'm appeased that it's not a bunch of marketing hooey by putting a fancy name on a not-so-fancy product, what exactly IS the "surface purifier"? Does AS list any ingredients?
 
EvilTwinSkippy said:
Nordic, just so I'm appeased that it's not a bunch of marketing hooey by putting a fancy name on a not-so-fancy product, what exactly IS the "surface purifier"? Does AS list any ingredients?
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AS doesn't list the ingredients, Im sure it's a trade secret, but I can't detect any "fumes" like I can with alcohol, but it is a solvent of some type. Have you ever seen the "Tarn-X" commercials where they dip an old penny into the Tarn-X and half of it comes out shiney... the surface purifier acts the same way. As stated earlier, I have "cleaned" the bases of some unused (brand new) heatsinks, and watched this "purifier" clean off whatever surface oxidation that was present underneath the clear plastic protective film and make the surface "shine". To me, it's almost like this stuff IS Tarn-X, but doesn't have the nasty sulfur smell.

If you're in the process of placing an online order, add this cleaning kit to your shopping cart, you'll be amazed with this product. On the otherhand if you're just looking for something to clean up the thermal paste residue and you need it ASAP, yes... a trip to the local pharmacy or any Walmart to pick up isopropyl alcohol will work. Although I must admit, once you've used this product... you won't WANT to use alcohol for your CPU cleaning duties.
 
Is it really necessarily to take out the cpu from the socket to clean it?
 
Well, maybe arctic silver remover is all that, but for an average person, who deals with installing a cpu once a year or so, this is an overkill, a proper usage of off-the-shelf products is more cost-effective.
 
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