• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

Questions about thermal compound removal

Johnmcbob

Johnmcbob

Johnmcbob

Associate
Joined
27 Nov 2011
Posts
203
Location
Edinburgh, UK
Hey, i've placed an order for some parts for my bday and one of which is an antec kuhler 620

i know how to remove the stock intel cooler but how do i go about removing the old thermal compound and where do i get the stuff from?

Am i right in thinking i need lint free cloths and some form of alcohol solution?

Thanks


John
 
if your really pushed,you can use petrol or whisky,when i say petrol i mean use on a lint free cloth when its almost touch dry and obviously dont work near open flame or with electrical components turned on ect,and after youve cleaned it off,wait for atlest 10-15 mins for any residue to evapourate

speaking from experience it works fine as long as you take care
 
I tend to use isopropyl alcohol or similar and some cotton wool boods for removing old TIM. A nice soft cloth will help then to remove any excess and dry the surface. In emergencies, I've used nail varnish remover but this isn't the best idea since many brands contain oils and perfumes which will reduce the thermal conductivity.

When applying new compound I always find that a small pea sized blob in the middle is the easiest and arguably the most effective way to apply TIM. It's never done me wrong anyway and you know it's being spread evenly due to the pressure from the cooler. Good luck!
 
thanks guys. ill go get some isopropyl tomorrow as a shop near me sells it

also the antec kuhler comes with thermal compound pre applied so that makes my life easier.

now just gotta get an anti static wristband so i don't go blowing my stuff up
 
Johnmcbob said:
now just gotta get an anti static wristband so i don't go blowing my stuff up
Click to expand...

I wouldn't bother with a static wristband. They make quite a fuss of ESD but it isn't really warranted IMO. What I always do when working on the PC is to leave the power cord plugged in to the PSU but obviously turned off at the mains. This way you have an earth path from the internal wiring of your house through your PSU and it's metal casing to your PC case. By simply touching your PC case you are ensuring you are always grounded. I've always used this method and have never had any problems so far.
 
i have heard of doing it that way, just thought the wristband would be easier so i could turn my case round properly to make fitting the cooler easier, atm i can't turn it to face me very well

thanks for the advice though, appreciate it :)
 
moody89 said:
I wouldn't bother with a static wristband. They make quite a fuss of ESD but it isn't really warranted IMO. What I always do when working on the PC is to leave the power cord plugged in to the PSU but obviously turned off at the mains. This way you have an earth path from the internal wiring of your house through your PSU and it's metal casing to your PC case. By simply touching your PC case you are ensuring you are always grounded. I've always used this method and have never had any problems so far.
Click to expand...

i always do this as well.

also regarding the paste removal, i just use kitchen roll, just keep rubbing it until no smears appear on the roll,
its always worked for me ;)
 
moody89 said:
I wouldn't bother with a static wristband. They make quite a fuss of ESD but it isn't really warranted IMO. What I always do when working on the PC is to leave the power cord plugged in to the PSU but obviously turned off at the mains. This way you have an earth path from the internal wiring of your house through your PSU and it's metal casing to your PC case. By simply touching your PC case you are ensuring you are always grounded. I've always used this method and have never had any problems so far.
Click to expand...

also make sure your house has an earth many pre 1970 houses dont!
 
I use a camera lens cleaning kit made by CAMLINK, comes with cleaning fluid that’s isopropyl alcohol, lint free cleaning tissues & cloth and a some other bits & bobs, can be had very cheap from your high street bargain shops.
 
Johnmcbob said:
i have heard of doing it that way, just thought the wristband would be easier so i could turn my case round properly to make fitting the cooler easier, atm i can't turn it to face me very well

thanks for the advice though, appreciate it :)
Click to expand...

You do realise the case will still need to be grounded when wearing the wrist band. So in other words... your still going to need to do what was suggested, as well as wearing a wrist band that gets in the way. I wore one for a while. Was forced to at college etc. What a load of nonsense! Touching the case does the trick fine.
 
And OH...

Buy this!

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=TH-000-AC

Why Not Just Use Isopropyl Alcohol or Acetone?

Put isopropyl alcohol or acetone on a thermal pad and 10 minutes later you will have a thermal pad. Only with a lot of rubbing and scrubbing will you be able to remove the pad. While the alcohol or acetone may soften the pad, neither actually dissolves the pad. Although less visible, it is the same cleaning thermal greases with alcohol or acetone.

ArctiClean 1 totally emulsifies thermal pads and thermal greases. The waxes, oils, and fillers of the thermal material are suspended within the ArctiClean 1 so they can be cleaned off completely. This emulsification allow ArctiClean to remove the thermal material in the microscopic imperfections in the heatsink or heat spreader that non-emulsifying cleaners cannot touch.

The flash corrosion inhibitors in ArctiClean 2 then significantly reduce the corrosion layer on the copper or aluminum, improving the interface between the metal and the new thermal material and maximizing thermal transfer.
 
I always use AKASA TIM clean - works brilliantly and smells good too! I use a mixture of cotton wool pads and buds so I can get all traces removed. Available at most computer shops and some high st electrical stores.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom