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Cleaning TIM from a GPU, sigh.

randal

randal

randal

Soldato
Joined
1 Oct 2006
Posts
14,579
Afternoon all,

I've just received my second 670, which runs a darn sight cooler than the original card I had.

So I've just popped the cooler off the 1st card to find a travesty of TIM application going on. Also, the TIM they've used appears to share physical properties with hardened treacle. :(

The cooler I cleaned off easily enough, and the die is more or less there too. However the edge of the die and surface mounted components are caked in the stuff.

Any tips for removing this gunk?

Thanks in advance. :)
 
What have used so far and what brand of card are you using? I have EVGA stock GTX670 and when I removed the gunk to fit a waterblock it was pretty ordinary stuff (dark gray in colour).
 
I use cotton ear buds dipped in Isopropyl to clean the gunk off all of my CPU/GPU's. I then wipe them clean with lint free disposable camera lens wipes. I purchased a 1 litre bottle off of ebay for ~£5 five years ago and still have ~950ml left:).
 
Well this is what I was presented with. The stuff is caked all over the surface mounted components the GPU core. It's coming off after a soaking with TIM clean, but it's a right pig to remove.

wkQeagW.jpg


:(
 
That looks dire, i dont get why multi hundred pound cards the tim is always so badly applied and looks like its been applies by a chimp with a shovel
 
Right, that's as good as I can get it. What a fuss to get to this stage though, I think I owe the Mrs a new packet of cotton buds. :D

6yBq4re.jpg


Just gonna leave it to air dry before giving a final wipe over and reapply of some sensible volumes of TIM.
 
randal said:
Well this is what I was presented with. The stuff is caked all over the surface mounted components the GPU core. It's coming off after a soaking with TIM clean, but it's a right pig to remove.

wkQeagW.jpg


:(
Click to expand...
Yuk, surely that mess cannot be factory applied. Did you buy the card new or used? Well done with the cleanup job.

Edit: If new, name and shame the Manufacturer.
 
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Well, production line will probably just squirt it over, press a cooler against it, put on screws, and NEXT!.

It's not meant to be removed, so they don't (need) to care how it's applied.

I know it's Please fully star all swear words!, I don't like it either.. but that's how it goes :(
 
Last edited by a moderator:
roadie said:
What were the results in terms of temperature drop by replacing the TIM?
Click to expand...

I am interested in this as well. I had thought about doing it myself to my 670's as i think OCUK said MSI are fine with cooler removal.

Though i am not sure if it is worth it as i tend to like to live by the phrase " if it aint broke dont fix it" so i am worried i will just **** something up.
 
Well I had a variance of about ~10 degrees idle, ~15 degrees at load, top card being much hotter. After reapplying the TIM as my seller of the 2nd 670 did, temps were much more in line.

5 degree idle, 10 degree load difference - something like that. I'll get some better numbers when I fire the PC up later.

edit - I doubt it was the volume of paste, probably more tightening the cooler down, or using some better paste. Either way I'd say it's worth doing.

Just take your time, and be as gentle as possible if it's as bad as mine was!
 
randal said:
Well I had a variance of about ~10 degrees idle, ~15 degrees at load, top card being much hotter. After reapplying the TIM as my seller of the 2nd 670 did, temps were much more in line.

5 degree idle, 10 degree load difference - something like that. I'll get some better numbers when I fire the PC up later.

edit - I doubt it was the volume of paste, probably more tightening the cooler down, or using some better paste. Either way I'd say it's worth doing.

Just take your time, and be as gentle as possible if it's as bad as mine was!
Click to expand...

Oh right, sounds like yours were quite bad! Mine are ok to be honest. They idle at the same temp and only normally have about a 6 - 8 degree load difference.
 
Lol never seen it that bad before! People think sandwich filler when applying TIM when it should be more of a fine coat of paint sort of thing. Less really is better!
 
Yeah that was incredibly bad!

I've heard bad reports on the stock 670 cooler for noise. How do you find them?
 
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