Do I need to remove the Thermal Paste?

FrostedCereal · 2 Jul 2012 at 14:01

Hey guys, I have Thermal paste on my CPU right now, but I am buying a new CPU cooler (The Noctua NH D14 - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-011-NC&tool=3 ) and I was wondering if I should take off the Thermal Paste layer and add a new one or just stick with the old layer?

The old layer has been on there for just under a year now.

andybird123 · 2 Jul 2012 at 14:12

yes you will need to clean off the old stuff and apply new

FrostedCereal · 2 Jul 2012 at 14:16

I thought so, thanks for your help

doyll · 2 Jul 2012 at 15:03

Clean with cotton buds. Keep paper towel handy as paste will jump 40-50mm just to get on other things. Don't spare the cotton buds. I use Isopropyl Alcohol on bud after most of paste is off.

shawsy109 · 2 Jul 2012 at 15:28

doyll said:
Clean with cotton buds. Keep paper towel handy as paste will jump 40-50mm just to get on other things. Don't spare the cotton buds. I use Isopropyl Alcohol on bud after most of paste is off.

I got the akasa TIM cleaner, smells like lemons. Makes the pc smell nice lol. But yeah, I get TIM all over the place, no idea how. 1 time I cleaned a cpu of the paste without my top on, somehow i enned up with TIM on a nipple!

andybird123 · 2 Jul 2012 at 16:10

cotton buds? why? they shed like crazy

doyll · 2 Jul 2012 at 16:54

andybird123 said:
cotton buds? why? they shed like crazy

but they are on a stick and make it easier to keep TIM off of everything else.

It's easy to clean the last bit of lint off of CPU and heatsink when there is no TIM jumping onto anything that approaches

buzzlightweight · 2 Jul 2012 at 17:17

shawsy109 said:
I got the akasa TIM cleaner, smells like lemons. Makes the pc smell nice lol. But yeah, I get TIM all over the place, no idea how. 1 time I cleaned a cpu of the paste without my top on, somehow i enned up with TIM on a nipple!

totally agree, akasa TIM cleaner is good

doyll said:
but they are on a stick and make it easier to keep TIM off of everything else.

It's easy to clean the last bit of lint off of CPU and heatsink when there is no TIM jumping onto anything that approaches

i find a lint free cloth better

doyll · 2 Jul 2012 at 17:20

buzzlightweight said:
totally agree, akasa TIM cleaner is good

i find a lint free cloth better

Lint free cloth for removing lint yes. I prefer wiping a bud of TIM and throwing it in the bin.... as many buds as it takes to get the TIM off. Then another wipe with cleaner on lint free cloth.

Not saying it's the only way to do it. Just the one that works best for me.

j.col · 2 Jul 2012 at 21:17

kitchen roll and elbow grease always works fine for me

andybird123 · 3 Jul 2012 at 09:14

doyll said:
I prefer wiping a bud of TIM and throwing it in the bin.... as many buds as it takes to get the TIM off.

that sounds tedious

j.col said:
kitchen roll and elbow grease always works fine for me

+1, a few seconds at most

doyll · 3 Jul 2012 at 10:51

andybird123 said:
that sounds tedious

How much TIM do you use? :confused:

IIRC about 5 buds and done.

andybird123 · 3 Jul 2012 at 14:20

I use an amount of TIM that it takes 1 or 2 wipes with a cloth, literally 2-3 seconds at most vs. fannying around with 5 cotton buds? Even if it was 1 cotton bud, it still sounds like an unnecessary faff

doyll · 3 Jul 2012 at 14:25

You can clean heatsink and CPU in 2-3 seconds. Would take me that long to reach for rag.

As I said in post #9

Not saying it's the only way to do it. Just the one that best for me.

Live long and prosper.

shawsy109 · 3 Jul 2012 at 14:32

doyll said:
Live long and prosper.

Spock? is that you?!

doyll · 3 Jul 2012 at 14:50

shawsy109 said:
Spock? is that you?!

Depends on who you are.

I can do Vulcan salute. Does that count?

Even with the wrong hand.

andybird123 · 3 Jul 2012 at 15:02

doyll said:
Not saying it's the only way to do it. Just the one that best for me.

there's none so queer as folk, as they say

doyll · 3 Jul 2012 at 15:08

andybird123 said:
there's none so queer as folk, as they say

You really need to wind it back a notch mate. Insulting someone because you don't like the way they clean TIM is too much... or did I misunderstand you?

andybird123 · 3 Jul 2012 at 15:24

it just means that for as many people as there are in this world there will be as many ways of doing things, no insult intended

I personally find your method odd, I'm not quite sure how that's offensive, or how I can reword that as not offensive if that is how you've perceived it.

doyll · 3 Jul 2012 at 15:30

there's none so queer as folk

is double edged sword. I wondered which side you were presenting.
You meant no offense and I'm sorry I bristled

Now on with life. Live longer and prosper longer