Removing northbridge thermal paste

Voltage

Voltage

Voltage

Soldato
Joined
5 Jul 2006
Posts
3,647
Hi,

I have removed my northbridge heatsink so i can put Artic Silver MX2 on it instead of the lame thermal paste the mobo manufacturer provides.

Now there is quite a lot of this "cement" left on both the chipset and the heat sink and efforts of using thermal compound remover has been ineffective.

any idea how to easily get this stuff off?
 
yes it is!, im worried about using a knife on the chipset in case i scratch it!

also what about using a knife on the heatsink as it still has a load of the stuff on it too
 
Confusion said:
lapping a heatsink sounds all well and good, but a chipset?!!! :eek:
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It's not the chipset. It's a IHS on the chipset. I also reckon it would be impossible.

To get this stuff off you definately need a sharp, flat blade and a lot of patience. I found that a Stanley knife blade (by itself, not the actual knife handle) was the best thing for the job. Angle it at a shallow angle and GENTLY work it from side to side. Eventually it will all come off. Watch your eyes as the stuff goes everywhere because it's hard and brittle. I don't know what they were thinking of using that stuff but it cannot be very good at heat transfer.
 
Sorry to hijack the thread but what do you usually use to clean old thermal pads/paste from heatsinks/chips? Everytime I ask I get a different answer! The last time I was in ******s an assistant in there told me to use a duster!! Somone else told me to use a screen wipe! So what's the best thing to use?
 
Confusion, if its the plasticy stuff, try a dash of acetone (nail varnish remover) on a coten wool bud to help the plastic disolve. Not tried this myself (yet ;) ) but as a graduate Chemist (MSci :D ) its a pretty good bet...... i've used it to remove Akasa Paxmate before, and you are unlikely to find anything stronger commercialy avaliable.

Best thing is the boiling point is very low, so it should dry off easily in air without any hassle. I'd try using small amounts first though just to make sure it doesnt discolour the NB (which might be a signe it's attacking it, but that should be unlikely)

As for TIM itself, i have some ArctiClean stuff that does a nice job.r :)
 
lint free cloths are available from opticians and camera shops. Coffee filters. They are almost completely lint free.

lint free cloths or coffee filters pick up all residue and grease leaving a near polished clean surface. Lint cloths don't scratch the wiped surface as conventional cloths do
 
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pastymuncher said:
I can't believe the bloke in the first link put the same crappy cooler back on. It's really not something i would try myself. Especially on a bare chip.
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I totally agree with you m8. It would have made more sense to replace the cooler with a better one imo. i might actually try it on a old board and find a chipset water block. Another testing..testing... thread?
 
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CyZMyAssBaby said:
lint free cloths are available from opticians and camera shops. Coffee filters. They are almost completely lint free.

lint free cloths or coffee filters pick up all residue and grease leaving a near polished clean surface. Lint cloths don't scratch the wiped surface as conventional cloths do
Click to expand...
Cool. Thanks for the info. I always wondered but never bothered to ask :)

So some of that cleaning fluid from OC, a lint free cloth from an optician/camera shop & a thermal pad/tube of thermal paste & you've got your kit for cleaning & replacing heatsinks. Sweet ;)
 
indeed, it was a miracle i didnt rip the chipset off when i removed the stock heatsink, i heated up with a blow dryer for about 5minutes too!
 
Akasa do some Heatsink/CPU cleaner but they don't sell it at OC. If you google it though it comes up everywhere! Might get myself some of that.
 
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