Removing Thermal Paste from AM4 Socket

Hudzy · 18 Oct 2020 at 23:48

Any recommended ways to remove thermal paste from the socket holes? Do I need to?

The paste is Thermal Grizzly's Kryonaut which should at least be non-conductive.

See below.

I'm hoping the board is salvageable after bending the pins on the CPU removing the water block. Apparently that paste is like glue and tore the CPU right out of the socket rather than release the block.

randal · 18 Oct 2020 at 23:55

For future reference, get the CPU nice and warm before trying to separate cooler and chip. Gentle twist whilst lifting the cooler should help too.

As for the socket: IPA, brush, paper towels, time and patience.

Hudzy · 19 Oct 2020 at 00:06

Usually it would have been warm. This build hasn't had a chance to boot yet sadly.

Toothbrush might work with some IPA?

Wingz · 19 Oct 2020 at 00:53

Same thing happened on my friend's board he used Isopropyl alcohol to remove the paste from the surface and used a tooth pick/dental tartar scraper to try to get the paste in the holes. There was some paste still in the holes but the pc still booted up and not had any problems.

FlyingFish · 21 Oct 2020 at 22:56

Something I've not tried, but IPA soaked into the goop, and loosened/cleaned with a small brush then.... Get the hoover and slurp out the fluid

Cant see any reason it wouldnt work. Keep adding IPA to dissolve any remains and hoover it away.

I cant see the tiny amount of fluid affecting the hoover any.

I probably wouldnt want to prod anything into the holes that could damage the contact etc...Like a tooth pick.

Defy Belief · 22 Oct 2020 at 09:43

FlyingFish said:
Something I've not tried, but IPA soaked into the goop, and loosened/cleaned with a small brush then.... Get the hoover and slurp out the fluid Cant see any reason it wouldnt work. Keep adding IPA to dissolve any remains and hoover it away.

I cant see the tiny amount of fluid affecting the hoover any.

I probably wouldnt want to prod anything into the holes that could damage the contact etc...Like a tooth pick.

I'd have thought you'd have to be careful of static if you're doing that

Hudzy · 23 Oct 2020 at 12:41

I've ended up using IPA with a really soft toothbrush. It seems to have done the job, although I won't know for sure until I rebuild my loop this weekend.

The hardest part was actually finding some IPA. Ended up having to wait a few days on a delivery.

The CPU pins seem to have straightened out just fine, but again fingers crossed for the weekend.