Thermal compound removal?

**Thrush** · 19th October 2002

Hello guys!

I wanted to know what is the best way to remove Thermal Compound from a heat sink.... I bought a AMD Pack which comes with the chip and heatsink.... I've been told the stuff they put on isn't very good! So how do i remove it.

Thanks

Jon

**Violator** · 19th October 2002

Aye the normal stuff you get is crap at the best of times. Make sure you've got yourself some Artic Silver.

Anyway, best thing to remove the gunk is some isopropyl alcohol and a couple of cotton buds. Failing that, some nail-polish remover will do the job just as well.

**Thrush** · 19th October 2002

Thanks mate!

Hummm I don't have any Artic Silver.... I went for some nicely packaged Cooler Master stuff.... Hope it's ok!

Jon

**Thrush** · 19th October 2002

This is taking forever! Can't i use some WD-40?

**Violator** · 19th October 2002

Originally posted by CueballKrill
This is taking forever! Can't i use some WD-40?

Best not

. It shouldn't take long at all, unless you've a large wedge of it on the heatsink. If it's a pad or paste that's on already (the hard sort) then by all means scrape most of it off, then use the alcohol. The thermal pads can be a bugger to get off completely.

**Hippie on hill** · 20th October 2002

Take a knife or razor blade to the pad 1st then remove the rest with alcohol mainly to remove the grease and sweat from the heatsink before applying some decent compound instead.
Them pads are so crap why AMD continue using them in their retail box sets is an absolute mystery. I removed 1 from my 1G Athlon and rplaced it with some compound and my temps dropped from around 90 to under 30 dergrees C.

**Spike2k1** · 20th October 2002

Best to use a razor blade or a clean edge of a credit card to remove the block something hard with a flat edge otherwise u'll damage the air channels... then as said isopropyl alchohol... sorted mine out before..applied arctic silver cool running now!!!

**wizer** · 20th October 2002

where can u buy Arctic Silver?

**Thrush** · 20th October 2002

Well I ended up using WD-40 and it came right off...... I then spent a hour cleaning the ******* with water in the hope of not ruining the air channels in the heatsink.... Nice and clean now though ^____^ I'm going to go to Maplins later to try and get some Artic Silver...... I'm not too sure about the application of this Cooler Master stuff.....

**Thrush** · 20th October 2002

FOR SALE!!!! ^____^

Offical AMD Heatsink and Fan Laced with WD-40.....

Reason for sale due to the purchase of a weighty Volcano 7 unit which is all copper...

Will take anything around a quid but you have to pay for p+p ^____^

Thanks!

Jon