Best way to remove stock HSF thermal compound ?

[Kremerica]

Just got a Barton 2500+ going to run it for now on the stock AMD HSF that comes with it.

whats the best and easiest way to clean off the square of thermal compound on the HS?

my ideas are either

Just scrape it off with a knife,
heat and scrape,
use some kind of oil like goo-gone and scrape

anyone have a good way ?
do I have to let it sit for a while if I use goo-gone to let the stuff get out of the HS ?

 

[myocardia]

I've always just used a razor blade, but high-concentration alcohol works, I hear. Since I've already got some 91% alcohol, maybe I'll try that the next time I come across a retail heatsink.

edit: If you use anything besides alcohol, you still have to clean it with alcohol afterwards. GooGone, naptha, or whatever you use, will leave a residue, so buy alcohol also.

 

[salvorhardin]

I used an old credit card to remove the thermal pad and then I used acetone and 91% Isopropyl alcohol to remove what was left of the thermal pad. I wouldn't recommend a razor blade unless your confident you won't scratch the heatsink and don't apply heat to remove it since it can reduce cooling capacity.

 

[Fern]

If you have'nt already used (melted) the wax pad, I wouldn't. I find it a pain to remove. Get a cheap tube of thermal grease from Radio Shack if ya don't have something decent handy (ex. Arctic Silver 5).

If you do melt the wax pad on there - I find the bulk of it sticks to the HS. I use a credit card to scrap the cpu (you don't wanna scratch it all - it'll reduce thermal conductivity). Use 91%, or better 99%, alchohol for cleaning. You have to ask somebody behing the desk at the pharmacy for the 99% stuff, they don't put it on the shelves.

The cleaner you get the cpu, the better ur good thermal paste will work. Any impurities left on it will reduce effectiveness of the A5 or whatever you use

 

[gistech1978]

i have a question...

i have a new chip and ceramique on the way.

my heatsink has AS3 on it.

i went to the hardware store and they didnt have GoofOff, but had Gumout Carb and Choke cleaner.
the can reads in this order "contains: acetone, xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, petroleum distillate, and propane"

is this stuff no good since it has the petroleum distillates in the mix?

or will some 91% alcohol take care of that after using it?

i dont think im gonna find 99% here easily, i live in a small town and have alot of 91% handy.

has anyone used gumout? or should i just get my $ back on it.

 

[xbassman]

AS3 come off pretty easily with alchohol.

 

[gistech1978]

Originally posted by: xbassman
AS3 come off pretty easily with alchohol.

yeah i just tried some alcohol on an old TT volcano 7+ i have and the AS3 came off really easily.
i guess im gonna get my money back on the carb cleaner.

 

[SniperMerc]

scrape the bulk off, use some charcoal lighter fluid to take the rest off, works well with qtips to get any excess off the cpu as well.

 

[SneakyStuff]

I got rid of the grey junx on my stock HSF by getting a lint free cloth (an old t-shirt), applying a liberal amount of rubbing alchohal to a thin part of the shirt, putting my finger behind that, and rubbing the HSF pretty hard in a circular motion, the bulk of it all just broke off, and the rest came off no problem.

 

[TStep]

I use regular old starting fluid - basically it is just ether. Works like a champ and dissolves most anything and evaporates very quickly. A little bit of 99% pure alcohol for a final cleaning of any ether residue and I'm all set.