Boiling a CPU

AndreLi

Member
Nov 20, 2004
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I what I want to do is dip the cpu in boiling water will that help remove the compound from the cpu and allow me to use it. Will it messup the intergated circuit stuff inside the chip.
 

CKXP

Senior member
Nov 20, 2005
926
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you're joking right? rubbing alcohol is all you need.

edit: and i don't mean dipping the CPU in rubbing alcohol either, use a Q-tip
 

Maximilian

Lifer
Feb 8, 2004
12,604
15
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If its new and worth somthing i wouldnt drop it in boilting water, that probably wont help it any.... Interesting experiment though, would a cpu still work if dropped in boiling water for a few minutes? Id say maybe.

Anyways, clean your cpu with some isopropyl alchohol and a few q-tips. Or you can simply rub the stuff off with some loo roll, as long as it all comes off and theres no hard chunks left. Using alchohol is easier though.
 

BladeVenom

Lifer
Jun 2, 2005
13,365
16
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Alchohol is a better solvent for grease than water is. Also it's non-conductive and evaporates quicker.
 

TheStu

Moderator<br>Mobile Devices & Gadgets
Moderator
Sep 15, 2004
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Now, if you are saying taht you have thermal paste in the pins as well, you may try using a soft bristle toothbrush to clear out the gunk from the pins.

if it isnt on that side of it... then you just use isopropyl alcohol (90% or higher) with a soft cloth and clear it off.

If it was pin side, and it got into the mobo then i am not sure how to clean that..
 

AndreLi

Member
Nov 20, 2004
29
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Ok thanks guys I got my sytem to cut on but the HD light stays on what does that mean, also I get no VGA I don't get no CMOS just black screen. false alarm the cpu still is broken now i think it got resedue on the mobo from the last time when I had the compound on it the cpu.

Is there any way to clean the mobo of that artic compound
 

imported_goku

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2004
7,613
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lol, obviously your system isn't working. Insert processor into motherboard, close latch to lock it in place, Take qtip, clean CPU core with qtip that has been dipped in isopropyl alcohol (91%+) then swipe with dry side of q-tip. Then take a qtip dipped in isopropyl alcohol and then proceed to clean the HSF the same way. Apply a half grain of rice sized drop of thermal paste on the processor core, attach HSF onto processor, lock it down and try to boot up the system again.
 

bjp999

Member
Nov 2, 2006
137
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I read that the solder used inside the chip starts to melt around 90C. Putting the chip in boiling water (100C) would not be a good idea. BTW, the chips have an auto shutdown if the coretemp hits 85C. OP - anyone who spent their own money on a CPU would not consider dropping it in a pot of boiling water. People are putting heatsinks on their CPUs to keep them COOL, and 65-75C is considered hot. You want to drop it in 100C water. Brilliant. I'm hoping your post was a joke. But if you do some searching you'll find several products that specialize in removing hard to remove goo from CPUs and heatsinks. I'd suggest finding someone to help you put your system together.

Originally posted by: Soviet
Interesting experiment though, would a cpu still work if dropped in boiling water for a few minutes? Id say maybe.

The water won't hurt anything (i washed mine off in the sink after lapping). Just make sure it dries completely before use (I used a hairdryer but was careful to not let the CPU get hot).

An interesting experiment is to get your heatsink (when it is outside the computer and no where near your MB or CPU) wet and then dry it with a hairdryer on high. Then touch the heatsink. I think you'll then see just how good your heatsink is at absorbing heat! Be careful, that sucker will be RED hot. I grabbed it with a towel and then held it in front of a fan letting the air blow between the fins. I couldn't believe how fast it cooled down. Pretty much common sense, that's what these things are made to do, but seeing / feeling it in action was pretty impressive.

Cheers :beer:

 

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
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Originally posted by: Soviet
Interesting experiment though, would a cpu still work if dropped in boiling water for a few minutes? Id say maybe.

It depends on the chip and the procedure. You'd need to thoroughly dry the chip after boiling of course, and some chips may not survive 100ºC, though some will. For instance Intel states (at developer.intel.com) that the original Prescotts are operational to 90ºC and can survive 110ºC without dying (but won't be operational at that heat).
 

Maximilian

Lifer
Feb 8, 2004
12,604
15
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Originally posted by: Zap
Originally posted by: Soviet
Interesting experiment though, would a cpu still work if dropped in boiling water for a few minutes? Id say maybe.

It depends on the chip and the procedure. You'd need to thoroughly dry the chip after boiling of course, and some chips may not survive 100ºC, though some will. For instance Intel states (at developer.intel.com) that the original Prescotts are operational to 90ºC and can survive 110ºC without dying (but won't be operational at that heat).

Yeah, an A64 would probably be cooked for sure, but those pentium m's would most likely survive, they have a 100*C operational tolerance.
 

m21s

Senior member
Dec 6, 2004
775
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71
Whenever my PC gets dust or dirt in it I usually just dip the whole PC in water.
 

Kwint Sommer

Senior member
Jul 28, 2006
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I like to use the shower. My high pressure massaging shower head is really good at cleaning out all that built up gunk, especially from hard drives. I hear the steam is great for your RAM, but maybe that's just a rumor.
 

bjp999

Member
Nov 2, 2006
137
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The dishwasher works the best! It even kills the germs that cause viruses!:thumbsup:
 

Maximilian

Lifer
Feb 8, 2004
12,604
15
81
Originally posted by: Kwint Sommer
I like to use the shower. My high pressure massaging shower head is really good at cleaning out all that built up gunk, especially from hard drives. I hear the steam is great for your RAM, but maybe that's just a rumor.

Yea i use steam when playing half life 2 online. It keeps my ram healthy. :)
 

Bibble

Golden Member
Feb 20, 2006
1,293
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Though the dishwasher is a close second, I find that the best way to go about this is to install a lawn sprinkler inside the case and drill a hole to feed the hose through. That's what I call water cooling!
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
I stick my PC in the freezer. There must be a reason phase change is better than water cooling, right?
 

Kwint Sommer

Senior member
Jul 28, 2006
612
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The freezer can kill your hard drives but I'm currently running my motherboard sealed in a dorm fridge/window unit closed system that's giving me an ambient temperature below -30C. I built it using free stuff from around my dorm and a $20 budget.
Home freezers are neither intended to dissipate the level of heat produced by a computer nor run perpetually but a custom built freezer like mine with external drives can make for an awesome cooler. However, freon has a better specific heat than air. Hence I will be converting my system to a direct die phase change system this Christmas when I have little time and I will of course be holding myself to a $20 budget.
 

m21s

Senior member
Dec 6, 2004
775
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Originally posted by: Kwint Sommer
The freezer can kill your hard drives but I'm currently running my motherboard sealed in a dorm fridge/window unit closed system that's giving me an ambient temperature below -30C. I built it using free stuff from around my dorm and a $20 budget.
Home freezers are neither intended to dissipate the level of heat produced by a computer nor run perpetually but a custom built freezer like mine with external drives can make for an awesome cooler. However, freon has a better specific heat than air. Hence I will be converting my system to a direct die phase change system this Christmas when I have little time and I will of course be holding myself to a $20 budget.



:confused:

Could you please show a pic of your motherboard running inside your freezer.

My curiosity needs to see this in action.