Do I need to add thermal paste to this cpu? (pics inside)

[austin316]

Ok, I bought this cpu off of ebay and was wondering if I need to add some kind of thermal compound. I will not be overclocking it. In the past, all cpus I have worked with came right from AMD retail, so I never had to do anything to them. LMK. Thanks!!!

Pic One
Pic 2

 

[imported_binjured]

It looks like it needs a good cleaning and a fresh coat of Arctic Silver to me.

 

[austin316]

Originally posted by: binjured
It looks like it needs a good cleaning and a fresh coat of Arctic Silver to me.

dammit. any local mega stores that I can get that stuff cheap at? (IE --> Circuit City, Best Buy, Staples?)

 

[Vegitto]

Just clean it with a little alcohol, blow it dry (you know, with your mouth) and apply a little bit of thermal grease on the core. Then you can apply your HSF, or whatever you're going to mount on it.

 

[RichUK]

i dont live in the USA so i cant advise on best place to buy from, but what i can say is that you will have to purchase some cleaning alcohol, to clean the surface of the chip, other wise the old stuff is going to act like a blanket and will not offer optimum heat transfer, and also the surface area will be reduced with the old stuff left on there .. i would recommend that you purchase some 90% plus cleaning Alcohol and clean the chip and also the heatsink, then re-apply the artic silver and away you go ..

NOTE: when using thermal paste always re-apply when the Heat Sink has been removed, otherwise you will lose its heat transfer ability.

 

[austin316]

Originally posted by: RichUK
i dont live in the USA so i cant advise on best place to buy from, but what i can say is that you will have to purchase some cleaning alcohol, to clean the surface of the chip, other wise the old stuff is going to act like a blanket and will not offer optimum heat transfer, and also the surface area will be reduced with the old stuff left on there .. i would recommend that you purchase some 90% plus cleaning Alcohol and clean the chip and also the heatsink, then re-apply the artic silver and away you go ..

NOTE: when using thermal paste always re-apply when the Heat Sink has been removed, otherwise you will lose its heat transfer ability.

O jeez. I hate doing things for the first time. I'm always afraid I'll mess up. So I need to use cleaning alchohol (is this the same as rubbing alcohol?) to rub off the paste and then apply artic silver to the chip?

 

[bjc112]

I can't believe they sold it to you in that condition..

I ALWAYS clean CPU's up very nicely before I ship them offf...



Get some nail polish remover / alcohol and use a cotton ball.. It will wipe right off..

 

[RichUK]

dont use nail polish remover....that will probably leave residue on the processor and mess with its ability to transfer heat....just get some rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)....it will leave little to no residue and is cheap to buy..

EDIT: Get the 99% rubbing alcohol, the 70% stuff will leave a residue too

 

[Emultra]

This CPU core will trigger a fusion chain-reaction within 36 hours of operation under current circumstances.


Just kiddin', but clean it and Silverize it.

 

[austin316]

cool. thanks guys, you rock. Once last bump. Any mega-stores (CC, BB, Staples) sell Artic Silver relatively cheap? I don't want to order off the 'net since I need it today.

 

[Jayczar]

not sure where you live in Ohio but Microcenter carries it. If you are not overclocking
the standard stuff from Radio Shack will be fine.

 

[MDE]

Fry's has Arctic Silver also. BB, CC, CUSA, Staples should all have some sort of thermal paste. Arctic Silver isn't necesary. Just remember to be neat and not slop it all over the CPU like the moron you bought it from did.

 

[austin316]

Thanks guys. Off to staples and then if not, Radio Shack!!

 

[Matrix21]

I Used Surgical Spirit to Clean my cpu before Changing Hsf Is that realy Bad?
Should I Take it off and Redo it?

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: bjc112
I can't believe they sold it to you in that condition..

I ALWAYS clean CPU's up very nicely before I ship them offf...



Get some nail polish remover / alcohol and use a cotton ball.. It will wipe right off..

Yeah, that's ridiculous there in the pics. Looks like they used a good bit of the tube of thermal compound on it. Yeah, clean the top of that thing off good.
Wow. They definitely didn't know what they were doing. When I read "I bought this CPU off of eBay" I was justly worried.

Get the 99% rubbing alcohol, the 70% stuff will leave a residue too

I don't think so - the 70% just contains more water than the 99% stuff. It is all meant to be used for sterilizing things, and so should leave no residue by itself. The more concentrated stuff will simply do a better job of keeping the particles of thermal compound suspended while you swab the whole mess away.

 

[bjc112]

Originally posted by: RichUK
dont use nail polish remover....that will probably leave residue on the processor and mess with its ability to transfer heat....just get some rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)....it will leave little to no residue and is cheap to buy..

EDIT: Get the 99% rubbing alcohol, the 70% stuff will leave a residue too

70% doesn't leave and residue for me.. Neither does the nail polish remover (with isopropyl alcohol)

Works great for me,

 

[WolveBane]

Acetone works the best for me... and some cotton wool... easy, fast, non-messy....

You can pick up a bottle at any chemist / pharmacy, etc