help! need to replace fan on amd k6-3

[Mentallo]

Hi,

The fan on my AMD K6-III/450 is excessively loud, so I purchased a new heatsink and fan. I've taken the processor off the motherboard, but how do I remove the old heat sink / fan from the processor? It seems to be stuck on their pretty good, and I don't want to damage the chip.

Would it be best to keep the existing heat sink and just swap fans?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Mentallo

 

[Fardringle]

It's most likely just stuck on with old, dried-out thermal paste. Once you have removed the CPU/Heat Sink from the motherboard, use a screwdriver (or a butter knifer or any other strong, flat object) and wedge the tip into the space between the edge of the CPU and the Heat Sink and CAREFULLY use the screwdriver as a lever to try and separate the two. Also, I have found that holding the CPU tightly (make sure you don't bend any of the pins) and twisting the heat sink will often loosen old grease..

This can take some work occasionally, and a while back I even had to put one in a vise to get enough leverage to release it, but unless it is actually glued/welded together, you should be able to remove the old heat sink.

As a last resort, you could always just unscrew the old fan from the heatsink and attach the new fan...

 

[adolfmuhammed]

It might be glued on.
I removed my heatsink by using a razorblade to cut through the glue. I rocked the blade back and forth at each of the corners. Eventually the heatsink came off without too much force.

 

[Mentallo]

Excellent. I'll try these suggestions. Actually, this morning before coming to work, I tried to unscrew the new fan from the heatsink, but it seems to be bolted in -- I couldn't see the "head" of the screw, and neither phillips or regular screwdrivers worked.

Thanks again.

Mentallo