question about applying thermal paste

[bitt3n]

I just disassembled my laptop to replace the inverter card, and I am about to put the heatsink fan back on the processor, but I don't have any thermal paste lying around. I am wondering whether I actually need to go out and buy some new thermal paste before reassembling it. Is it *really* necessary to reapply the thermal paste? (I am lazy)

 

[Skeeedunt]

if I recall correctly: yes

 

[Aluvus]

Yes.

 

[Baked]

You can always use toothpaste if you're lazy, I mean who's gonna care about your fried CPU but you?

 

[starwars7]

yes, remove old past and apply new paste. If you go to the DFI forum they have a nifty tutorial on how to do it. Or maybe it was the AMD site, I can't remember. But somewhere I found a video clip showing the procedure.

 

[bitt3n]

OK I went out and bought some paste, now I read a tutorial that says I need to clean off the processor with isopropyl alcohol.. is *that* really necessary? this is a 700 mHz PIII laptop I'm fixing, not some overclocking juggernaut.

/doesn't want to have to leave the basement twice in one month

 

[Baked]

You don't need medical grade alcohol, just not water. All you gotta do is clean the residual thermal material off the CPU core, reapply very thin layer of thermal paste and slap the heatsink back on.

 

[randym431]

Fingernail polish remover is better.

 

[Zepper]

Regular rubbing alcohol will work fine for cleaning as long as there are no additives like glycerine or wintergreen oil. Yes, for best results (which you need in the cramped spaces of a laptop) you should clean off old goop very well and apply new. If the old was a thermal pad (rubbery looking stuff, pink or gray), you may have to start with lighter fluid to get it off - then a final "rinse" with alcohol.

.bh.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: randym431
Fingernail polish remover is better.

If you can get high purity acetone, maybe. Otherwise, it's a little iffy.