Removing Stock Heatsink/Fan

[The Pentium Guy]

Hey,

I'm removing the stock heatsink/fan and getting a Zalman 7000-AlCu version. I heard there would be some "black goo" called TIM which Intel uses as their thermal compound. Without scraping it off, how would I remove this (in prepreation for some Arctic Silver 5)?

-The Pentium Guy

 

[xbassman]

I always use denatured alcohol and a q-tip.
You can buy it for about $3-4 a quart in the paint dept of Home Depot or other home improvement stores.

I have a quart I bought last year sometime branded by Klean-Strip.

 

[The Pentium Guy]

Awesome, but how much do you think I need?
Oh I heard rubbing alcohol would work too..., is this true?

-The Pentium Guy

 

[xbassman]

Rubbing alcohol is not as high in purity as most people suggest, but I have used it. I think that the denatured alcohol works much better. A quart should last you a loooong time.

If the TIM is stubborn I usually just put on a few drops of alcohol and use my fingernail. (Usually only run into this when removing an old thermal pad)

 

[Puchiko]

I have tried using 100 percent Rubbing Alcohol to remoce the pink thermal compound on AMD CPU stock heatsinks and it does nothing. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[krazzypanda]

try goof off. <-- some 1337 sauce stuff

 

[PC911mickster]

The last couple times I did it, I disconnected all the drives & case fans(not the cpu fan!) and started the computer and let it warm up for a good while by running a folding program plus others. After it's nice and warm, I finish the disconects and remove the mobo and proceed to remove the hs. It's a hell iof a lot easier when it's warm.
A blow dryer on low works if the system's funked up.