removing thermal compound on northbridge and heatsink?

[BZeto]

I want to take the heatsink off the northbridge chip on my Epox 8K5A2+ and take off the crappy thermal goop and put on some AS3. I haven't looked to much at how I would take the heatsink off, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

But my question is, what is the best way to remove the cheap thermal goop that is already on it? And when I apply the AS3 to it, do I do it the same way I would to the cpu and HSF? (the way off of arctic silvers website) Give me some tips and general steps as to how I would do this.


thanks

 

[ScrapSilicon]

button for Search up above seems to be still functional.. as far as removal..I use paper towels w/ isopropyl alcohol ..some use GooGone..as always YMMV ..typos

 

[Buz2b]

Alcohol is fine and will do the trick. It is probably the safest also. If you use Goo-Gone or Nail polish remover (another option), you should always go back over it with the alcohol to remove the residue that those can leave. I wouldn't use paper towels though. Use a soft, lint-free cloth (no terri towels). Just dab some alcohol on a section of the cloth and gently wipe away the paste. If some of the residue is on the MB, don't worry too much about it. If there is a lot there, you can use a Q-tip with a bit of alcohol on it.

 

[CaptnKirk]

The rule in electronics manufacturing for cleaning is simple:

Clean area with a cotton or foam tip swab, using Isopropyl Alcohol. Wipe dry with a clean lint-free cloth, repeat cleaning
with clean lint-free cloth and Isopropyl Alohol until there is no evidence of discoloration left on the cloth in the final wipe.

It's been like that for at least 30 years.

 

[Insane3D]

Alcohol doesn't do too much to that pink goop. Here's what I did. I scraped most of it off with my fingernail. You could use a razor or something similar to remove it. I then used Carb and Choke cleaner from the local AP store to clean off the remaining residue. There are plenty of other types of solvent you can use too. Once that is done, finish up the area with alcohol to remove any residue from the cleaner, apply AS3 and reinstall it with the push pins.

Also, remember you want a thin layer of AS3, not a big glob of it. I find a nice trick to apply it evenly is to wrap some plastic wrap or other similar plastic tightly around your finger, then spread it around with your finger. When you are done, you can just remove the plastic and throw it away and your hands will be clean.

Good luck..

 

[BZeto]

Thanks for all the replies, do you think I should do this now and get it over with or wait and do it before I build my system?

Can the AS3 be sitting on it for a while(until I put together the computer) or will it dry up if It doesn't get hot from the mobo chip (once I build the computer)?

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: BZeto
Thanks for all the replies, do you think I should do this now and get it over with or wait and do it before I build my system?

Can the AS3 be sitting on it for a while(until I put together the computer) or will it dry up if It doesn't get hot from the mobo chip (once I build the computer)?

Nah, you will be fine....it won't dry out. It's probably better to do it before you build, then you can get it out of the way. Plus, it's much easier to do out of the case.

 

[BZeto]

Thanks Insane3D, you've been more than helpful to me with all my questions.

One more thing though, since I know you have a couple 8K5A2+ mobo's. Could you give me instructions on how the northbridge heatsink comes off? I dont want to go into this thing guessing and trying different things with those plastic pins trying to get it off.

 

[CaptnKirk]

This is basically to reinforce Insane3D's clean up method: Any mechanical means to reduce the amount of material residue left will make the cleaning easier,
be it a fingernail, razor blade, plastic scraper, etc.

Many of the old 'Preferred' solvents are no longer availabe - as they have been taken away by EPA and OSHA regulations - you can't get 'Technical Freon' anymore, unless you have special handling equipment, and Tricholoroethelyne is banned.

There are some highly flamable substances available from naptha based solvents - Lighter fluid is a decent substitute that is readily available, but use with caution.

Xylene, Trichloroethane, Methyl Ehtyl Keytone are commercial solvents (some being health risks) that are available from 'Home Depot' type stores.
Methyl (Wood) alcohol will work, but is corrosive to metal parts, so it must be cleaned off carefully, so as not to leave any residue.

The various contact cleaners, brake cleaner, carburator cleaner, etc., also work, but all of these materials, including Citra-Solve, require a final cleaning with
the Isopropyl Alcohol to remove traces of oils and other residues.

Now if somebody would just come out with a better board than Epox, so 3D could get a new toy.

 

[BZeto]

I can clean the whole thing with alcohol right? Not just for the final clean?

 

[Pardus]

can you use alcohol on a video card as well? got a heatsink that came off, glue dried up, can i reattach it with crazy glue or so ? i want to remove the old residue left over first

 

[Buz2b]

Originally posted by: BZeto
I can clean the whole thing with alcohol right? Not just for the final clean?

Yes, and that would be my recommendation, unless you have a ton of the stuff to get rid of. If so, then consider Nail Polish remover or Goo-Gone; followed by alcohol.

By ActiveX:

can you use alcohol on a video card as well? got a heatsink that came off, glue dried up, can i reattach it with crazy glue or so ? i want to remove the old residue left over first

Yes; sort of. You may need to use more "physical" means (scraping with fingernail, razor, etc), but be careful not to get crazy doing this. Try the Goo-Gone for the residue. If it is "hardened", you might have better luck scraping it off first.
Yes, you can reattach it with Crazy Glue (get the gel kind) but you want to be sure that there is a good application of thermal paste on the chip first. Just leave a couple of corners free of the paste and apply the Gel-type Crazy glue on those corners. Of course, you could avoid that mess by getting some Arctic Silver Adhesive instead; which would be my recommendation. Just mix equal parts together, apply like thermal paste, stick the parts together for a few minutes with minimal pressure and you're done! Just did that on a video card for my nephew and it was absolutely trouble free.

 

[Insane3D]

I can clean the whole thing with alcohol right? Not just for the final clean?

You can try, but the alcohol won't dissolve the stuff very well. Another thing you can try is to just clean it in the sink with some soap and water and a abrasive sponge. Just make sure to dry it first before putting it back on.

 

[BZeto]

Insane3D, how do you take the heatsink off the northbridge? Haven't tried yet, nor really inspected it, but I would like to know how before I start the process.

 

[BZeto]

bump, insane!

 

[Pardus]

thanks Buz2b, i'll try to find a place that sells Arctic Silver, the residue left over is hardened. The video card works fine but the side heatstink somehow dried up, it was lying on the side of my sound card when i opened the box. Good thing it didnt fall onto the mb, prob would have shorted it out.

 

[Tab]

Where can you buy Isopropyl Alcohol? So, I can use this on any computer part to remove Thermal Paste/Glue/Gunk or whatever? It'll be safe to use on a CPU/GPU/RAM? I don't want to fry a $300 GfxCard!

 

[CaptnKirk]

1) Lightly scrape with a plastic credit card or guitar pick to remove loose or dried residue.
2) Use cotton swab or foam tip swab moistened with lighter fluid to soften material, lighly re-scrape with ( 1 ) above.
3) Wipe up residue with clean cloth mositened with Isopropyl Alcohol, re-apply & re-wipe as needed.
*NOTE: No color should transfer to cloth on final wipe.

Lighter fluid is available at grocery store or drug store, for about $ 1. AVOID FLAME SOURCES
Isopropyl Alcohol is available at most hardware stores, about $ 2 for pint can. AVOID FLAME SOURCES

You can use Iopropyl Alcohol in step (2), but you have to re-apply several times & rub a lot.
It is safe to use on any of the electrical components in a computer, as long as you clean it all up.
There are many other materials that can be used, but these are the most readily available,
and are relativly safe, bou one more time: AVOID FLAME SOURCES

 

[Buz2b]

I don't think I could put it any better than CaptinKirk; Avoid Flame sources! I would also, (as a fellow guitar player) highly agree with the use of a guitar pick as an excellent "scrapper". I don't think you will need to reapply the alcohol as much though; even if it is pretty bad. If you really have some hardened "crapola" on your chip, I would advise some "Goo-Gone" and the aforementioned guitar pick; followed by the soft cloth with some alcohol on it. Yes, the Isopropyl alcohol can be found at most "drugstores", such as RiteAid or Longs. No big deal.
ActiveX, you are very lucky. Usually when that happens it takes out either the MB or at least a PCI card or two. BTW, you can find both the AS thermal paste and the AS thermal adhesive on SVC's site for a reasonable price and usually reasonable shipping.

 

[Jeff7]

When I clean stuff, I just wipe the excess of the thermal goop off with a tissue, then use cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol to scrub whatever needs it; works fine.
Just make sure it's completely dry before using it - sitting for like 5 minutes should be fine, assuming you don't try to give the entire chip a fully immersive bath.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Websites that go BUMP in the night.