Replacing stock HSF for my e6400, have some questions

[Cuhulainn]

To remove the stock hsf:
Should it be warm or hot when I remove it (ie. should it be running at idle or under load, and then turn it off and immediately remove the heatsink?)

Are there any special techniques when removing the heatsink? Twist? Wiggle? Yank?

What should I use to remove the old thermal grease?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[TheSynth]

I've never gone through that process yet but my common sense would tell me to wait 5-10 mins before removing the hsf so it cools off.

Use rubbing alcohol to clean off the grease.

 

[eelw]

Since it's LGA775, yanking the heatsink off, even cold will be fine. But if it's a socket based CPU, heat up the thermal paste at full load and remove the HSF as soon as possible before it cools down to much. And be gentle and wiggle it carefully to prevent pulling out the CPU with the HSF.

 

[kpamir]

Just so u know, while the si-128 is a great cooler, currently keeping my e6600 @ 28ish idle and 38-39 under load both cores, it was arguably the HARDEST most FRUSTRATING heatsink i have ever installed. My hands are scratched up and one of my fingers got cut installing it....... but it is good lol.

I used 71% iso alcohol to get the thermal grease off

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Cuhulainn
To remove the stock hsf [blah, blah, blah]

What should I use to remove the old thermal grease?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Okay, you asked for it...

Personally, when I remove a stock HSF, I try to be careful, but those damn things usually glue themselves to the core -- so, it almost always comes down to brute force. That is, I usually have to yank the CPU out of the ZIF socket with the HSF still attached, and seperate them with a pocket knife. If you do this, just make sure you pull it out straight, so you don't bend the pins...

To remove the old grease, I use 100% mineral spirits, e.g. paint thinner. Works great, it's one of the solvents recommended by Arctic Silver, and I usually have a lot of it sitting around.

BTW, to those of you using XX% alcohol, make sure to check what the other XX% is -- it's usually mineral oil, which is a no-no!

 

[1111111]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

BTW, to those of you using XX% alcohol, make sure to check what the other XX% is -- it's usually mineral oil, which is a no-no!

Really? I thought that in most cases the other percentage was water Anyhow, it's best to use 90% isopropyl alcohol or higher (99% if possible). 70% has too much water. I find Goof Off works really well for removing the tougher stuff - like thermal pads.

 

[VinDSL]

Hrm... maybe I was thinking of Bud Lite...

 

[Cuhulainn]

Originally posted by: kpamir
Just so u know, while the si-128 is a great cooler, currently keeping my e6600 @ 28ish idle and 38-39 under load both cores, it was arguably the HARDEST most FRUSTRATING heatsink i have ever installed. My hands are scratched up and one of my fingers got cut installing it....... but it is good lol.

I used 71% iso alcohol to get the thermal grease off

First off, thanks to all for advice. Removing the heatsink was surprisingly easy, however, installing the the si-128 into the top corner of my P180 was a pain in the a$$! I have fairly small hands and what I consider to be nimble fingers, but I felt like I had sausages for fingers when trying to install this thing. It's kind of like trying to screw the base of an umbrella into the bottom of a 55 gallon drum, with the umbrella open. In hindsight, it would have probably been easier to take out the motherboard and then install it.

I used 91% iso alcohol (9% distilled water) for the thermal paste. Worked like a charm.

Unfortunately I haven't gotten the same results as you had with temps, they're only a few degrees lower than the stock HSF.. I really don't want to reseat that thing.

kpamir, are you overclocking that 6600?? if so, how much? Are the heatpipes lukewarm/warm/hot to the touch?

 

[wtwhizz]

If you used Arctic Silver paste I think it takes like 200 hours or so to burn in. Your temps should drop 2-5 degrees or more over the course of that time.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: wtwhizz
If you used Arctic Silver paste I think it takes like 200 hours or so to burn in...

And, don't forget this part. A lot of ppl tend to overlook it...

Important Reminder:
Due to the unique shape and sizes of the particles in Arctic Silver's conductive matrix, it will take a up to 200 hours and several thermal cycles to achieve maximum particle to particle thermal conduction and for the heatsink to CPU interface to reach maximum conductivity. (This period will be longer in a system without a fan on the heatsink or with a low speed fan on the heatsink.) On systems measuring actual internal core temperatures via the CPU's internal diode, the measured temperature will often drop 2C to 5C over this "break-in" period. This break-in will occur during the normal use of the computer as long as the computer is turned off from time to time and the interface is allowed to cool to room temperature. Once the break-in is complete, the computer can be left on if desired.