Last update on 2022-03-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
One of the most common problems in computing is the temperature problem; when the microphone reaches 80 °, the computer automatically shuts down or restarts to avoid burning. Now I explain how to clean thermal paste off CPU. and how to apply thermal paste on CPU pins.
Many times the problem is that the CPU cooler is covered with dust and cobwebs. Sometimes it is also because it does not have enough paste, or it is scorched.
The paste’s function is to transport the heat transfer from the Micro to the sink as quickly as possible, leaving it as cold as possible.
How to remove thermal paste from cpu socket but first we have to need to know how long does thermal paste last. Now I will explain it.
How Long Does Thermal Paste Last: Important Note
Difficult question how long does thermal paste last. The simplest thing we can do is monitor the temperatures of our computer. Taking into account the ambient temperature and studying the increases produced overtime under the same circumstances.
the computer turned on for half an hour and without executing any process, for example, with the fans running at minimum revolutions and with a fixed ambient temperature.
However, how to clean thermal paste off cpu is usually a somewhat tedious task that requires us to be vigilant for many months to take temperatures, store and organize them.
It is much easier to replace the paste on CPU pins from time to time. You only need a screwdriver (usually a star, almost all the screws of a computer have the same head), some patience, and a bit of skill.
The method or process for a central processor or CPU is as follows for how to remove thermal paste from CPU socket.
- The side cover of the computer opens. Although be careful with some boxes that have a fan that carries a cable inside the box, it has no loss.
- The Heatsink is removed. This point is one of the most delicate since the Heatsink may use screws or pressure flaps. If you do not have the experience, it is advisable to go to the official website of the manufacturer of the Heatsink to study the method to follow.
- Once the Heatsink is removed, we will have already separated it from the motherboard. The Processor can also be removed, removing it from the motherboard carefully (some models have pins that bend with their eyes).
- The Processor and the Heatsink on the table. We rest them on a padded surface such as a dry microfiber cloth or towel. It is not advisable to use hard surfaces to avoid possible problems due to an unexpected hit.
- Now, carefully, all thermal paste debris from both the CPU and the Heatsink is cleaned. For this, alcohol and paper towels can be used, always being careful not to hit or modify both components’ structure and remove the remaining paste from any recess.
- Once both components are clean, they are thoroughly dried (again, carefully), and a new paste is applied. For this, it is necessary to cover the contact part of the Heatsink with a thin layer of paste, usually a millimeter or less. It is essential to mold the paste until it is regular, for example, with a wooden stick or a small piece of paper, using it as a spatula.
- Once the new paste is applied, it is necessary to reassemble all the parts. Be careful because the Processor has a single possible position in the socket pins (usually marked in one of its corners) and has to enter without pressure. If we have reinstalled the CPU on the motherboard, we must be careful not to move the Processor to avoid spilling paste through other areas of the motherboard.
It is always advisable to replace the thermal paste in case of removing the Heatsink since when moving it. We will be changing the position of the previous paste, and that can lead to areas that are not perfectly covered by the material.
Some people apply a layer of paste to the Heatsink and another to the Processor, although I prefer to give only one so that when the Heatsink is placed (usually under pressure), it does not overflow into the motherboard.
Regarding how often should you replace thermal paste? Everything will depend on its quality, ambient temperature—the computer’s operating time, the percentage of CPU utilization, and some other reasons. I recommend replacing the paste on CPU pins every year. Although the good pasta manufacturers usually guarantee the proper functioning in periods of between three and five years.
Finally, although we have focused on the central Processor or CPU, both GPU and chipset (and it is possible that other components for how to clean thermal paste off CPU) use paste, and it is advisable to replace it. To do this, we will follow a process similar to the one described above for the CPU: we will separate the chip from the metal heatsink, clean the existing debris, apply the new paste and reassemble.
How to Clean Thermal Paste Off CPU: Preparation Guide
Before we begin how to clean thermal paste off cpu, we will tell you that what we are going to say is perfectly applicable to both the processors and the GPUs of the graphics cards, only that it is much more likely that you will do it more times with your processors than with the graphics.
When we go to clean the paste of a processor, the first thing we should have on hand are:
- A cotton cloth or, failing that, kitchen paper towel or cotton swabs.
- A bottle of isopropyl alcohol.
In the absence of alcohol isopropyl, liquids explicitly manufactured for this purpose may also be used. Or even lemon juice. It must have some product that helps dissolve the silicone that joins the particles of the paste so that it is easy to remove it from the surface that we are going to clean.
N the event that the thermal paste has solidified (for the time, for the temperature or because it is of poor quality), before attempting to clean it, it is convenient to put a couple of drops on it so that it softens and it is easier to remove it.
With the paste already soft, we will take one end of the fiber cloth that we mentioned before and pass it over to the Processor IHS. In this way, we will remove most of the paste that is on its surface. Then, we will moisten the cotton at the other end of the cloth (that is clean), and with it, we will rub the surfaces where there was paste until all the remains of it were removed.
Once this is done, we will only have to let the Processor and the heat sink dry (with a couple of minutes is enough for how to remove thermal paste from cpu socket) before applying the new layer of paste.
You have to be very careful with isopropyl since it is a type of alcohol given in a very high concentration and, if it is consumed in large quantities, it can be fatal for humans. In the same way, since it is an alcohol, it is convenient that it is not handled near a flame since its vapors can catch fire.
Step By Step: How To Clean Thermal Paste off Motherboard.
In this new entry, we will learn how to clean thermal paste off motherboard of the microprocessor, and it is something very simple to do. Likewise, you have to be very careful.
Materials of thermal paste remover
The materials you will require for the change are the following:
Note: In this example, you will see the paste with CPU. This is because it occurred to me to do this tutorial after performing the procedure, know how to apologize. In most cases, they should be found with dry paste.
1. Remove the heatsink from the Processor
With great care, we must remove the heatsink from the Processor. Depending on the model, it has different obstacles to remove.
2. how to remove thermal paste from CPU socket
With the greatest care, we must extract the CPU, and this is very simple since you always have to unlock it and then remove it.
You have to be very careful with the “legs” of the Processor that are very, very delicate. Some bring the motherboard and others on the mic.
3. Remove the Dry Thermal Paste from the Processor
Generally, the paste will find it very air dry, so we must remove it from the microprocessor before putting the new one. They should never be placed on top of each other without removing the previous one.
We proceed with the isopropyl alcohol to soften, and we will use the toilet paper to remove the old paste.
4. Remove residual dry paste from the Heatsink
We must also remove the paste residues from the sink.
5. Again we place the Processor on the motherboard
With the most excellent care, we return the microprocessor to its place and then proceed to place the paste.
6. Place New Thermal Paste
You want to put the paste with your finger or with the paper screwdriver. The important thing here is the quantity.
It is necessary to place two points of thermal paste and then expand it and make it a thin layer in the Micro, which is what I recommend or as in this case, my partner preferred to leave the point of paste and place the Heatsink so that it expands it by on the mic.
In any case, you should never put a lot of paste since this is counterproductive.
7. Verify Heatsink’s connection with “Cpu Fan.”
Once everything is in place, do not forget to check the cooler cable, which is connected to the connector that says, “Cpu-Fan.”
And ready! We already learned to place the paste of the Processor
That’s all for today! for how to clean thermal paste off motherboard.
Conclusions
Computers are stoves of heat produced by their chips, and that heat must be removed in some way. To this end, heatsinks that, together with the fans, extract the hot air out of the box are very helpful.
But how to clean thermal paste off CPU. the somewhat thick and viscous liquid component that is generally one of the great forgottens of our computer. It is of great importance that the paste is in good working order since it is the one in charge of “moving” the heat towards the Heatsink, which, in turn, is the one that takes it outside.
I recommend replacing the thermal paste or clean thermal paste on CPU pins annually in a generally simple process, but in which we will be dealing with fragile components with which you have to be very careful.
