Cleaning/Dusting graphics card.

[Holythief]

So i have an evga gtx 570 sc lying around (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51e7Ku2ggpL.jpg)

And i'd like to clean/dust it out before i either sell it for give it to my brother to use.

So my question is, can i just unscrew the top plastic shroud and simply clean it with some cotton buds/q tips ?

Should i remove the heatsink block itself and re paste ?

If so what thermal paste should i use (i currently only have some Arctic mx-4 and Noctua NT-H1)

 

[RCoon]

Should i remove the heatsink block itself and re paste ?

Yes, remove the whole heatsink, blast it with compressed air (those things are pretty straightforward, big block of fins and a fan). Then just use some standard MX4 or AS5, tiny tiny blob. Should do the trick. Pretty easy, usually the whole sink is held on by 8 screws.

 

[Vario]

Use the MX4, don't use the NTH1, I haven't had much luck long term with NTH1 on graphics cards I think it gets too thin when its hot and squeezes out.

 

[RCoon]

Use the MX4, don't use the NTH1, I haven't had much luck long term with NTH1 on graphics cards I think it gets too thin when its hot and squeezes out.

I half expected you to say "slap a 38mm fan on it, AINT NO DUST GONNA SETTLE ON THAT". Seems a legit way of de-dusting a GPU. 5000RPM of static pressure goodness.

 

[GorbazTheDragon]

I'd think that after a few years of use you'd have to open up the shroud and clean the dust out of the fins on the heatsink... One of the downsides of these blower style coolers is that they are an absolute pain in the back side to clean.