Thermal paste on CPU

[CKBABY]

Hi Everyone,

Hope all is well.

while I was changing my CPU cooler - I realised there was some thermal paste on the side and inside the pins. Can it be cleaned off or do I need to purchase a new cpu?

 

[Athlonite]

ISO-propyl alcohol and a soft bristle brush is what I use

 

[CKBABY]

ISO-propyl alcohol and a soft bristle brush is what I use

Do I soak the CPU or just dip the brush and gently remove it?

 

[Athlonite]

dip the brush and gently remove it you can soak it a bit to help soften the thermal paste and make it easier to remove

 

[Bones]

You can also use electrical contact cleaner in a spray can that will simply remove it without having to brush it if you want - Just aim and blast away.
Do not use something like brake cleaner, that isn't good for it.
Acetone is another alternative in most cases.

Make sure though, whatever method you use to be sure the CPU is fully dry before reinserting into the socket.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I second the use of some quality electrical contact cleaner. Cleaning contacts is what it is made for. And as Bones noted, the spray avoids the need to scrub - like power washing your car in a touchless car wash. Some staining of PCB itself may remain. That's okay as long as the pins are clean.

Note if TIM (thermal interface material) got on the CPU, it could be in the socket too. Again, the best tool is electrical contact cleaner. CRC QD cleaner is a long time favorite of many techs. WD-40 makes a good contact cleaner too. Either is usually easy to find at your local home improvement store, or even Walmart.

Curious? Why did you remove the CPU to change the cooler? You normally don't need to.

And I note it is not normal for TIM to get on the pins/pads or socket unless WAY too much TIM was applied during cooler mounting and it squished out over the sides when mounting pressure was applied. A tiny bit of TIM goes a long ways. In fact, too much TIM is counter-productive to heat transfer efficiency. You want as thin as possible while still providing thorough coverage. Remember, the purpose of the TIM is to fill only the microscopic pits and valleys in the mating surfaces to push out any insulating air.

 

[hat]

I second the use of some quality electrical contact cleaner. Cleaning contacts is what it is made for. And as Bones noted, the spray avoids the need to scrub - like power washing your car in a touchless car wash. Some staining of PCB itself may remain. That's okay as long as the pins are clean.

Note if TIM (thermal interface material) got on the CPU, it could be in the socket too. Again, the best tool is electrical contact cleaner. CRC QD cleaner is a long time favorite of many techs. WD-40 makes a good contact cleaner too. Either is usually easy to find at your local home improvement store, or even Walmart.

Curious? Why did you remove the CPU to change the cooler? You normally don't need to.

And I note it is not normal for TIM to get on the pins/pads or socket unless WAY too much TIM was applied during cooler mounting and it squished out over the sides when mounting pressure was applied. A tiny bit of TIM goes a long ways. In fact, too much TIM is counter-productive to heat transfer efficiency. You want as thin as possible while still providing thorough coverage. Remember, the purpose of the TIM is to fill only the microscopic pits and valleys in the mating surfaces to push out any insulating air.

There's nothing in this post I don't agree with, and it covers all the bases.

 

[CKBABY]

I second the use of some quality electrical contact cleaner. Cleaning contacts is what it is made for. And as Bones noted, the spray avoids the need to scrub - like power washing your car in a touchless car wash. Some staining of PCB itself may remain. That's okay as long as the pins are clean.

Note if TIM (thermal interface material) got on the CPU, it could be in the socket too. Again, the best tool is electrical contact cleaner. CRC QD cleaner is a long time favorite of many techs. WD-40 makes a good contact cleaner too. Either is usually easy to find at your local home improvement store, or even Walmart.

Curious? Why did you remove the CPU to change the cooler? You normally don't need to.

And I note it is not normal for TIM to get on the pins/pads or socket unless WAY too much TIM was applied during cooler mounting and it squished out over the sides when mounting pressure was applied. A tiny bit of TIM goes a long ways. In fact, too much TIM is counter-productive to heat transfer efficiency. You want as thin as possible while still providing thorough coverage. Remember, the purpose of the TIM is to fill only the microscopic pits and valleys in the mating surfaces to push out any insulating air.

Mate you’re a legend. I am new to the pc world so I can’t really tell you why I pulled the cpu out instead of just cleaning it while mounted. I’ll be purchasing the wd40 specialist spray and use that to clean up the cpu. I couldn’t see anything in the socket looks clean to me. I really do appreciate the in debt info.
many thanks. I’ll keep you updated on how I go

You can also use electrical contact cleaner in a spray can that will simply remove it without having to brush it if you want - Just aim and blast away.
Do not use something like brake cleaner, that isn't good for it.
Acetone is another alternative in most cases.

Make sure though, whatever method you use to be sure the CPU is fully dry before reinserting into the socket.

Many thanks. I am giving WD40 a go. Fingers crossed. Thank you for the reply

 

[Bones]

Let us know how it goes.