Question regarding thermal paste for new heat sink.

UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA:Redwood City, CA Icrontian
edited May 2008 in Hardware
Last night I purchased a new heat sink for my E6420. I bought the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro. I also picked up a tube of Arctic Silver Ceramique thermal paste. I was planning on using the paste for maximum cooling, but after purchasing I found out that the Freezer 7 Pro comes with pre-applied thermal grease.

I still would like to use the Arctic Silver, so I'll need to remove the pre-applied paste. Does anyone have any suggestions for doing so? Is it a bad idea, or perfectly approachable?

Also, this is my first 3rd party HSF replacement. Is there anything I need to know regarding the thermal grease from my current stock HSF? Do I need to scrape it clean before applying the new?
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Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Remove the pre-applied! Alcohol + q-tips + patience.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    We've used Tequila to great effect as well :eek3:

    But yes, definitely remove.
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    So it'll scrape off with just a q tip, or do I need to use something more heavy duty?
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    yes just use alcohol, it will soften the pad up and it will just rub right off then use another clean q-tip to clean the cpu and hs surfaces.
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    WD40 to remove the bulk of the residue. Then 90% Isoproyl Alcohol to remove the rest of the residue and WD40 residue. Much faster than just alcohol.
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Ok, alcohol and WD40 plus Qtips. Any precautions I should know of before hand? Outside the obvious (no WD40 on the mobo, unplug the PC before hacking away, no pin bending, don't drink and drive, ect)?

    Man I can't wait for that heatsink.
  • Your-Amish-DaddyYour-Amish-Daddy The heart of Texas
    edited April 2008
    I recommend an art supply called Goo-Gone. Squirt it on the pad, count to 30, wipe off with a cloth. Done and done. You can rinse with water, but I never had to. Just make sure it's dry.
  • DogDragonDogDragon Jacksonville, Fl Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    primesuspect wrote:
    We've used Tequila to great effect as well :eek3:

    I like to use Acetone and Tequila for myself:)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Acetone.

    No it will NOT damage the CPU and NO it will not damage the motherboard, RAM, or....
  • rapturerapture
    edited April 2008
    +1 for acetone, I always use nail polish remover. Something that is usually found in the home and keeps my heat sinks strong, healthy and nourished.
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    I use the alcohol swabs meant for people that have to give themselves shots. It's like 100 pads for $2 at Walgreens. It's 70% alcohol but with the WD40 step, the alcohol is just a cleaner. Acetone is awesome...
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Alright, Acetone with Qtips it is. The parts will be in Indianapolis tonight, so I may possibly see them tomorrow. More than likely it'll be Friday though. Can't wait to OC the crap out of my proc.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    You can use cotton swabs, but a cotton rag, like a piece from an old t-shirt works better. The swab can leave fibers behind on some the chip modules that can be a pain to remove. I usually just use a clean, dry rag first to pick up the excess, then another piece of rag with acetone. If there are streaks or residue still on the surface, repeat.

    Acetone: $5/pint (enough for years, and an excellent cleaning solvent to have around the workshop and house) vs. Arctic silver cleaner $$/itty-bitty bottle.
  • SPIKE09SPIKE09 Scatland
    edited April 2008
    rapture wrote:
    +1 for acetone, I always use nail polish remover. Something that is usually found in the home and keeps my heat sinks strong, healthy and nourished.
    NNNOOO not nail polish remover it has additives to keep nail nice and shiny not recommended isopropyl alcohol or naptha ie zippo lighter fuel are my fave's combined with a clean lint free rag for wiping
  • HarudathHarudath Great Britain Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Thermal Compound
    We ship our coolers with the ARCTIC MX-1 thermal compound. This compound hardens during the first 200h while the performance improves steadily. With heating up the paste / heatsink the process can be shortened. The performance is even from the beginning good enough to cool your CPU reliable.

    the cooling power will get better as the cooling compound paste hardens.

    I don't know much about Thermal Paste so it's your call, just thought I'd post something I found in a review- My Freezer pro is arriving tomorrow but I have to saw a bit off of the massive P5N-E SLi northbridge heatsinc to get the damn thing in :tongue:
  • HarudathHarudath Great Britain Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    When we were at the shop my dad asked one of the guys what they'd reccomend to remove the crap on the old HSF and it turns out lemon juice works well, although I've not tried it with alcohol. I'll have to experiment :D
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    turns out lemon juice works well
    NO! That will leave sugar deposits behind.
  • Your-Amish-DaddyYour-Amish-Daddy The heart of Texas
    edited April 2008
    Goo gone has alot of citrus extract in it, which is why I use it. Citric acid cleans stuff real good.
  • HarudathHarudath Great Britain Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Acetone it is! :tongue:
  • HarudathHarudath Great Britain Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Arctic 7 pro is Great! o.O 3.6GHz (overclocked) load with stock cooling was 62C, with the 7 Pro it was at 100% load for 3 hours and never went above 36C. Definately worth it... with the whole £15 that it costs :tongue:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    100% load for 3 hours and never went above 36C
    If correct, that's fantastic. What is the ambient (room) temperature. What temperature monitoring software are you using?
  • EssoEsso Stockholm, Sweden
    edited April 2008
    Don't forget because it is important!

    Use aceton without OIL
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    What have you been smoking?
  • HarudathHarudath Great Britain Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Leonardo wrote:
    What have you been smoking?

    Acetone :tongue: I'm using Coretemp and the ambient temperature is about 25C. It's a staggering difference, idle overclocked by 1GHz it's at atound 18-21C, I have photoshop and a finished virus scan in the background so I dunno how much difference that makes :tongue:
  • EssoEsso Stockholm, Sweden
    edited April 2008
    Acetone is no fun inhaling, it kills more brain cells than the worst Alaskian elk moon shining :D
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    ambient temperature is about 25C. It's a staggering difference, idle overclocked by 1GHz it's at atound 18-21C
    It is impossible to have a lower CPU temperature than ambient using air cooling.

    I am not being critical of you, I am not demeaning; there is something wrong with the readings or settings.
  • HarudathHarudath Great Britain Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    I've probably got the wrong ambient temp :tongue: Not saying you're wrong, but just curious- why is it impossible?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    How is it possible that 25C air could cause a hot processor to become cooler than 25C? It is not possible. The coolest a CPU can become under air cooling is the temperature of the air entering the case. It can go no lower.
  • HarudathHarudath Great Britain Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Yeah, the internet on my PC isn't working and I was thinking about it while I was trying to get my connection to work :tongue: Well, it's still a damn cool temperature :D actually, I'll do 3Dmark now :P
  • HarudathHarudath Great Britain Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    I don't know... I left my PC totally idle, everything closed... I came back the cores were at 15/16C and the room is definately not that cold
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