Heatsink Stuck To CPU

MrTRiotMrTRiot Northern Ontario Icrontian
in Hardware
I was attempting to remove the heat sink from my CPU to apply new thermal paste when the both came out attached. I have tried using fishing line soaked in both alcohol and acetone as well as brute force to seperate the two. Any other suggestions to seperate them?? Neither the CPU or MoBo were hurt in the process

I already ended up getting a new
CPU and motherboard (not enough to clearance to reseat them as is) but I would still like to get them apart so I can sell them.

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    Can you twist them apart like an Oreo?
  • MrTRiotMrTRiot Northern Ontario Icrontian
    Nope. Doesn't budge at all
  • RyderRyder Kalamazoo, Mi Icrontian
    Do you have access to something deep enough to submerge the CPU in alcohol or acetone? Let it work its way in there and I bet it will just fall off.
  • MrTRiotMrTRiot Northern Ontario Icrontian
    I actually did that with 70% alcohol overnight. Could see pieces of thermal paste floating around but still won't budge... doesn't acetone hurt pcb??
  • trolltroll Windsor, Nova Scotia Icrontian
    Flat edge screwdriver between the cpu and heatsink and ever so gently pry straight up, like a lever.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    Perhaps try to freeze it. I did that with a graphics card before.
  • _k_k P-Town, Texas Icrontian
    Oven
  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian
    MAGIC said:

    Perhaps try to freeze it. I did that with a graphics card before.

    I've had success with this on a CPU.
  • MrTRiotMrTRiot Northern Ontario Icrontian
    How long do I freeze it for??
  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian
    I left it overnight. Probably didn't need that long though.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    couple hrs will do on the freezing
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    Did the freezer trick work? I've encountered problems before. Typically before everything is taken apart so I've found fifteen min of prime 95 to loosen the bond, turn it off and twist the heatsink while it's still warm and it will break away. After it's apart, I've never considered freezing. Is it tough to clean cold?
  • MrTRiotMrTRiot Northern Ontario Icrontian
    I've tried heating the metal up with a hair dryer to try to get it off. Nothing has worked. Freezing is the next option before I use a screwdriver... it'll be frozen tonight
  • Creeperbane2Creeperbane2 Victorian Scoundrel Indianapolis, IN Icrontian
    If all else fails, this looks like it might work.

    Heh heh...BOOM!
  • MrTRiotMrTRiot Northern Ontario Icrontian
    It's been freezing for 7 hours now and still won't budge....
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    Are you sure it is just heat sink compound between it and motherboard? Sometimes thermal epoxy has been used between heatsinks and CPUs, and that is intended to be permanent.
  • MrTRiotMrTRiot Northern Ontario Icrontian
    It's the stuff included on the heat sink in the processor box...

    The motherboard is not attached to either. It's just the cpu and heatsink which are fused




  • PirateNinjaPirateNinja Icrontian
    Hammer + razor blad + vise. Put heatsink in vise grip, gently hammer the razor between the cpu and the surface of the heatsink. tap tap tap tap
    MrTRiot
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    Even if you do pry them apart, how do you get the rest of it off the processor?
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    BlackHawk said:

    Even if you do pry them apart, how do you get the rest of it off the processor?

    Alcohol should act as a solvent when exposed to a large surface area, IIRC. Goo-b-gone perhaps :D
  • BandrikBandrik Elkhart, IN Icrontian
    I've wondered what one is to do in this situation. Almost happened to me, but the "oreo" method worked after a minute or two of gentle pressure.

    At this point, PirateNinja's advice may be the best next step. I'd put a pillow below the vice to catch whatever falls. You may also consider using a thin putty knife instead of a razor blade.

    Once the blade or knife is wedged a little in there, you may be able to wiggle it slightly to pry it up a tiny bit to start loosening the goo (especially if you dribble some rubbing alcohol in there as your work in the knife).

    Good luck!
  • JokkeJokke Bergen, Norway Icrontian
    Why isn't the tiny chainsaw invented when you need one?
    Creeperbane2
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    Yeah, sounds like you need to get down to some force.

    At this point I would try to get a razor blade in between the sink & head spreader and tap it until it budges.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    It has to be some epoxy thermal paste, I have NEVER had one that didnt pop with alittle force from a putty knife
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    Yeah, at this point it's starting to sound like Arctic Silver Ceramique, or some other adhesive TIM. No ordinary thermal paste would require the extraordinary forces demonstrated in this thread, even the stubborn ones that have practically spent a decade ossifying.
  • MrTRiotMrTRiot Northern Ontario Icrontian
    I finally got it off! Freezing created a tiny bubble in the paste, I hammered a tiny pin to break it before switching to a razor and it popped off!
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    pics? :)
  • MrTRiotMrTRiot Northern Ontario Icrontian
    image

    image

    image
    BobbyDigiSonorous
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    YAY!!!
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