How to clean thermal paste off cpu

If you're building a computeryou need thermal paste, or heat paste, to ensure that your computer's processor doesn't overheat. It's a gloopy, silvery material that you squirt between the processor and the cooler to fill in all the micro cavities in their surfaces, enabling a more efficient transfer of heat from the processor to the cooler. The best heatpastes work so well they let your processor run harder and faster, at lower temperatures, making your PC quieter in turn. You need how to clean thermal paste off cpu replace the thermal interface material every few years, too, so if you haven't opened up your PC in a while, it might be time to give it a spring clean.

So you've recently decided to peel back your CPU cooler and look at the thermally-conductive paste, or what's left of it, stuck beneath. You brave PC builder, you. And now you want it gone. Since you might be reading this with a phone in one hand and a messy CPU in the other, I'm going to cut to the chase: The easiest way to clean up old thermal paste is a paper towel. Now some may say that near-infinitesimally small fibres from the paper towel will stick to the heat spreader and prevent adequate cooling, but so long as you're not rubbing the paper towel to tatters, you'll probably be just fine. We do it all the time at PC Gamer towers when we're switching chips and have never run into any trouble. That said, when we really want to ensure a completely clean contact point, for thermal testing, we use a microfibre cloth to remove all the gunk with the minimal chance of leaving anything else behind.

How to clean thermal paste off cpu

And if your machine has been running hot or the fans are constantly whirring loudly, which often means the system is toasty , a fresh application of thermal paste can improve performance while dropping your temperatures for improved component longevity. This tiny box lives under a television, providing a Chrome OS Flex desktop in the living room. However, the steps would be the same if we were doing this with a custom-built PC see how to build a PC. Turn on the PC and let it run for a few minutes before shutting down and unplugging. Take your time and loosen the screws to ensure that even pressure is released. Use a little isopropyl alcohol on some lint-free cloth and start by wiping the thermal paste from the heatsink. Clean the paste from the CPU using isopropyl alcohol and a cloth. Keep the CPU in the socket and gently remove the paste. Any paste in recesses can be cleaned using a cotton swab. Apply the correct amount of thermal paste to the CPU.

Step 3: Once the cooler is installed, check the CPU's edges to see if any excess thermal paste has spilled over, and, if needed, wipe it away with a microfiber cloth or paper towel.

Now they can leave it alone to run in peace, yes? Well… yes, but also no. You can definitely be comfortable with a newly-built or even a not newly-built computer for several months, but there will come a point where it starts slowing down -- that may be the time to replace your thermal paste. They may also be confused as to what the exact reason is. They should work together.

Besides cleaning your rig , removing junk files, and defragmenting drives , you can fine tune your system by reapplying the thermal paste on the CPU. Over time, the thermal paste between your processor and the heatsink can dry out and lead to high temperatures in addition to causing stability issues when you attempt to overclock the CPU. So, we've compiled a guide detailing all the safety precautions and the steps you should take to clean the thermal paste from your CPU! Finally, you should get some high-quality thermal paste if you plan to put your system back together after removing the remains of the old thermal paste. Before you start disassembling your PC, you should run some CPU-intensive games or benchmarks to heat up the processor and the thermal paste. Should you attempt to unmount the CPU cooler when the thermal paste is cold, it will act as a glue to bind the processor to the heatsink, and, in the worst-case scenario, you could end up ripping the CPU out of its socket. Also, be sure to unplug your system and hold the power button for 30 seconds to get rid of the residual charge stored in the capacitors.

How to clean thermal paste off cpu

So you've recently decided to peel back your CPU cooler and look at the thermally-conductive paste, or what's left of it, stuck beneath. You brave PC builder, you. And now you want it gone. Since you might be reading this with a phone in one hand and a messy CPU in the other, I'm going to cut to the chase: The easiest way to clean up old thermal paste is a paper towel. Now some may say that near-infinitesimally small fibres from the paper towel will stick to the heat spreader and prevent adequate cooling, but so long as you're not rubbing the paper towel to tatters, you'll probably be just fine. We do it all the time at PC Gamer towers when we're switching chips and have never run into any trouble. That said, when we really want to ensure a completely clean contact point, for thermal testing, we use a microfibre cloth to remove all the gunk with the minimal chance of leaving anything else behind. And when we really want to go the extra mile, we use a CPU cleaning solution or wipe. One part clears away the old thermal paste, and the other "purifies" the surface.

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This wikiHow will show you how to clean old thermal paste and apply a new coat on your desktop computer. Next, hold the power button down for at least 10 seconds to discharge any residual electricity. Having their digital fingers in so many pies, though, makes troubleshooting motherboards quite difficult. Not so. All rights reserved. Want to upgrade your CPU cooler at the same time as re-applying the heat paste? If you're looking at some thermal paste and it looks even a little dried out or old, it's a good practice to get in the habit of cleaning it off and replacing the paste. From there, he graduated to professionally breaking things as hardware writer at PCGamesN, and would later go on to win command of the kit cupboard as hardware editor. Make sure you don't do any of this over your mobo or touch the bottom or top of the cpu I did this as I described though and it worked quite well. Once the new paste is on the processor, you can put the heatsink back in its place. Co-authored by:. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors.

PC maintenance involves all kinds of things that many might initially overlook, such as how to clean thermal paste off your CPU. You might go years without even thinking about reapplying your thermal paste.

They don't tend to offer as strong performance as the best heat pastes , but for peace of mind and ease of use, they win hands down. Want to upgrade your CPU cooler at the same time as re-applying the heat paste? Part 2. The key to any CPU cleaning, especially once removed from the motherboard, is to hold only it by the edges and avoid touching any of the contact pads or pins on the underside of the chip. Most Popular. Step 3: Repeat the above process to remove any old thermal paste that may be stuck to the underside of your CPU cooler. If your last application of thermal paste dried to any other parts, use the same method to clean it up. Use the thermal paste wipe to wipe the old thermal paste off the surface of the CPU. Once the new paste is on the processor, you can put the heatsink back in its place. You brave PC builder, you.