# Removing old Arctic Silver from CPU



## norin (Dec 28, 2004)

i am "transplanting" to say the least my cpu in this machine into another machine with the same MoBo, how do and how can i go about removing the used Arctic silver from the CPU unit and do it safely? or can i remove the heatsink, then put in the cpu AS and all and put the heat sink on with the old hardened AS? i think i have some AS left, but i also have that cooling pad also if i don't have AS right now and use the cooling pad. will that be safe enuff to use for gaming and having the computer on a majority of the time. save for small breaks and "rest" periods during the week?

thanks in advance

NoRiN


----------



## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

http://new.klingstedt-designs.se/arcticsilverproducts.shtml


----------



## Viking6 (Apr 11, 2005)

Step #1: Remove the heatsink.
Step#2: Get 99 % isopropyl alcohol and cotton balls
Step #3: Keep soaking the CPU and wiping with the alcohol-saturated cotton ball until it cleans off the surface. Do this while it is still on the old mobo before transferring. Then transfer and wipe it off again to remove any finger oil. Also, clean off the surface of the heatsink. This is the way I clean off the old AS - but I would suggest using a new heatsink and fan, then you have a fresh fan to start with. Then go directly into BIOS to check to see that the temperature doesn't rise rapidly. If it does, reseat the heatsink and try again.


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

for what it's worth / artic silver makes a thermal grease remover ???

I have had very good luck with goof off / available at any paint store or hardware store 

most important is dont scrape on the cpu trying to remove it / dab on some cleaner or whatever ~~~ 99% achochol works wonders too

when you go to remove the old heat sink / you need to make very small & light pressure 1/4 circle motions back and forth to break the bond / you can use the thermal pad once you have all the old AS removed / I am not a big fan of them ~~ keep a good eye on your temps when gaming ~~ set a temp monitoring warning if possible at around 65C

the advice given you about replacing the old heat sink and fan was a very wise move / for a mere $35.00 (zalman 7000 series) you can save yourself alot of future headaches and cash / burning up componets is not fun !!

please dont hesitate to ask more questions if needed

regards'

joe


----------



## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

Reusing thermal grease is a no-no. And using metal to remove it is as well. I like using old credit cards (all 1 of them) to get the big nasties and then giving it a good rub with the 99%.


----------



## v-six (Sep 12, 2004)

Linderman is correct in that Arctic silver makes a solution for removal of their products (see dai's link). If you don't want to pay for that, I have used the 99% isoprophly alcohol that others recommended... it does the job just as well. If you use any kind of cloth or fabric for cleaning, try to find a lint-free cloth.Anything that leaves alot of lint can decrease your heat-transfer potential.


----------



## norin (Dec 28, 2004)

thanks guys for the info i will look into this once i finally get a chance to attempt the transplant...


----------

