Temperature is the greatest enemy of your processor.
And guess what, an old dried thermal paste can increase the temperature by not dissipating the heat properly.
So, you must remove the old thermal compound and reapply a fresh blob.
And today, I will provide you with detailed instructions on how to do that in this article.
Without waiting any longer, lets start.
You canuse rubbing alcohol from any brand to clean the thermal paste.
Most of them have a strength of 70%.
But those are priced higher and not often found in stock.
Now lets go through the steps.
To remove it, you must unplug the cooler first.
Dusting the computer before removing the cooler is a good thing to do.
Since you have already opened the case, why not remove the dust build-up?
A blower machine or a can of compressed air will do this in real quick time.
Now, remove the cooler.
If you use anIntel stock cooler, move the pins counter-clockwise and then pull them up.
it’s possible for you to also use a screwdriver to do this.
ForAMD coolers, just remove the screws holding it down against the processor.
The steps are the same for a third-party air cooler.
If you use water cooling on your rig, removing the cooler is quite trickier.
For AIO units, you might simply unscrew them from the mounting plates.
But for anopen loop-basedsystem, first, drain out the liquid from the pump.
Then provide some distilled water in the pump and then remove the existing liquid.
you better do this continually until all the water from the loop is gone.
Yet, you could see some water on the loop.
This is when you will tilt the entire system.
Remove the water by opening the tap and repeating the process every time.
Then fire up the tubings and safely remove them keeping the water away from your components.
Place a few paper towels underneath to keep the water away.
Patience is key when working with liquid coolers.
You would not want to water damage your expensive components by hastening things up.
To remove the thermal paste, apply some rubbing alcohol to a paper towel.
Then use it to soften the old thermal compound.
Rub the paper towel with a gentle force and the thermal paste should come off.
Do not place the removed thermal paste on your motherboard.
Remove the thermal paste on the underside of the CPU cooler in the same way.
Finally, swipe the CPU with a lint-free cloth.
Just remove the cooler and heatsink from the GPU/chipset first by removing the screws.
Then proceed in the same way as you would do with a CPU cooler.
How do you Know When the Thermal Paste Needs Replacing
A thermal paste is good for2-4years.
Running the CPU without thermal paste isnt goodas it can increase the temperature of your processor.
it’s possible for you to monitor the processors temperature usingCPU-Z,HWiNFO,CoreTemp,etc.
Anything below90degrees is fine for your rig.
For OEM computers, it is wise to change the thermal paste.
Because these PCs are used continuously and their cases do not have the greatest airflow.
So, heat can build up very easily inside them.
Additionally, due to long usage times, the thermal paste can dry off.
This negates the coolers ability to dissipate heat properly.
Other popular methods are an X shape or circular pattern created.
Once the thermal paste is applied, install your CPU cooler on top of the processor.
Scrape any residual thermal paste seeping from the sides of the processor using a Q-tip.
Always apply a small amount of thermal paste.
Using excessive will not give you any extra cooling benefits.
Just ensure that the amount you used is spread evenly across the heat spreader of the processor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I clean the thermal paste off CPU?
Use isopropyl alcohol to remove the old thermal paste.
Can I use water to clean the thermal paste?
No, you should not use water to clean the thermal paste.
Water is conducive to electricity.
If water gets on your components, it may short the circuit and result in permanent damage.
Can I clean the thermal paste with wet wipes?
Yes, it’s possible for you to safely clean thermal paste using wet wipes.
They contain alcohol, which helps to dissolve the old thermal paste.
Then it becomes easier to scrape it off.
Can isopropyl alcohol damage the CPU?
Isopropyl alcohol is totally safe for your computers components.
It is extremely volatile and can soften dust, gunk, and thermal paste.
This makes it great for cleaning.
How to clean thermal paste without alcohol?
you might use a lint-free cloth to rub off the thermal paste.
This takes longer when you do not use cleaning alcohol.
Using alcohol will soften it and make the process easier.
The PC not only runs cooler but performs faster for longer periods.
At the heart of all this is changing the thermal paste.
Which you’re free to easily change if you follow the instructions stated in this article.
So, go ahead and let the spring cleaning start.
