Clean Heatsink Thermal Paste

Thermal paste can get mighty hard depending on how long it has been applied for.

Clean heatsink thermal paste.

Carbon based high performance heatsink paste thermal compound cpu for all coolers 4 grams limited time offer ends 09 25. I like to use kimwipes as they leave very little lint. Note that if you remove your cpu cooler for any reason you should always apply new thermal paste. If it isn t clean it reapply thermal paste and make sure it is now connected much more stable to the cpu.

Use a coffee filter or a lint free cloth and a little isopropyl alcohol a k a. Inspect it for any thermal paste where it came into contact with the heatsink. Remove the heatsink depending on what kind of heatsink you have flip the latch or release the retention clips that keep the heatsink attached to the cpu. If you find any use the same steps to clean the surface.

Looks like you have no ventilation. I usually keep the heatsink as level as possible when i put it back on and tighten the screws little by little in a star pattern like lugnuts on a car. Wipe away most of the thermal paste that you can and then use 99 pure ipa to clean away any residue. Thermal paste can sometimes harden which greatly reduces its effectiveness.

Chances are if you ve noticed an increase in temperature over the years it s due to the paste drying out. Replace the heatsink careful to put it straight down on the cpu. Arctic mx 4 4 grams thermal compound paste carbon based high performance heatsink paste thermal compound cpu for all coolers thermal interface material 4 8 out of 5 stars 12 029 1 best seller in silicon grease. However if you use a spudger to scrape the old paste away only use a plastic one to reduce the chance of scratching or otherwise damaging parts.

But since air is a notoriously poor conductor of heat. Avoid using rubbing alcohol which is just 70 ipa. Macbook pro 15 unibody early 2011. Clean out the heatsink and cpu then apply a very thin even coat of thermal paste on the cpu.

Thermal paste or some oily thermal interface material is necessary because it fills in the microscopic imperfections that otherwise trap air particles between the cpu and the heatsink preventing the cpu from properly cooling heat radiates outward from the cpu to the heatsink before eventually making its way to a fan where it disperses.