Installing a new HS

[bdmst16]

Im installing two THERMALTAKE VOLCANO 7 HS on a Athlon 900 and a 1.1 Both have cheap HS with just a thermal pad on them. Does this pad melt onto the chip after heating up? I've searched through past posts to see that I should use some type plastic tool to remove the padding and rubbing alcohol to remove any rements on the HS. The question I have is if the pad melts onto the cpu, how do i remove it, isnt it like a glue after melting?

And since Im just replacing the HS I don't have to worry about cleaning it off, but will there be any residue on the cpu itself? And if so, how does one clean the cpu die? Thanks for any help.

[omega31]

You can use a razor blade to scrape off the residue.

[Giblet Plus!]

Yeah, just be careful around the core. Keep in mind that only the top of the core is worth cleaning off. :)

If you're using the temperature controlled fans on the volcano 7, it would be worth your while to move the sensor from the fan to a spot touching the heatsink. This is a well known flaw with volcano 7s - the sensor reads the case temp instead of the heatsink/processor temp, and doesn't spin as fast as it always should. :t

[bdmst16]

Thanks for the quick answers guys. Learned my lesson, don't skimp on the HS nomatter what :)

[moedank]

Originally posted by bdmst16
And since Im just replacing the HS I don't have to worry about cleaning it off, but will there be any residue on the cpu itself? And if so, how does one clean the cpu die? Thanks for any help.

Q-tips and rubbing alcohol would work just fine. Though, I prefer B-12 Chemtool Carburetor choke cleaner over alcohol. It cleans alot faster. Goof Off also works...

If you did get alittle thermal compound/padding what not on another part of the chip, say the bridges. Using the supplies mentioned above wouldn't hurt a thing. I've done it many times.

Also when wiping off the core, blow on the alcohol so it drys quickly. It shouldn't be wet for more than 5 seconds. Its not necessarily needed, though its a good precaution.

[bdmst16]

Ok, Ive thought of one more question. How do I actually seperate the CPU from the HS if the thermal padding actually "glues" itself to the chip?

[Someone Stupid]

I would have went with Volcano 9's if you were going to go with Tt (they spin at 5500 rpms if you don't use the temp controller or rheostat and just let it run on full, you can also mount the thermal probe beneath the chip so it's touching the cpu core. To answer your question though, I'm assuming this is a stock heatsink (as the compound if it isn't, it could be an epoxy, then you might as well give up on getting the heatsink off of it - in one piece). After you undo the clasp, gently twist left and right and it should slowly become loose. Also doing it after you've JUST shut down your computer helps as the thermal pad is a bit softer but hardens quickly. I know of some that literally didn't want to come off and I felt that I was going to rip the chip off, and others that I could just pull right off. DON'T yank it straight up to pull it off, I've had a friend do it, and it turned out the glue was stronger than the board, and he pried half the cpu off the board with it. Just twist it back and forth and you'll slowly get more leeway in how much you can twist it, eventually it should pop right off.

[moedank]

Try running Prime95 or some CPU intense program to get that bad boy hot. Then shut her off, and follow Someone Stupid's advice.