FOP32 - remove the sticky stuff?

[Hawk_EYE]

I am nervous as hell fitting this thing to my new first build Abit KT7A/TBird850 - should I scrape that bit of sticky tape off the bottom of the heat sink and use thermal paste, or leave it and use no tp?

Ugh - I have just noticed a nasty fingerprint on the shiny top surface of the cpu chip! This was bought from a UK overclcokers store, guaranteed to 1 gig.

How should I clean that off? THanks again.

Thank you folks!

Hawk

[This message has been edited by Hawk_EYE (edited 03-23-2001).]

[mudoggy]

Carefully Take the sticker off as described above, but PLEASE use thermal paste (a little goes a long way) in its place. Make sure not to put deep scrapes or heavy scratches on the heatsink. These could lessen contact with the chip.

You'll be all set! Good luck, and congratulations on your first build!

[Bovon]

(Tried to post the following awhile back, just after your original post, and I think I broke the server!!)


Hawk, Personally I have not done this (yet) and surely someone will stop by to give you the how-toos, I think what you do is, carefully scrape or peal the tape off, clean any residue off the bottom of the sink with alchohol or some other more aggressive type remover, and lastly wipe off with alcholol. Do not scratch the face of the contact area of the sink. Some ppl are actually lapping the sink with maybe 800 grit wet or dry automotive sandpaper on a piece of glass to get a polished surface.

Then place a thin layer of Artic Silver heat sinking compound on the core of the processor, attach the sink onto the processor in the socket with a minumum of movement.

The guys that push these cpu's to the limits all reccomend the paste over the tape that comes with heatsink. The one thing that kinda bugs me is, some of the cpu cores are not flat...according to a few ppl..this of course would prevent the sink to contact the core completely.

Here is an artical from Anandtech that deals with unlocking a processor, but there are some pic's that show the heat sink gook applied to the core of the processor. Don't over do it, you do not want the gook spread all over the top of the ceramic and getting into the bridges and other components. Some ppl have had to remove this overflow to get the cpu running correctly, which would indicate the gook may be somewhat conductive.
http://www1.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1345&p=3

[AnakiMana]

Rubbing alcohol is good because it evaporates and it's always used for cleaning electronics! To get the sticky tape off of your heatsink unit, you might wanna use some kinda... either fingernail polish remover (I think) or some kinda degreaser stuff. Then clean it good with some rubbing alcohol so there's no oils left on it. Also use rubbing alcohol to remove that fingerprint!

AnakiMana

[Hawk_EYE]

Thank you all, confidence restored - wilco.

Bovon - thanks for that url...good read.

Hawk.

[AuraEdge]

Is that tape or a Thermal Interface Material?
Usually TIMs are thick and hard to get off with chemicals. I usually scrape them off with a razor carefully and then just wipe off whatever residues left with rubbing alcohol.
In any case, you want a bear bottomed heatsink, and use thermal grease between the contact area of the sink and the CPU.

[Tom Teriffic]

Haw,

Everybody's right on the money about the rubbing alcohol. Further, the use of Arctic Silver as a thermal interface compound is highly recommended, beats the socks of off anything else out there. What you want to do with this stuff is just put enough on there to fill any voids or imperfections in the top of the CPU core or bottom of the heatsink.. It's expensive, but I've done a dozen or so CPU's and I'm still on my first tube.

As for getting that thermal pad off of the bottom of the heatsink: Here in the US there is some stuff commonly available, called "Goo Gone" which removes all manner of label adhesives and such with a minimum of fuss and rubbing, etc. I use a bit of it on the pad area, give it a few minutes to work into the pad material, and then scrub the goo off with an old used (very soft) nylon bristle toothbrush. Once the pad material is gone, a cleanup with rubbing alcohol is used and I'm good to go.

You might try looking about to see if you can locate Goo Gone or something equivalent in the UK, as it really cuts down on the possiblity of scratching your heatsink with a razor blade or something similar.

Tom

[Hawk_EYE]

Thank you again all.

I scraped most of it off and reduced the residue as best I could with nail varnish remover. Applied thermal paste and finished the build, partitioned, formatted and installed O/S- fired up no problem. Sandra sayes the CPU is running at a little over 22 degrees C, at base 850 mhz, minimal load.

It isn't hot here in UK right now.

I have a problem with the Abit KT7A BIOS software and can't seem to increase FSB from 100 to 133 using 6.5 it will not boot.

Subject of a post on the Mobo forum.

Thanks again for your support fellas, my face was a picture when it booted and all the fans started whirring the first time.


Hawk.