What to do with old, dried up heat transfer compound?

[BernieDD]

Servicing older computers, I always see that the old, white heat transfer compound between the processor and its heat sink has dried up. I've always removed it with gasoline moisteneded tissue paper and put in a fresh layer. Now, I'm wondering if I can just rejuvenate it with light machine oil or some other suitable fluid instead of having to take it off and throw it away. Comments?

[[PinPals]Apu]

Throw that junk out.

And are you seriously using gas to clean the CPU?

[Steve R Jones]

WD-40 should fix ya right up...Just never turn the pc on again

[BernieDD]

And are you seriously using gas to clean the CPU?

Yes, I use a little gas on tissue paper to soften the crud and wipe it off. The gas evaporates safely in a few seconds. Of course, I do this outside of the house for safety's sake.

[rimmerchant]

u thinking about reusing thermal paste?!! how cheap can you be.. talk about ghetto/red neck LOL.

[[PinPals]Apu]

Yes, I use a little gas on tissue paper to soften the crud and wipe it off. The gas evaporates safely in a few seconds. Of course, I do this outside of the house for safety's sake.

Just use rubbing alcohol, then you dont need to go outside or risk moving gas all over the place.

[kent1146]

Yes, I use a little gas on tissue paper to soften the crud and wipe it off. The gas evaporates safely in a few seconds. Of course, I do this outside of the house for safety's sake.

Dude, you use gasoline? The liquid component of the gas might evaporate, but it leaves behind a lot of the oil and impurities that were in the gasoline. All of that stuff ends up burning when your CPU heats up, and leaves a caked on film of crap that interferes with the cooling of your CPU.

The ONLY thing you should EVER clean your CPU with is Isopropyl rubbing alchohol - as pure as possible (e.g. 90%). You can get a bottle of this for $1 at a drug store. Use a lint-free cloth (like a medican gauze) to wipe off all of the old heat sink compound before applying a new layer.

And yes, get rid of the old/dried up heat sink compound. The only thing that stuff is good for now is ending up in a landfill.

Your CPU is worth a LOT of money... anywhere from dozens to hundreds of dollars. Do yourself a favor, and spend the $6 it takes to buy some alchohol and new heat sink compound, or else you could be spending $100's of dollars buying a replacement CPU.

[rimmerchant]

very true. I spent $10 on a tube of artic silver and it lasted me over 5 years.

[wh666-666]

Stop being such a tightwad! (and thats coming from me!)


A syringe of thermal paste that does three heatsinks costs 15p (25c). It really is being too much of a miser to even think of reusing it.

The whole point you use fresh paste is to improve conductivity.

[LordZordec]

Stop being such a tightwad! (and thats coming from me!)


A syringe of thermal paste that does three heatsinks costs 15p (25c). It really is being too much of a miser to even think of reusing it.

The whole point you use fresh paste is to improve conductivity.

Ha ha...I have a new question to put on a test for the A+ training class I teach at work.

How do you remove the thermal transfer paste from the heatsink of a processor?
A. Twist the heatsink off the processor and the lick it like an Oreo
B. Use denatured alchohol
C. Use gasoline, and then proceed to option A.
D. Use cat urine, and then proceed to option A.