How To Clean Thermal Paste off CPU

If you want to get high grade performance from your CPU, it is vital to maintain and clean your machine on regular basis. Although it’s not the most glamorous task you’ve ever done, no one can deny its importance. So replacing your CPU’s thermal interface with the best thermal paste that has been tried and tested would be the best option. The task can be done in just few minutes, but the benefits you will get will last a lifetime.

Therefore, if you notice that fans of your CPU are whistling constantly , that your device is running hot, an application of fresh thermal paste can greatly improve the working of your device. This process will improve the component’s longevity and reduce the temperature, thus improving efficiency.

In this blog, I am here to guide you on how to clean thermal paste off CPU?

How To Clean Thermal Paste From CPU

When you plan to clean the thermal paste from your CPU, you should clean the paste that you already have on your CPU.

Here are the simple steps to complete the process, which you will need:

• Cotton swabs
• Rubbing alcohol
• CPU thermal paste

Before You Start

• Shut down your system
• Unplug the cables from the back of computer
• Take accurate electronic discharge precautions.

Step 1: First of all, turn off your computer system and unplug all the wires and cables. Then turn on your system for some time and unplug it again. Thermal paste on the system can get hard, and a cold pull of the heatsink /cooler can lead to damage to the CPU. Instead of this, you can also use a hair dryer or air gun to gently heat the area.

Step 2: Now remove the cooling assembly and heat sink from the GPU and CPU. You should have enough time to loosen the screws to make sure there is an even release of pressure.

Step 3: With the lint free cloth and little isopropyl alcohol, start cleaning thermal paste from the heat sink. If you wipe off heat sink first, then you can easily see how it can be done with ease from CPU /GPU.

Step 4: While cleaning thermal paste from CPU , you should keep the CPU in socket and remove it gently. Taking your time to do these steps can give you ideal results. Don’t be overhanded so that paste in recess can be cleaned off with ease with the cotton swab.

Step 5: Another thing that you should take care of is the application of correct amount of thermal paste to CPU. First, you wait for the evaporation of isopropyl alcohol and check that there are no traces of debris or liquid before applying it.

Step 6: Now reset the cooling assembly and heat sink, so it would be best to apply even pressure while applying pressure on the top of CPU.

Step 7: Screw up the cooling assembly and heat sink by tightening up the screws in the diagonal sequence, a few turns at a time. This will make the pressure relatively even by spreading the thermal paste on top of heat spreader and CPU. It also makes sure that there is not much pressure in any of the corners, as that is the worst scenario for your processor physically.

Step 8: Now you are ready to use your CPU. Plug it in and use it as normal. Before powering it up, you should make sure to check for missing screws, trapped cables, and misaligned cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I clean the thermal paste from the CPU?

To clean the thermal paste from CPU, use isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab. Gently remobe the paste, keeping it in the socket.

Should you clean the thermal paste off the CPU?

Yes, it is better to clean thermal paste from the CPU, to improve the efficiency of heat transfer between the heat sink and CPU.

What else can I use to clean the thermal paste?

It is recommended to use 90% isopropyl alcohol, but you can also go for real isopropyl alcohol wipe to clean the thermal paste from your machine.

Final Thoughts

So that is the end of How to clean thermal paste off CPU? Cleaning the thermal paste is all about the efficiency of the CPU. It means that the main aim of applying the thermal paste is to increase the efficient transfer of heat between CPU and the heat sink of your computer. So having an even distribution of thermal paste in all applications at the same time upgrades its efficiency and performance. But leaving the old one is not a good idea so remove it by following the above steps.