Hi All,
I am trying to remove the heatsink from a graphics card, but it has been stuck on with a thermal compound glue.
It just wont budge. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get it off without damaging the chip? ( driving me nuts at the mo.)
Thanks,
Tim
Removing Thermal Compond Glue
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
It's most likely epoxy. You can try a solvent like acetone or even WD-40. But if it is epoxy you're probably going to have to resort to mechanical means to remove it. Epoxy is intentionally resistant to just about any solvent. Try to very carefully scrape as much off as you can with a razor blade. After that switch to fine sandpaper wrapped around something perfectly flat. Then just gradually sand your way through the glue.
Incidentally this is also a way to improve the cooling power of heatsinks. It's called "lapping" the processor. Sand it with progressively finer papers until its perfectly smooth and flat. It's ok to remove alittle bit of the plastic shell on the GPU, just so long as you don't go all the way through it.
Incidentally this is also a way to improve the cooling power of heatsinks. It's called "lapping" the processor. Sand it with progressively finer papers until its perfectly smooth and flat. It's ok to remove alittle bit of the plastic shell on the GPU, just so long as you don't go all the way through it.
ummm does this mean that the 'sink is still attached to the card?
There's the old freezer trick that has worked for me a few times,
stick the card in a anti static bag and stick it into the freezer for a little while..
- then pull it out and the epoxy will hopefully really cold and brittle,
-now all u need to do is wedge a flathead screwdriver under in between the sink and the card,
- use a piece of cardboard under the screwdriver to protect the PCB of your video card
- now give the screwdriver a gentle *twist* to wedge it off, be very careful
------ be VERY VERY careful, and make sure the PCB is well protected,
also i've found that sticking the screwdriver so it wedges off a corner of the heatsink is more effective then sticking it in the straight sides of it
good luck
There's the old freezer trick that has worked for me a few times,
stick the card in a anti static bag and stick it into the freezer for a little while..
- then pull it out and the epoxy will hopefully really cold and brittle,
-now all u need to do is wedge a flathead screwdriver under in between the sink and the card,
- use a piece of cardboard under the screwdriver to protect the PCB of your video card
- now give the screwdriver a gentle *twist* to wedge it off, be very careful
------ be VERY VERY careful, and make sure the PCB is well protected,
also i've found that sticking the screwdriver so it wedges off a corner of the heatsink is more effective then sticking it in the straight sides of it
good luck
-
ez2remember
- Friend of SPCR
- Posts: 809
- Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2002 5:07 pm
- Location: London, UK
£350??????? wind up right???????Tim wrote:
Freezers ?
Screwdrivers ??
SANDPAPER ???
This thing cost like £350 !!!
Thanks chaps, but I think I'll have to find another way
Tim (the not so intrepid)
Freezer, if you don't have one do you live in the arctic?
Screwdriver, have you ever used a screwdriver?
Sand paper, pretty cheap..
no offense, most people would have atleast a freezer, and I am shocked how you get by in life without a screw driver. But on sand paper issue you can be forgiven for not possessing it.
Hahahahahaaaa.....
I am an desert bushman with a stick, but no screwdriver and plenty of sand. Will that do?
Sorry. I meant that I am a little daunted by putting my Parhelia card in the freezer and then trying to lever off the heatsink with a screwdriver before giving it a rub down with some wet'N'dry !!!
I am no stranger to a bit of DIY, but this is a bit too extreme for me!
Thanks though.
Tim
I am an desert bushman with a stick, but no screwdriver and plenty of sand. Will that do?
Sorry. I meant that I am a little daunted by putting my Parhelia card in the freezer and then trying to lever off the heatsink with a screwdriver before giving it a rub down with some wet'N'dry !!!
I am no stranger to a bit of DIY, but this is a bit too extreme for me!
Thanks though.
Tim
hey just don't make the same mistake i did. the small cheap looking (not really cheap if you think of the consequences), WILL come off i you let you exacto knife do its wonders anywhere besides where the epoxy decided to stick. it's like the game of oreos except this one'll be must more expensive... you'll get the cream either at the heatsink or at the gpu.... haha well good analogy actually!
i got the stupid cream at the gpu and killed a good $200 USD card in the process....
anyway, chemically speaking, epoxy is bunch of ether bonds... which CAN be broken with most polar solvent if you give it enough heat. the trick is to do it without much heat... try this before you try anything else... get a bottle of... any alcohol and heat it up in the microwave to its boiling temp (don't boil too much cause it'll evaporate soon) and stick in the cotton stick and try to move as fast as you can. if it works, i'll be happy to die knowing i've spent a year studying org. chem.
i got the stupid cream at the gpu and killed a good $200 USD card in the process....
anyway, chemically speaking, epoxy is bunch of ether bonds... which CAN be broken with most polar solvent if you give it enough heat. the trick is to do it without much heat... try this before you try anything else... get a bottle of... any alcohol and heat it up in the microwave to its boiling temp (don't boil too much cause it'll evaporate soon) and stick in the cotton stick and try to move as fast as you can. if it works, i'll be happy to die knowing i've spent a year studying org. chem.
My way:
Grab some pliers (or a leatherman multi too -- shameless plug), hold the card really tight, grab on to the heatsink with the pliers and TURN (from the left to the right) until it comes off. Don't try to pull it off, because you'll either have the chip *and* the heatsink in your hands, or you'll hit yourself in the face with your pliers (which hurts).
Grab some pliers (or a leatherman multi too -- shameless plug), hold the card really tight, grab on to the heatsink with the pliers and TURN (from the left to the right) until it comes off. Don't try to pull it off, because you'll either have the chip *and* the heatsink in your hands, or you'll hit yourself in the face with your pliers (which hurts).