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[sono]

I have a pc I built 6 years ago i7700k/1080ti with a thermaltake aio 360 cooler. I noticed the temps are getting to 100C so am going to change out paste and fit a new aio cooler.
I haven’t started yet but started to wonder if are there issues with old paste making extraction risky?
I want to keep it going as I still use it for work and play, it’s still a great system so thought to ask experts Thanks!

 

[TintoConCasera]

started to wonder if are there issues with old paste making extraction risky?

None that I'm aware of. Just make sure to clean it very well so you remove all the old paste before applying the new one.

Delicious.

 

[Bry0]

No. I personally like the Arctic brand paste removing wipes. They work amazingly well, but some rubbing alcohol on a paper towel is usually fine.

Personally I’m preferential to tower air coolers too. Even cheap ones like the thermal right peerless assassin are incredibly good and never have the typical AIO problems.

 

[Magic Carpet]

I'm going to try using the Grisly Thermal Pad next time I take apart my PC, it seems to get decent reviews. No paste just a sheet of graphite that wont dry out.

 

[LazyParrot]

For a CPU like that I'd just get a decent air cooler. AIOs all break eventually, air coolers last forever. At most you'll have to replace a fan.

 

[Zacfoldor]

Back in the day I use to buy emulsion and tools to remove the old paste.

Nowadays I just use coffee filters and rubbing alcohol, but that is not be safe. I'm supposed to tell you to buy special alcohol for this, so do that(do not blame me if you don't follow the best practice, but know that other people who don't care if the hardware works or not when they are finished just do it like...they don't give a fuck...and in my experience it usually works fine).

I'd use coffee filters and spit if I didn't have any other liquid. I've also used just coffee filters and no liquid.

Using arctic silver it just kinda rolls up. Usually very dry and comes off in a few large pieces. MX-4 is the same, can't really tell a difference during removal. It will be very dry and sticky but it is more like melted plastic than peanut butter. Generally it will not roll up into little dingle berries and get all over your PC, but rather will stay stuck to something until removed by the wipe.

I'm not liable for anything, don't listen to me. Good luck.

 

[El Muerto]

I use those cotton pads and rubbing alcohol to clean the old thermal paste off the heatsink and cpu. I then use an old toothbrush and lightly flick off thermal paste that may have gotten on the resistors, may have to dab it with the alcohol pad to loosen it up. If i have issues removing a heat sink, instead of lifting straight up and risk yanking out the cpu with it, lightly twist the heatsink left and right while lightly pulling it up. I've always used arctic silver in everything including consoles. Works great and lasts a while. Just don't spread thermal paste on your cpu like you're making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

 

[clarky]

I'm going to try using the Grisly Thermal Pad next time I take apart my PC, it seems to get decent reviews. No paste just a sheet of graphite that wont dry out.

I use PTM7950 on my laptops and its an absolute game changer.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Arctic Silver Incorporated - ArctiClean

www.arcticsilver.com

Just get yourself some of this stuff. I ordered some in 2006 and just a couple months ago finally ordered more. Probably cleaned 40 CPUs with it.

 

[hinch7]

Remove the old paste as that would negatively affect thermals. You don't want old dried up TiM with your new cooler.

Get a microfiber cloth/paper towel and some Isopropyl/rubbing alchohol (70% or over), soak it in the cloth and rub away the old thermal compound.

The AiO will most likely come preapplied with its own so you don't need to use anything else there. All else slap on some Arctic MX-6 on there.

 

[Bry0]

Arctic Silver Incorporated - ArctiClean

www.arcticsilver.com

Just get yourself some of this stuff. I ordered some in 2006 and just a couple months ago finally ordered more. Probably cleaned 40 CPUs with it.

Oh nice, I bet this is the same stuff the Arctic paste removal wipes have. Is it kind of a chemical eucalyptus smell?

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

one time when i removed a CPU heatsink, the CPU came out with it.
bent a few pins (easy enough to fix).

so if you're getting a lot of resistance when removing the heatsink, dont keep yanking like a caveman.

also your AIO might be fine. new thermal paste might fix the temps.
if you still want to spend money, buy new fans in a push-pull config (fans on both sides of the radiator).

 

[notseqi]

be patient in taking the thing apart
use qtips, de-makeup pads and 99% alcohol to clean old thermal pads/residue

 

[marquimvfs]

It's not a big deal. Remove the older cooler, clean the excess of old thermal compound with whatever you have at hand (I use toilet paper), apply contact cleaner spray in another piece of toilet paper and clean the last residues, repeat the last part until is 100% clean. Apply the new termal compound according to your new cooler instructions (some coolers are bundled with an application pad and some molds), and be happy with your good job.