Applying CPU thermal compound.

I'm fairly knowledgeable about PC's and upgrading them, etc, however this is something pretty new to me, I am getting a new motherboard for my PC, and I am using my old CPU and I want to replace the old thermal compound with new, so first I need I'd like to know of a safe way to remove it (I've read onlien that isopropyl alchol and cue-tips work good, but I am wondering if 70% isopropyl alcohol is pure enough?) also what is the ebst method of applyin it? (P4/Celeron D, I do understand the differences between that and the AMD's where as the P4's and Celerons have heat-spreaders on them, where as on AMD's and older model Intel CPU's do not, and the dies are directly accessible.)

 

I have always used a wooden tooth pick to help get the old paste off and the alco. you have will do just fine. Just don't put to much new paste on, if in doubt ask because to much is not good and of course to little is even worse. Seriously you will do fine.

 

So 70% isopropyl alcohol will work then? (I have not been able to find any higher around here.) - Also, how much would I apply to a Celeron D 2.66Ghz? I know it should be a layer about as thin as a piece of paper? Would be the best way to spread the compound on?

 

I have always used cleaners made for this purpose from my local computer shop, so I cannot really comment about alcohol...

Yes, as thin as a sheet of paper is best, and a credit card or something similar makes a good way to apply the compound...

Hope this helps...

 

I did some research in our lab with some thermal transducers a on Xeon system that was running hotter than normal. During my research, I discovered that all you need is a thin layer of "spuge" (as we call it here). Putting on a lot, or a little did not affect the temperature too much.

I also had a system crash because I put too much on. Some of the spuge oozed off of the metal surface and down onto the traces of the PC board that the CPU is on. This caused a short that crashed the system. I was able to use a Q-Tip and some alchohol to clean off the excess, and now the system runs fine.

 

Thanks for all the help, I'm expecting the motherboard tomorrow sometime, hopefulyl everything will go well.