Heatsync Question

hi everyone!
first i would like to say thanks to everyone who has responded to my previous posts, you've been a big help!

i'm looking to buy a new heatsync, the one i have right now is adequite but LOUD. but before i pull my old one off, does anyone have any suggestions on getting off the old gunk from the termal grease? i poked around google, and found that i should use lacquer thinner? i'm kind of reluctant to go smearing something like that on my cpu....anyone have any suggestions or experience?

thanks in advance!

Just wipe it with a clean, dry cloth.

Mmm ... you're right to be reluctant to use that. I'd be. :) What I'd do is, as the above post said, wipe it off with a clean cloth. If it's not thermal grease at all but those melt-and-stick thermal tape-like blobs, then you may have to work at it a bit ... but I wouldn't use lacquer thinner at all. Also, make sure to wait until your CPU is cool and unplug the computer from the wall ... nothing worse than putting ice-cold water on a hot CPU .. or one that's attached to a plugged in PC. :)

Hopefully this'll help somewhat. Your only obstacle will be if it is the sticky thermal tape stuff, and that usually takes a bit of work with a fingernail, and that's it.

~N~