| J_Allard said: Acetone + Q-tip to remove the old paste. Only things to really worry about when opening it up is forgetting where shit goes that you have to remove. To lay down new paste, I always put a little dot of new paste on each corner, then take an old credit/grocery store card, and spread it in towards the center. You want a thin layer, but not so thin that it offers no protection. |
Actually your method is (almost) the correct one, not the one seen in this ridiculous video. The best way would be:
Have a conducting surface ready (alu foil will do). Remove the processor and put it onto the conducting surface. Clean the processor and the copper cooler surface. The amount of paste you need depends on how "clean" the surfaces are (really good copper surfaces are like mirrors). If you actually see scratches, you're in trouble in any case. Do as J_Allard wrote but apply as minimal paste as possible. The role of the paste is not to form a nice white (or gray, whatever the color of the paste is) thick layer onto the processor. The role of the paste is to fill the scratches you probably don't see. This requires probably a fifth to a tenth of the paste as in that silly video - the paste should almost look transparent. If you use too much paste bubbles will either form right now or later, once the processor has been heated up a few times. Put the processor back onto the mb (removing the porcessor prevents any spilling of paste onto the mb/socket, and excess paste is easier to remove. Connect the cooler and you should be fine. Don't slide the cooler around or reseat it.
