Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

[Uniballer]

I bought an AM2+ motherboard with a low-end CPU on ebay. It works fine, but I need to upgrade to a better CPU. When I tried to take the heatsink and fan off I found it was really stuck, but eventually I got it to slide off. There is about 10 times the right amount of some unknown thermal compound, and it is on the edges and some pin holes of the CPU socket. It does not dissolve in isopropyl alcohol. Seller says someone built the computer for him, and he was not aware of the issue, nor what compound was used.

So how do I clean up the socket? Flush it with ArctiClean and pray? Or is there a better way?

[Compgeke]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

I would give it a wash in the sink then let it dry for a bit. The water pressure will hopefully be enough to clean out the holes.

Afterwards let it sit a day or two to dry in the warmest part of the house such as by a heater or something.

[selldoor]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

Try and get some of the compound off and see what it will dissolve in?

[brethin]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

I use 2 things one of which normally work depending on the compound I am removing.

Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) or Acetone (nail polish remover).

[Topcat]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

I use 2 things one of which normally work depending on the compound I am removing.

Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) or Acetone (nail polish remover).

That works....but be careful with the acetone on a plastic socket, it will melt/disfigure it, so use it very lightly and carefully.

[Uniballer]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

I don't think washing the stuff further into the socket is a good thing to try. And I'm a little nervous about some solvents on plastics.

I managed to get the socket apart without breaking anything. I found this link, which was helpful. So I removed the heatsink retaining bracket and pulled the lever out of the ZIF socket. Then I pried the edges of the top (sliding) part of the socket out very slightly with a dental pick until I could separate the parts. Now I can clean the individual pin contacts still attached to the board as well as the pin holes in the sliding part of the socket.

Obviously, I'm not finished at this point so I could still break something trying to put it back together, or dissolve one of the pieces of plastic with the wrong solvent. Wish me luck.

P.S. I wish I had known more about how to get the ZIF socket apart without breaking it when I was dealing with the broken AM3+ socket. I might have been able to replace the socket top without having to RMA the board.

[Topcat]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

I don't think washing the stuff further into the socket is a good thing to try. And I'm a little nervous about some solvents on plastics.

If the board is functioning then, just leave it there. the stuff is non-conductive, so its not going to cause a short or a catastrophic meltdown. Clean it up as best you can and run with it.

[Uniballer]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

This worked out rather well. It was much easier to clean the socket parts when they were disassembled, and reassembly was no problem. Thanks for the input.

[Mad_Professor]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

That works....but be careful with the acetone on a plastic socket, it will melt/disfigure it, so use it very lightly and carefully.

I remembered my first experience with acetone. I had a cheap casio watch, which was a good watch since the battery never seem to die and kept time to the tee. I got paint on it one day and it dried. I couldn't get it off so I ask my grandmother what I could use to clean it, she give me a can of acetone, so I pour a little into a bowl and dip the watch and about minute later the watch melted, the lens was all disfigured and everything I mean it was piece of work from salvador dali. The watch still work though but you had to look at it like a piece of art and try to figure out what time it was.

[brethin]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

Again it's about knowing what you are doing. I said Acetone (nail polish remover) which is diluted to be safe with plastic (ie fake fingernails and has never caused any socket or plastic part on a motherboard to melt on me). Yes straight 100% Acetone can melt plastic. Anything you use can be bad not used correctly.

[Uniballer]

Re: Remove thermal compound from AM2+ socket

I tested the ArctiClean product on parts from an old Pentium 4 socket (478) because it seemed to be made from identical plastic (probably a polyamide - i.e. similar to nylon). There was no problem (ArctiClean instructions warn that it damages styrene). So I used it after all the mechanical cleanup I could manage. After using both ArctiClean chemicals per their instructions I washed any residue away with isopropyl alcohol. I reassembled the socket after all the alcohol had evaporated.