How To Clean Off Thermal Paste. To clean thermal paste, start by shutting down your computer, uplugging all of the cords, and removing the battery if you're working with a laptop. Chances are, if you've noticed an increase in temperature over the years, it's due to the You've finally upgraded and the only sticking point is the left over thermal paste from the junk processor you just tossed away.
But how do I get the old stuff off without hurting my fragile chip? Its use is indispensable and it's a very inexpensive component. Arctic Silver's ArctiClean is the best solution out there, as it's purpose made to clean off the thermal paste. (Apart from that there really isn't a foolproof way to remove thermal paste without alcohol.) This article contains information on how to clean the processor's contacts when it gets Thermal Interface Material (TIM) by accident.
So I wish to remove old thermal paste from the bottom of my fan and top of processor.
Chances are, if you've noticed an increase in temperature over the years, it's due to the You've finally upgraded and the only sticking point is the left over thermal paste from the junk processor you just tossed away.
Thermal paste can be found in electronics parts stores. This video shows you how to clean thermal paste off of a CPU. Its use is indispensable and it's a very inexpensive component.