Thermal grease smudge

[Tumbler 00]

I initially istalled my Volcano 6Cu/hsf on my Xp1800+ proc,with the heat pad on(aswell as thermal grease).But after reading the beginers guide here at OC.I decided to take the pad off,came off real clean.

When I applied the grease again a bit came off on the border off my die,wiping it smudged it a bit so I used a Q-tip and nail polish remover.(Acetone).And cleaned it up.

My qustion is will residue grease,or my clean up effect my proc.(ie the pencil trick on the T-birds).Hopeful getting this baby going tonite.

[klosters64a]

If you clean thermal paste from unwanted areas the best you can, it shouldn't interfere with the pencil trick.

On general principle, it's good to keep thermal grease confined to the area where it's of use. On top of the CPU or GPU. All thermal grease is APITA to remove from where it's not supposed to be. Arctic Silver is probably the worst in this respect. Eventually, you learn how much AS is needed to make a paper thin layer. Not much!! Much less than the size of a paper match head for the top of a modern glass slug.

AS's directions say that it's electrically conductive only under great pressure. Nonetheless, I hate seeing traces of it between the SMC caps and or resistors that are on top of my Duron. As I can't get all of it off the top of the CPU, I lost that warm and fuzzy feeling about my AMD CPU.

For future reference: It may be best to leave the little patch of gummy stuff that comes on some HSF's intact for use on Athlon XP processors. It's said that some HSF's that don't mount using the four holes in the mobo that are around the Socket A exert uneven pressure on the top of the slug. Thusly squeezing all of the silver thermal paste out of part of the CPU/HSF junction.

[Yodums]

If there are enough between the bridges then it will be capcitative and may connect them ...

But if you clean them real hard with alcohol let it dry there shouldn't be a problem and then redo the penceil trick.

[Tumbler 00]

Thanks for the help guys,as you can probably see i'm a bit of a newbie at this.
one more ? with this topic in mind,in my BIOS.My temp warnings,whats a resonable setting,choices are 50 C,53 ,56,60,63,etc...

And how accurate is that probe under my proc(Abit KR7A-mobo).

Thanks again for this Info.:beer:

[Newbie_Doo]

Alcohol did not get all of the AS off of my CPU. I had to resort to Mineral Spirits followed by alcohol to clean mine. THEN, I had to re-pencil the L1s.

[The Overclocker]

it shouldn't be a problem, artic silver is made to be as non conductive possable and you have cleaned it quiet well