Amd Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Dual Core 939 Socket Cpu

[rvalkass 5]

Ah... sky "dont" get arctic silver, what i was saying is it is "no" good. Try the Ceramique product instead, you could be making a mistake if you don't!

Arctic Silver 5 is thicker than Arctic Silver 4, as far as I remember, so you won't get problems with it spreading too much unless you put far too much of it on the CPU surface (although that happens with any thermal paste).

 

Proper Isopropyl alcohol is what you need to do the cleaning. You can get a product from an electronics store but it may come cheaper if you can get it at a local chemist. Of course you will need one of your parents to purchase it.

Isopropyl alcohol is not the best product for the job. From Arctic Silver's website:

 

Why Not Just Use Isopropyl Alcohol or Acetone?

 

Put isopropyl alcohol or acetone on a thermal pad and 10 minutes later you will have a thermal pad. Only with a lot of rubbing and scrubbing will you be able to remove the pad. While the alcohol or acetone may soften the pad, neither actually dissolves the pad. Although less visible, it is the same cleaning thermal greases with alcohol or acetone.

I have used both isopropyl alcohol and Arcticlean to clean CPUs and Articlean actually does what it says - you can watch the thermal pad or paste literally dissolving in front of you, and it's as simple as wiping it off with a soft cloth after a minute or two. Isopropyl alcohol takes a lot more work, especially with older thermal paste and any thermal pad. Arcticlean is cheap, will last for ages, and will make life so much easier when you come to clean a CPU.

 

Regarding ground protection you could do that... seems kinda expensive for the task. I'd just put your fingers on the inside the chassis (the bottom) of the computer case to ground any static in your body. I also wrap my fingers quickly with an anti static bag just as an extra precaution.

There's always the possibility that you'll forget to touch the case, and an anti-static wristband isn't at all expensive compared to the cost of the components inside the PC.

[inverse_bloom 0]

Mmm... still not sure about Arctic silver 5, but everyone seems to have had better luck. I did have a poorly designed heat sink strapped on my Mobo, but then, well who knows...Regarding the anti-static band though, you wouldn't really need it for a single job though, just more clutter.

[truefusion 3]

The Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound is a very popular brand, but it's not the only brand. If you go for the Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound but can't get your hands on it (perhaps due to it being sold out), then i would recommend as an alternative the Tuniq TX-2 thermal compound. But really, all you'll actually need is whatever comes already applied to the new heatsink (unless you buy a brand, like certain Kingwin HSF, that provide the thermal compound but you apply it yourself, or if you are using an already used HSF).Likewise, if Arcticlean is out of your reach, go for rubbing alcohol with about 99% alcohol to wipe off any thermal compound leftovers. I say this only because of this one post on a random computer forum, where this one person literally drowned one of his computer parts and after it dried, continued to function. Do note, though, that you don't have to fully remove the paste where the product looks like it never had paste on it to begin with. You just have to remove enough to where it won't make a difference, that is, to where it won't separate the heatsink from the processor any further.