[SOLVED] How to Clean a CPU

[DeviceManagerSteve?]

I cleaned my computer recently. I had some issues after cleaning and came here for advice. I removed my gpu, as told, and cleaned it, inside and out. Inside it was completely coated with dust/dirt on the main contact. Since then, the computer has been running well. I have been running a video game using multicore rendering and the computer sounds like it is stressed. I am wondering whether there are similar dust/dirt issues with the cpu, as I cleaned it initially in the same way I did the gpu. It is an intel cpu on an asus motherboard. What are your recommendations, either on cleaning it and/or ensuring that multicore rendering runs properly.

I have seen this already: https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-remove-a-processor-from-a-motherboard

Thank you

 

[RealBeast]

Did you clean the CPU with isopropyl alcohol to remove the old thermal paste and apply new paste after the alcohol dried fully as you must do when you remove the HSF from the CPU?

You should not have to remove your CPU from the motherboard or the HSF from the CPU. Canned air to gently blow the dust out of the fins of the HSF should suffice. Removing the CPU just increases the chances of bending pins for no reason.

I have three or four machine that have never been cleaned, although they are on wood floors that are kept clean. I periodically check the CPU temperatures with CoreTemp and they have not varied over time.

 

[geofelt]

What is your cpu, cooler, and case?
What are the issues?

FWIW, one never needs to remove a cpu from the socket except to change out the processor.
Reinserting a processor entails some risk of damaging socket pins.
An intel socket is designed for a max of 15 re insertions.
If you ever need to remove a cooler from the socket, run the processor a bit first which will soften the paste amking the cooler easy to lift off.

If you removed the cooler, you need to clean off all the old paste with alcohol.
The more pure, the better.
You need to reinstall with new paste.

Run HWmonitor. It will give you the current, minimum and maximum cpu temperatures.