removal of thermal transfer paste

i am having trouble removing some "baked on" thermal grease on the copper heatsink and chip of my gpu...this gpu has been running very hot. the old "factory paste" on the heatsink is very metallic and i was using a new razor (utility) blade to try to scrape it off and only partially succeeded and stopped out of fear of making any more gouges into the copper with the steel blade. i tried rubbing alcohol on pads and coffee filter to try to wipe it off...no luck...i scraped off alot with the blade but it is still rough feel and look as well. the old paste came off of the cpu and its heatsink much easier when i changed it at the same time. the old paste on gpu heatsink appears metallic and is very silvery after freshly shaving it...maybe bluish silver more silver than blue though. thank you for reading please help me. this is in a laptop if that matters

 

DO NOT use razor blade to scrape off the remaining paste! especially not on the GPU core as it may scratch and damage it.

Try to use a cotton swab fully soaked with alcohol and wipe off the residues, bits by bits, applying some strength is fine, you may only be able to remove a little each time considering the paste is hardened, it is a rather tedious and time consuming process, but you will make it clean eventually.

 

What lidowxx said, take your time, the IPA will eventually dissolve the paste. Never use any metal to clean the GPU die. I wouldn't use metal on the heatsink either, but if you must, use a brass or copper brush. Ideally, you'd want a brush made from a metal softer than copper. In polymer processing, for example, brass is used to clean the extruder dies (steel) to avoid damaging them, the same should be done with a heatsink.

 

Rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover and vodka have all worked just fine for me; Vodka was the weakest as it's only 80 proof. You kind of have to "work it" with the swab, q-tip or whatever you use. Soak it in the solution, then kind of gently start wiping in a circular motion where the paste is. Over time you'll notice it becoming more liquid and easier to clean up.

 

Yeah...getting the factory crap off has to be the worst part of applying thermal paste lol. I use 98 proof or something like that, it's real high but works great.

 

I reapply thermal paste once a year so it never gets so hard to remove that I can't just use some q-tips. As previously mentioned, using Rubbing Alcohol along with some q-tips should work well.

 

I use Arctic Clean to get everything off works on even the most stubborn pastes.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010

 

Have used Everclear before (190 proof) and it cleans things up REAL well.

 

all the above.

I personally use 99% isopropyl alcohol. For me this is the best.

Just go down to your local drug store and get a big bottle for $3

 

70% alcohol and a lill rubbing action

 

Hah, wouldn't doubt it one bit.

 

I'd avoid the nail polish personally. Well, not all of them, but some are acetone based and until i know exactly what polymers are used for PCB construction, i'm not getting any organic solvents other than IPA to clean the paste. Besides, when you have access to analytical grade IPA, it cleans rather well.

 

thank you everyone im gonna give it another try with the alcohol

 

i went through alot of alcohol pads but the paste is gone! i had to scrape it off using my fingernail and thumbnail...felt like a chalkboard. thank you again to everyone. and i like the advice about changing your past more often than 3 years at a time to prevent this