Thermal Glue

Is there any way to replace your cpu heatsinkl after adding thermal glue?

I bought a good heatsink, but i didnt get it till after I already put my computer together (i used the one that came with the processor), Now it finnaly arrived and im wondering if its possible to get it on there even after I added that glue stuff

Public Comments

1. Yes, you can remove the old heatsink, clean the top of the processor with a little alcohol on a tissue, add more thermal compound, and attach your new heatsink. Give the heatsink a gentle twist as you remove, and it should detach from the processor easily, especially if it is a relatively new build. If you dont have alcohol, you can use a dry soft tissue, taking care not to touch the gold processor pins, and this will remove most of the old compound, enough to add new stuff anyway.
2. Absolutely. you just need to be careful when removing it from the processor. You may try twisting it ever so gently to get it to release too. Don't pry on it though. The stuff isn't really a glue...it's just a compound to allow heat to better disperse from the processor to the heatsink.
3. I hope it was not "glue stuff". Probably a stick on thermal grease pad, or paste. Either way, it takes years to harden and you should have no problem.
4. it is not glue it is a compound that help with the transfer of heat. However if it has been a while since you have installed a heat sink you may have problems getting it off the best way to do it is by undoing the braces holding the heatsink down and the rotate the heatsink to break the bond (don't pull up on the heatsink till this is done). Older chips can be pulled from the socket so be carefull.