This happened to my p4 northwood and it was fine. I was really nervous but everything was fine. You should just twist it left to right and left to right over and over and it will come off with a little constant upward force.

Has anyone found an alternative to the twisting method to break the seal between the cooler and cpu?

I had a disastrous experience this year removing a cooler, which ended up with my having to replace the cpu (twice!) and the motherboard because broken pins got lodged in the ZIF socket and damaged the first replacement cpu. Thinking back, the cooler clips were extremely difficult to access in my case and the cooler was a neat fit in the raised frame surrounding the cpu socket. I doubt if it would have been twistable.

I should have used arctic silver 5 instead of that stupid stock thermal paste.

I don't plan on upgrading my current system so its okay I guess.

I just found an AMD video showing how to remove a heatsink. Answers my twistability question and is worth a look. Copy and paste this URL into your browser:

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_1...78,00.html

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_1...78,00.html

The link is correct, but unfortunately after the two commas in th hyperlink HWA thinks that the LINK is over. Copy and paste the link into your web browser and it will work.

Hi. I read with interest all the suggested methods. I have been doing some repair work to a few laptops and came across this problem frequently - that of the CPU pulling out of its socket firmly stuck to the heatsink. Even though the ZIF socket was still clenched onto the CPUs pins. Damage never seems to occur to the pins. Don't twist a screwdriver blade under the CPU edge, you will be exerting a very high very localised force which can damage the CPU or at least get some nasty scratches in the copper heat sink. Don't risk a nasty cut with a razor blade. A credit card is pretty useless. Soaking with a solvent can take hours and still not work. The CPU HAS to come off the heat sink because how can you fasten it back into its socket, after releasing the CPU pins gripping device? The lever or screw head is not accessable with the whole heat sink in the way as you blindly attempt to re-insert the CPUs pins.
The best way I found, and works every time, is as some have already suggested. You have to heat the heat sink to soften the dried thermal paste. The best way to do this is to get a fairly heavy duty soldering iron and prop it up in some way (I gently grip it in my bench vice) with the business end resting with good contact onto an exposed part of the heat sink, not too far from, but not too close to, the CPU. Try to put a flat part of the soldering iron flat against the heatsink copper or alumin to transfer the heat a bit more efficiently. Let the iron heat up the whole heatsink/CPU to a temperature that you cannot quite touch without burning yourself. Then place the flat blade of a screwdriver under one corner of the CPU and turn the blade in a manner that doesn't try to lift the CPU but does try to twist it in its position flat against the heatsink. Works every time. The CPU starts to move and than comes off easily. I don't think you need worry about the heat damaging the CPU as they run very hot when in use. In fact I did once forget my soldering iron and the CPU and heat sink were EXTREMELY hot - probably not far short of the melting point of solder. To my amazemant it still worked perfectly after re-assembly! Propping the iron up in contact with the heatsink is a lot easier than standing there for maybe ten minutes holding the iron, and you can go off and make a cup of coffee while waiting! When all cooled down you can scrape off the dried paste with the edge of a creditcard (won't scratch the metal), finally polish off with alcohol wipe. Sorry this is a bit long. PS. No liability accepted if you damage your CPU but it works for me!

Hi, further to my long text. I think in fact its probably unwise to let the CPU get quite so hot even though I had one still functioning correctly after being grossly overheated to well above 100 c. These processors do run, I believe, normally maybe between 50 and 90 degrees c, as max temperatures, depending on the make etc, so experiment as the temperature rises being heated by the dry soldering iron - ie not wet with loose molten solder - try to move the processor as I described. It will eventually loosen, with very little force applied. Remember that even with it starting to loosen, don't try to pry it off as you have still got 14.7 psi of atmospheric pressure holding it on until you can let some air in under its seating............

You guys ever cut a clay pot off of a potters wheel when it's done being thrown? It's done easily and neatly with a piece of fishing line. It also works with stuck CPU's. Only you want to use a very small test line, or a piece of thin unwaxed dental floss, and detour away from any kind of prying. Just start at a corner and use a back and forth sawing motion. Scratch proof method. If you must do the twist, don't use any kind of lifting action!

most thermal pads are made out of parafin, which is a wax, it acts as a glue when heated up, It is found in Penzoil, which technically can cause heavy sludge build up in engines.

I've done a few dozen successful heat sink removals using popsicle sticks (The Universal Tool). It works better if the CPU is warm, but I've always thought that the temperature was pretty hard to control using a heat gun or hair dryer, and therefore a little hazardous. So I just heat up the sink and processor by leaving it under a reading lamp for an hour or so.

thats why you start off with a low heat setting, but thanks for the tip, as i need to remove a heatsink off my Southbridge so i can change it (accidently got the wrong mixture of AS5 Epoxy and AS5 Thermal paste)

I did it with isopropyl alcohol... 70%. Thats like clinical spirit.

Prefered it over heating my sink for obvious uncertain issues about the max heat limit

Anyways...i used dental floss... took some time, like 20 mintues, but one corner finally opened up. i was always usinglike 2~3 drops at a time... slowly using he dental floss to rty and work it into anycracks.

Took me about an hour to get it off completley and clean it up.

Will buy some thermal paste tomorrow

Thanks, you guys here... you helped me a lot

While these are all good idea's, I have to say, the emphasis should be on not letting this happen in the first place.

If you must remove the heatsink for whatever reason (replacement or whatever) simply ensure the PC is on for a while prior to removing the HSF.

Ideally, run it through Prime95 or something for about 5 minutes to heat it up, turn off the PC, and hey presto, the HSF should come off fairly easily.

Harry K. said: Do you think it's a good idea to get anything magnetic close to your circuitry?

angryhippy aka Payton said:


BINGO, i was reading patiently to see if anyone was going to say it.

of course, if at all possible it's a no brainer to just run the computer under load first.

just going to say in a heatsink removal thread,

for re-attaching that heat sink, clean the chip and sink with iso-alcohol and q-tip, then you want a drop of themal paste the size of uncooked grain of rice right in the middle

Guys guys guys... lol The ultimate and still best way to remove the Heatsink from the socket without the cpu, is to really just keep the computer running for a while to heat up the thermal paste, and then just shut it off quickly, and start the removal of the heatsink asap....

To be honest with you guys, I never use arctic silver. I only use arctic alumina and never had a problem with it. Plus, and here's the part I like. It's only about $3 (HEY SHUT UP! I'M POOR!) The other part I like is when applying it, it's thicker and has more substance than AS 5, making it a lot easier to spread, and less likely to goosh out the sides. Though AS 5 has better cooling properties, test show the difference to be only about 1C.

I have to disagree with you on the ISO Alcohol Phil. It leaves a layer of water after it evaporates. Go to Home Depot or any hardware store, and pick up a can of denatured alcohol, or shellac thinner. Same stuff. Evaporates dry, and cut through the paste when cleaning a lot more efficiently. It does have some pretty strong fumes, so, unless you're into huffing, make sure you have a window open or some kind of ventilation.

Running the system to heat up the paste doesn't always work. It can get really dry if it's been on there for a few years. And I still disagree with that AMD video that says to use a gently twisting motion even as you're lifting it. I mean WTF? That what causes the pins to break if you haven't released it from the heat sink. And that music. Jeez where did they get that? Sounds like the breaking news theme on the 5 O'Clock news.

thanks to all the suggestions yall have provided...the one that worked for me immediatly, was to use a small flathead screw driver and apply a little pressure to the corner between the heatsink and cpu top (((...((( the corner is the Key point 4 seperation )))...))) this is when you pull out the heatsink with cpu stuck to it.