How to remove passive cooler from old GPU

[frozensun]

Okay.

So temp is in idle 68 C which seem a lot to me.

I pushed these 2 plastic pieces and they are not holding anymore cooler to tje pcb.

But I am still unable to remove the passive cooler from GPU.

I used hairdryer not much help.

I want to replace the thermal paste in case that idle temp is too high.

[Agall]

2 minutes ago, frozensun said:

Okay.

So temp is in idle 68 C which seem a lot to me.

I pushed these 2 plastic pieces and they are not holding anymore cooler to tje pcb.

But I am still unable to remove the passive cooler from GPU.

I used hairdryer not much help.

I want to replace the thermal paste in case that idle temp is too high.

Give it a little wiggle, its likely bond by the thermal paste if you've already pushed the pins out. Giving it like 2-3 degrees wiggle back and forth should be sufficient to break it free, otherwise you've just got to pull harder.

[frozensun]

5 minutes ago, Agall said:

Give it a little wiggle, its likely bond by the thermal paste if you've already pushed the pins out. Giving it like 2-3 degrees wiggle back and forth should be sufficient to break it free, otherwise you've just got to pull harder.

I did wiggle it but nothing happens.

I am affraid of doing it harder cuz of breaking solder balls under GPU?

[Agall]

1 minute ago, frozensun said:

I did wiggle it but nothing happens.

I am affraid of doing it harder cuz of breaking solder balls under GPU?

There's a lot of solder holding the GPU in, far stronger than dried out thermal paste. If the cooler isn't impacting anything on the board when you rotate it, then you might just need to do it farther than a few degrees, otherwise, you'd be prying it off or using a safety razor to break the thermal paste.

[manikyath]

if the heatsink is properly stuck to the die, it's probably still making well enough contact for the heat transfer that is going on on this low power GPU.

 

also - these heatsinks rely on the stickyness of the TIM to keep the heatsink in place, it's very much a "decision" to run these with modern paste, because you'll be accidentially lifting the heatsink every time you touch the card.

[frozensun]

11 minutes ago, manikyath said:

if the heatsink is properly stuck to the die, it's probably still making well enough contact for the heat transfer that is going on on this low power GPU.

 

also - these heatsinks rely on the stickyness of the TIM to keep the heatsink in place, it's very much a "decision" to run these with modern paste, because you'll be accidentially lifting the heatsink every time you touch the card.

So better do not remove it then?

I thought 68 C in idle is too high.

[manikyath]

2 minutes ago, frozensun said:

So better do not remove it then?

I thought 68 C in idle is too high.

it's an AGP card, i presume it doesnt really clock down, so idle temps will be fairly similar to load temps..

 

and you're on a tiny passive heatsink, that card needs some temperature to dissipate heat at all.

[Kilrah]

It was common back then to use glue instead of the paste we use now, somewhat with good reason since it's holding better with time as you see, so unless it comes off relatively easily leave it as is, if you want to lower temps improve airflow. If it had to be removed on a card like this where the CPU isn't a bare die you'd use e.g. a cutter blade you'd slide between the chip and heatsink.