GPU Heatsink Removal

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By Dean Barker (3/3/2003)

Introduction

Far and above the most frequently asked question we get is "my video card's heatsink is attached with epoxy, how do I remove it?"  After three e-mails asking the same question in one day, I thought we had better put up a guide on it.  So, here goes.

We were modding our Chaintech GeForce4 Ti-4200 with some RAM sinks and decided to attach a Tt Crystal ORB chipset cooler to the GPU using Arctic Silver Thermal Epoxy.  Once this dried, we had a victim for our surgery.  As with any modding, you need to exercise the utmost caution when working on components otherwise you will be reaching for the Kleenex.

What you will need.

A stubborn VGA cooler on a VGA card.
One hairdryer
One razor blade
Some 800-1000 grit sandpaper
A small block

Away we go.

One of the lesser known tools in your household is a hairdryer.  Set the hairdryer to "hot" and heat up the GPU heatsink that is stuck on.  Heat it up enough so it is uncomfortable to touch.  You don't want to make it too hot.

Using a credit card or anything remotely similar, put that between the heatsink and the PCB of your VGA card.  This protects any leads that would otherwise be damaged.  Now you insert a flat bladed screwdriver between the sink and the credit card.  In a firm but gentle motion, twist the screwdriver to pop the sink off.  You may need to alternate from one side to the other to get it off.

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