I'm replacing the thermal paste on my Xbox 360, Xbox One, and a ten-year-old gaming laptop. Since I'm new to this, I decided to start with the Xbox 360, as I've heard it's the hardest one to do, but it's the least risky for me since I hardly use it. I just spent around 3.5 hours trying to remove the old thermal paste, using an iFixit plastic scrapper, a microfiber cloth, and 91% isopropyl alcohol. My fingertips are a bit sore now too! Is there a faster way to get this done? At this pace, it looks like I'll be working on this all weekend.
1 Answer
You might want to try using a razor blade or a plastic scraping tool for the really crusty bits of the thermal paste. Just be super careful not to scratch the silicon die – don’t cut down directly onto it. Gently chip away at the paste and use alcohol to soften it as you go along. Just take your time with it!
I used a plastic scrapper too. Just make sure to be cautious around the edges of the chips. It's tricky but worth it!