C:\>ConventionalMemory.io

Repair guide

Dust out the fan and refresh thermal paste on a hot console

Years of dust and dried paste make consoles run hot. Cleaning the fan and refreshing the paste is basic maintenance.

Open the interactive checklist Tick off each step as you go. It saves in your browser.

Cleaning · Careful · about 60 minutes. Worth doing. Reports say this fix helps on many machines.

You are in the right place if: The console is loud, runs hot, freezes or shuts down after a while.

Before you start

  • Never touch cleaned surfaces. Fingerprints reduce heat transfer.
  • Do not use metal tools on processors.
  • Do not over-apply paste.

Parts you may need

Tools

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Disclosure

Step by step

  1. Power down and unplug Let the console cool.
  2. Open the case Photograph the layout and keep screws organised.
  3. Clear the fan Blow dust out of the fan and heatsink fins with compressed air, holding the fan still.
  4. Remove the heatsink Undo the screws evenly and lift the heatsink straight off.
  5. Scrape old paste Use a plastic spudger on both surfaces.
  6. Clean with alcohol Wipe with 90% isopropyl alcohol on lint-free cloth and let dry.
  7. Apply new paste Use a small amount following the maker's pattern.
  8. Refit the heatsink Tighten screws gradually and evenly.
  9. Test Run the console and watch for noise or shutdown.

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us.

  • Tip (Medium confidence). iFixit recommends 90% or higher alcohol with coffee filters or lint-free cloth. Source
  • Story (Low confidence). A Dreamcast has built-in thermal protection that shuts it down on fan trouble. Source

Guides we used

We wrote the steps in our own words from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

Boards and models vary, so check what is in front of you. A repair can involve hot tools, chemicals and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

More