SF8008: Overheating processor because heatsink not properly installed

[cpg]

I've always had an intermittent problem with the terrestrial tuner on my SF8008 pixelating (unit is about three years old). I found a historical post on the forum suggesting the processor overheating can cause pixelating if the processor temperature goes above 60 degrees.

I monitored the processor temperature via the OpenVix menu and it was reaching 66 degrees. I removed the cover of my SF8008 for the first time and discovered immediately that the heat sink is crookedly affixed to the processor - about 20% of the processor is not covered by the heatsink. Just running the SF8008 with the top cover removed reduced the temperature and no more pixelation. So overheating of the processor is clearly the cause of my pixelation.

My question is: how can I safely remove the heatsink, which it attached with thermal paste to the processor, so that I can then refit it squarely onto the processor?

I thought maybe replacing the cover to allow the processor to overheat again (to soften the thermal paste) and when it was up to 66 degrees, turning off the unit and very gently rotating the heat-sink back and forth to remove it without damaging the processor. Would that work? Or is there a better solution for heatsink removal? Thanks for any advice.

[adm]

I've always had an intermittent problem with the terrestrial tuner on my SF8008 pixelating (unit is about three years old). I found a historical post on the forum suggesting the processor overheating can cause pixelating if the processor temperature goes above 60 degrees.

I monitored the processor temperature via the OpenVix menu and it was reaching 66 degrees. I removed the cover of my SF8008 for the first time and discovered immediately that the heat sink is crookedly affixed to the processor - about 20% of the processor is not covered by the heatsink. Just running the SF8008 with the top cover removed reduced the temperature and no more pixelation. So overheating of the processor is clearly the cause of my pixelation.

My question is: how can I safely remove the heatsink, which it attached with thermal paste to the processor, so that I can then refit it squarely onto the processor?

I thought maybe replacing the cover to allow the processor to overheat again (to soften the thermal paste) and when it was up to 66 degrees, turning off the unit and very gently rotating the heat-sink back and forth to remove it without damaging the processor. Would that work? Or is there a better solution for heatsink removal? Thanks for any advice.

Often youtube videos provide the solutions
Example


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9fuy4Q2mFE


View a few of the same subject to get various ideas

[ronand]

You can prise off the heatsink but be careful not to damage the pcb. Don't use thermal heatsink paste as it won't stick - use thermal glue instead. If you can find a bigger heatsink you might as well use it. Also on some variants of the sf8008 the vents in the case lid are not completely open - it's easy to cut these with a pliers to create better airflow.