8 / MASK OBJECTS
You might not want to paint all the heatsinks and components. For
example, there may be manufacturers’ logos or LED displays you
want to avoid spraying, as well as thermal contact areas. Cut frog tape
to size, so you can mask these parts and, if necessary, use edging
tape for large curved areas.4 / REMOVE I/O SHROUD
The I/O shroud is another easy item to paint, but some premium
motherboards have fans and OLED displays lodged within them, so take
care when removing it, disconnecting any cables underneath it.
5 / REMOVE THERMAL PADS
Heatsinks, especially those on VRMs, often use thermal pads rather
than paste for heat transfer. Keep these pads in good condition, so you
can replace them later. If you’re just spraying the heatsinks, place the
pads in their corresponding positions on the motherboard.
7 / CLEAN OBJECTS
Once you’ve removed the components, clean them up. They might
look fine, but they’ll likely be covered in dust and any other small
particles that have been blown through your PC. You can use diluted
washing-up liquid and warm water, rinsed thoroughly with a cloth, or
isopropyl alcohol.6 / CLEAN THERMAL PASTE
Any thermal paste needs to be cleaned off the chips or VRMs, as well
as the heatsinks, using a microfibre cloth and either TIM cleaner or
isopropyl alcohol. This saves you getting covered in paste while you
handle the parts, and replacing the stock paste with high-performing
paste can improve heat transfer too.
9 / USE PLASTIC PRIMER
Some plastics don’t offer a great surface for spray paint to adhere to,
but there is a way around this problem by using plastic primer. This
primer bonds to the plastic and gives the spray paint a textured matt
surface to which the paint can stick.