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How do you clean thermal paste off a cpu and cooler?

Alir

I need to know for future reference. Haven't even built my PC - but want to know in case i screw up.

 

How do i do it?

 

A lot of vids show people using rubbing alcohol/isopropyl alcohol - its probably spelt incorrectly meh - i dont have isopropyl alcohol and won't buy a huge 1litre bottle if I'll probably only ever use it once or twice - i doubt I'll remove my cpu cooler unless something breaks.

are there any small mini bottles?

 

what can I clean the cpu with? I have cotton buds, tissues, kitchen towels/tissues but have heard they leave fibre and fibres are bad for cooling.

 

 

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99% isopropyl and coffee filters because they are lint free. And once I'm done, I give it a once over with a micro fiber cloth.

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99% isopropyl and coffee filters because they are lint free. And once I'm done, I give it a once over with a micro fiber cloth.

 

is there any way without isopropyl alcohol?

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isopropyl alchohol in anything over 75% is good enough. from what i've seen, the bottles you get that are 99% are fairly small (at least mine is).  iirc you can also use something like nail polish remover (although i would get a second opinion)  as far as what material to use, anything is ok as long as you are carefull not to leave fibers behind.  coffee filters work great as they have no fibers

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is there any way without isopropyl alcohol?

Yeah but it takes a lot more elbow grease, whats wrong with isopropyl? 

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You can use TIM cleaner, though it's be the same as buying a bottle of Isopropyl.

A microfiber cloth, coffee filters, or TIM cleaning cloths will work

 

You may be able to find a smaller bottle of Isopropyl, depends on what's available.

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is there any way without isopropyl alcohol?

You can just use kitchen roll to wipe the majority of it off, then slightly damp kitchen roll to wipe off the rest. Paint thinner/vodka will do a better job though than water.

 

Really, it doesn't really matter how you do it, doesn't make a huge difference whether you use specific stuff or just water. The difference is only generally 2 degrees or so.

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Yeah but it takes a lot more elbow grease, whats wrong with isopropyl? 

 

nevermind. hadnt looked much into smaller bottles.

 

looks cool. might go for http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arctic-Silver-ArctiClean-Material-Purifier/dp/B000BKP306/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1414447461&sr=8-2&keywords=thermal+clean

 

anyone know how it "Leaves a great finish for new thermal paste application" or is that just marketing for a small bottle of tap water? :P

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is there any way without isopropyl alcohol?

I just wipe it off a few times with a paper towel. 

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is there any way without isopropyl alcohol?

Methylated spirits, turpentine or nail varnish remover all work just as well as

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I have used Isopropyl and Nail paint remover. I prefer Isopropyl though.

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I need to know for future reference. Haven't even built my PC - but want to know in case i screw up.

 

How do i do it?

 

A lot of vids show people using rubbing alcohol/isopropyl alcohol - its probably spelt incorrectly meh - i dont have isopropyl alcohol and won't buy a huge 1litre bottle if I'll probably only ever use it once or twice - i doubt I'll remove my cpu cooler unless something breaks.

are there any small mini bottles?

 

what can I clean the cpu with? I have cotton buds, tissues, kitchen towels/tissues but have heard they leave fibre and fibres are bad for cooling.

 

It's not necessary to use isopropyl alcohol to clean it off but is recommended since it helps clean out the pores of the metal better than using a little water, just use a barely damp paper towel or coffee filter and remove the majority and clean off the residue that is left behind, before apply new compound.

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I just did this for a friend yesterday, I used q-tips and 90% isopropyl alcohol. It got his temps much lower after he had broken the seal of the stock paste while cleaning.

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Toilet papaer or other soft paper towel is cheapest way. Even @Slick has admitted of using it as quick and easy solution.

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been using alchohol 70% (couldn't find anything above it locally) and I don't know where the hospitals get theirs.

and can't ship them to my country most of the time. don't know why and I probably never bothered since after all these years been using 70% alchohol (isop) and it works.

 

and I either use my shirt if I'm too lazy to get a micro fiber cloth.

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isopropyl alcohol and toilet paper/paper towel

 

you don't want to use a cloth you will keep as thermal paste is horrible to get off of cloth

I normally use micro fiber cloth and just trow it away instead of washing it (after there is no more space to use) but about using my shirt I don't know much since my wife does all the laundry >.<

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I normally use micro fiber cloth and just trow it away instead of washing it (after there is no more space to use) but about using my shirt I don't know much since my wife does all the laundry >.<

 

Are you rich? micro fibre cloths aren't cheap - using one once only to clean a cpu isn't ideal for your wallet.

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Are you rich? micro fibre cloths aren't cheap - using one once only to clean a cpu isn't ideal for your wallet.

I got no job btw.

just a free lancer for cad etc, and I sell pc parts or build and stuff on my shop.

 

I don't really bother looking at the price tag whenever I buy something I use to clean. so I can just freely trow it away after use.

 

not rich just normal guy who has different priority. 

 

oh it's not really using once. like last night I had to build 4 pc for clients I used it one on 4. if it's just a single use I normally use my shirt since most of the time I'm too lazy to grab M. Cloth on my drawer.

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I just wipe it off a few times with a paper towel. 

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I use goo gone, they sell small bottles, like really small bottles. 

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