Isopropyl alcohol 70% good enough?

[David_Kwan]

Hi guys,

 

I am about to get a new cooler soon and was wondering if 70% Isopropyl alcohol is good enough to clean off the thermal paste?

 

I tried looking for something more like 90% but unfortunately there is none available near me.

And if 70% is enough any tips or advice for cleaning the thermal paste? I've never done it before so don't want to mess anything up.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Mira Yurizaki]

70% is fine. It's recommended to use a lint-free cloth however. If you don't have one, coffee filters are an excellent substitute.

 

All you have to do to wipe off the old paste is dab the alcohol on the cloth and rub it off. That's it. Repeat as necessary until the surfaces look clean enough.

[David_Kwan]

1 minute ago, Mira Yurizaki said:

70% is fine. It's recommended to use a lint-free cloth however. If you don't have one, coffee filters are an excellent substitute.

 

All you have to do to wipe off the old paste is dab the alcohol on the cloth and rub it off. That's it. Repeat as necessary until the surfaces look clean enough.

I'll need to look for coffee filters then.

Should I let it dry off for a bit after wiping off the thermal paste?

[Mira Yurizaki]

3 minutes ago, David_Kwan said:

I'll need to look for coffee filters then.

Should I let it dry off for a bit after wiping off the thermal paste?

Yes, but rubbing alcohol tends to dry really fast.

[enigmakahn]

2 minutes ago, David_Kwan said:

I'll need to look for coffee filters then.

Should I let it dry off for a bit after wiping off the thermal paste?

alcohol will evaporate almost instantly, by the time you turn around to grab your parts, it'll be gone. while it is recommended to use lint free wipes, i have used paper towels countless times, they work just fine, just make sure you have some canned air nearby to blow it off afterwards.

[BigDamn]

1 minute ago, David_Kwan said:

I'll need to look for coffee filters then.

Should I let it dry off for a bit after wiping off the thermal paste?

I always dry mine off after cleaning, but seeing as how it's rubbing alcohol it'll air dry quickly. As far as what to use to clean, I've only ever used basic paper towels. Although it isn't recommended, it won't cause any issues as long as you ensure the area is clean. Hit it with a compressed air can after cleaning if you want to be extra safe.

[enigmakahn]

1 minute ago, BigDamn said:

I always dry mine off after cleaning, but seeing as how it's rubbing alcohol it'll air dry quickly. As far as what to use to clean, I've only ever used basic paper towels. Although it isn't recommended, it won't cause any issues as long as you ensure the area is clean. Hit it with a compressed air can after cleaning if you want to be extra safe.

THIEF!

 

but you right tho

[Slayer3032]

I almost always use kleenex, in a pinch I use ammonia free windex instead of isopropyl too.

 

I'd be more concerned about making a mess with the used thermal paste than making a mess with what you're using to clean it up.

[Derrk]

paper towels & napkins are fine as long as you're careful not to let them tear or leave behind any fibers. I like to use shop towels just because i have a million laying around. anything really is fine as long as you're careful(ish)

[BigDamn]

15 minutes ago, enigmakahn said:

THIEF!

 

but you right tho

oh shit. i think your comment came in while i was typing mine. i'll be damned

[mariushm]

You need 95% IPA or better for soldering (cleaning flux residue)

70% is OK for removing paste, cleaning lcd screen surface, plastics etc.

 

For paste removal you can use any substance with solvent properties as long as you clean/wash surface after: gasoline, lighter fluid, acetone, WD-40...all solvents.

Alcohol also works: sanitary alcohol, vodka...

 

Also those wipes for cleaning glasses have 50-70% IPA

[homeap5]

What is wrong in ethanol alcohol 96%? It's probably most clean alcohol you can get and should be available in normal shops where you can buy regular vodka. At least it is in my country. And since is using for drinking (if you mix it with something) does not contain any dirty ingredients.

[David_Kwan]

Alright so paper towels then, I still have some air left in the can I got so I'll be good then.

 

When installing coolers (in my case the 212 BE) it's alright if it moves a bit during installation right?

It won't create air bubbles this way?

@mariushm @BigDamn @Mira Yurizaki @Derrk @enigmakahn

[Derrk]

12 minutes ago, David_Kwan said:

Alright so paper towels then, I still have some air left in the can I got so I'll be good then.

 

When installing coolers (in my case the 212 BE) it's alright if it moves a bit during installation right?

It won't create air bubbles this way?

@mariushm @BigDamn @Mira Yurizaki @Derrk @enigmakahn

yeah i wouldn't worry, just try not to move the cooler too much

[enigmakahn]

11 minutes ago, David_Kwan said:

Alright so paper towels then, I still have some air left in the can I got so I'll be good then.

 

When installing coolers (in my case the 212 BE) it's alright if it moves a bit during installation right?

It won't create air bubbles this way?

@mariushm @BigDamn @Mira Yurizaki @Derrk @enigmakahn

as long as it doesn't move after you tighten it down, you should be fine, thermal paste doesn't really bubble like putting on a screen protector, once you tighten it down all the paste will ooze into the right places, that's why you don't really NEED to spread it out, but depending on the manufacturer, they do sometimes recommend it.

Personally i put a dollop on the center (this is the scientific term) and then put it on and fasten it down.

[David_Kwan]

3 minutes ago, Derrk said:

yeah i wouldn't worry, just try not to move the cooler too much

 

2 minutes ago, enigmakahn said:

as long as it doesn't move after you tighten it down, you should be fine, thermal paste doesn't really bubble like putting on a screen protector, once you tighten it down all the paste will ooze into the right places, that's why you don't really NEED to spread it out, but depending on the manufacturer, they do sometimes recommend it.

Personally i put a dollop on the center (this is the scientific term) and then put it on and fasten it down.

Thanks guys!

My cooler should be arriving today or tomorrow  so was looking forward to overclocking my 2600 a bit more.

[David_Kwan]

@Derrk @enigmakahn uhhhh... so the pharmacy only had these 70% isopropyl wipes... Will they do the job?

 

I can wipe off the thermal paste first with a paper towel then use the wipes to clean it off. Does that sound alright?

 

[mariushm]

Yeah, it will be perfectly fine. Rub, remove paste, wait for surfaces to dry, apply a bit more than a pea size of paste in center...apply heatsink straight down to flatten and spread the paste in all directions.

[David_Kwan]

5 minutes ago, mariushm said:

Yeah, it will be perfectly fine. Rub, remove paste, wait for surfaces to dry, apply a bit more than a pea size of paste in center...apply heatsink straight down to flatten and spread the paste in all directions.

Alright thanks. All the Youtube videos show them using the liquid form instead of wipes while cleaning off the paste, so I was worried the wipes wouldn't be ideal.

[Derrk]

53 minutes ago, David_Kwan said:

@Derrk @enigmakahn uhhhh... so the pharmacy only had these 70% isopropyl wipes... Will they do the job?

 

I can wipe off the thermal paste first with a paper towel then use the wipes to clean it off. Does that sound alright?

 

if the thermal paste has dried, then you may need to use the iso first to get the thermal paste to soften

[dgsddfgdfhgs]

1 minute ago, Derrk said:

if the thermal paste has dried, then you may need to use the iso first to get the thermal paste to soften

toothpicks are also very good

[David_Kwan]

26 minutes ago, Derrk said:

if the thermal paste has dried, then you may need to use the iso first to get the thermal paste to soften

If it has dried would that be a bad thing if it had been left alone?

25 minutes ago, dgsddfgdfhgs said:

toothpicks are also very good

Toothpicks? It won't damage the cpu?

[mariushm]

You wrap some cotton wool or a paper napkin or wet towel around the tip of a toothpick or a precision screwdriver and gently drag/scrape the tip to loosen dried out thermal paste.

You don't use a toothpick alone and you must be careful around those tiny ceramic capacitors and resistors around the cpu if there are any , you don't want to hit those and break them off the processor.

 

[Derrk]

29 minutes ago, dgsddfgdfhgs said:

if the thermal paste has dried, then you may need to use the iso first to get the thermal paste to soften

not necessarily. thermal paste drying usually just results in a slightly warm cpu. It makes the paste less heat conductive but doesn't harm anything

 

edit: i replied to the wrong message first, my bad