Clean CPU Heatsink without Compressed Air?

[DarkKnightVFX]

So my CPU temps have been rising a lot lately so I decided on cleaning my CPU fan.

 

Where I live, compressed air is very rare to come by, and I have trouble even getting it since the store clerk always thinks I'm going to hoot it or something. I'm just curious what a good substitute to compressed air would be? I've been told a straw and pipe cleaners can do the job.

[ARikozuM]

3 minutes ago, DarkKnightVFX said:

I've been told a straw and pipe cleaners can do the job.

Yes.

 

You can also puncture the cap of a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and spray that on the heatsink and fan. 

[LienusLateTips]

cotton swabs

[Tiwaz]

just remove the heatsink, remove the thermal paste off of both thermal surfaces (cpu and the coolers's baseplate) and then remove the complete cooler and remove the fan from that and then you can simply wash the heatsink with water, i also did that with a CM tx3 once, let it dry and blow on there with a hair dryer at high heat to dry it completely then you can put it on your cpu again with thermal paste ofc

[RadiatingLight]

a bike pump can sometimes be good enough.

[DarkKnightVFX]

2 minutes ago, Tiwaz said:

just remove the heatsink, remove the thermal paste off of both thermal surfaces (cpu and the coolers's baseplate) and then remove the complete cooler and remove the fan from that and then you can simply wash the heatsink with water, i also did that with a CM tx3 once, let it dry and blow on there with a hair dryer at high heat to dry it completely then you can put it on your cpu again with thermal paste ofc

I'd worry I wouldn't fully clear the water out and would damage something. 

[m0k]

1 cotton swabs + vacuum

2 cotton swabs + blow with your mouth + vacuum

 

[Tiwaz]

7 minutes ago, DarkKnightVFX said:

I'd worry I wouldn't fully clear the water out and would damage something. 

you could still just leave the heatsink somewhere on a shelf for one day and then install it agfain

[LogicalDrm]

16 hours ago, DarkKnightVFX said:

I'd worry I wouldn't fully clear the water out and would damage something. 

10h of drying like you do with kitchen stuff works. I've done it that way once. Works better than just air for glimpy dust.

[Tiwaz]

1 hour ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

10h of drying like you do with kitchen stuff works. I've done it that way once. Works better than just air for glimpy dust.

i will be doing that with my AIO rad as well when its too dusty

[MadOverclocker]

19 hours ago, DarkKnightVFX said:

I'd worry I wouldn't fully clear the water out and would damage something. 

I did that to mine and heated it with a heat gun. If you don't have one you could always run your pentium 4 and stick it to your heatsink

[LogicalDrm]

On 8/20/2017 at 5:46 PM, MadOverclocker said:

I did that to mine and heated it with a heat gun. If you don't have one you could always run your pentium 4 and stick it to your heatsink

Or borrow sisters/mom's/girlfriends/wife's hair dryer.

[DarkKnightVFX]

Problem solved guys, I used an tire pump and it worked like a charm! Thanks for the suggestions.