Thermal Paste on CPU contacts

[Vepy]

My new (used) CPU came in that I bought from eBay, and it has a little bit of thermal paste on the contact pieces. Would I be able to just wipe it off with a paper towel and be fine?

[Hugs12343]

Do you have a picture?

[Spotty]

Wipe it off with some isopropyl alcohol. Is it an Intel CPU or AMD CPU? Intel CPU will be much easier to clean.

If the paste was there when the CPU was in use from the previous owner, there is the possibility that it may have killed the CPU. (some thermal paste is electrically conductive)

[Vepy]

1 minute ago, Hugs12343 said:

Do you have a picture?

It's a very small amount of paste, like a small smudge from packaging

[Vepy]

Just now, Spotty said:

Wipe it off with some isopropyl alcohol.

If the paste was there when the CPU was in use from the previous owner, there is the possibility that it may have killed the CPU. (some thermal paste is electrically conductive)

They didn't really pack it well, there's thermal paste ontop of it (They didn't even try to clean it), and some pieces got onto the cpu during shipping most likely. Would Windex work by any chance, or would that harm it?

[Hugs12343]

1 minute ago, Spotty said:

(some thermal paste is electrically conductive)

Not really. It's liquid metal you have to be careful with

[Hugs12343]

Just now, Vepy said:

They didn't really pack it well, there's thermal paste ontop of it (They didn't even try to clean it), and some pieces got onto the cpu during shipping most likely. Would Windex work by any chance, or would that harm it?

I wouldn't use windex. Do you have alcohol

[Vepy]

3 minutes ago, Hugs12343 said:

I wouldn't use windex. Do you have alcohol

I do not

[Hugs12343]

Just now, Vepy said:

I do not

Don't suppose you have brake cleaner (it's basically got a hydrocarbon propellent in it). That works too.

 

Anyone got suggestions on alternative solutions.  (ha see what I did there :))

[Vepy]

6 minutes ago, Hugs12343 said:

Don't suppose you have brake cleaner (it's basically got a hydrocarbon propellent in it). That works too.

 

Anyone got suggestions on alternative solutions.  (ha see what I did there :))

I know Windex wouldn't be the best way of getting thermal paste off, but it wouldn't hurt the cpu would it?

[Hugs12343]

1 minute ago, Vepy said:

I know Windex wouldn't be the best way of getting thermal paste off, but it wouldn't hurt the cpu would it?

No. But spray it onto a cloth not directly onto the cpu. Just not excessive amounts should be fine.

[Vepy]

1 minute ago, Hugs12343 said:

No. But spray it onto a cloth not directly onto the cpu. Just not excessive amounts should be fine.

Alright, I'll try that out

[corrado33]

12 minutes ago, Hugs12343 said:

Don't suppose you have brake cleaner (it's basically got a hydrocarbon propellent in it). That works too.

 

Anyone got suggestions on alternative solutions.  (ha see what I did there :))

God no. Brake cleaner melts all SORTS of plastics. Doesn't need to be anywhere NEAR a motherboard. 

[Hugs12343]

Just now, corrado33 said:

God no. Brake cleaner melts all SORTS of plastics. Doesn't need to be anywhere NEAR a motherboard. 

really?

[corrado33]

Just now, Hugs12343 said:

really?

Absolutely.

 

I come from a family of mechanics. Brake cleaner is a great cleaner, but for metal parts only. 

[Hugs12343]

Just now, corrado33 said:

Absolutely.

 

I come from a family of mechanics. Brake cleaner is a great cleaner, but for metal parts only. 

i was thinking cause the IHS is metal.

[Semper]

21 minutes ago, Hugs12343 said:

Not really. It's liquid metal you have to be careful with

If by "not really" you mean "some pastes aren't electrically conductive"... some very much are. They tend to be older formulations (some still actively sold), but that's a moot point when you don't know what you're dealing with. Liquid metal isn't the only interface material that's conductive.

[corrado33]

1 minute ago, Hugs12343 said:

i was thinking cause the IHS is metal.

I was thinking he needed to clean the underside of the cpu. Regardless, brake cleaner doesn't belong near a PC. Just use isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol).

[Vepy]

Alright, everything seems to be working, it posted and I updated the pc so it reads the cpu properly.