Noctua U12S heatsink cleaning

[MajorFoley]

Hi guys just a couple of questions. My motherboard is back from RMA and i noticed my Noctua U12S heatsink has some dust on it. Whats usually the best way to clean it, i do have a can with compressed air but it doesnt seem to do much.

And this leads to another question i dont actually know about, does the dust accumlate on the side the fan has been on or on the otherside of the heatsink the fan isnt it? My config is where the fan is pulling air into the heatsink (so the logo on the fan itself is facing the heatsink according to this picture)

https://noctua.at/en/how-can-i-find-out-the-direction-of-airflow-and-sense-of-rotation

 

Thanks! 

[freeagent]

Throw it in a soapy sink and use hot water. You aren't going to hurt anything. As for the fan, just take a damp cloth, or dry.. and just wipe it. Make sure you do a good job drying!

[MajorFoley]

2 minutes ago, freeagent said:

Throw it in a soapy sink and use hot water. You aren't going to hurt anything. As for the fan, just take a damp cloth, or dry.. and just wipe it. Make sure you do a good job drying!

Uh soapy sink and water was actually the last thing i would think of but sure.

And the dust is usually on the side the fans on right? Like i said was pulling air into the heatsink . Just want to double check this so i know in the future lol. Silly question but something i want to know.

[freeagent]

If you can think of a more difficult way to clean your cooler, have at it lol. Its not something I do a lot, but I have done it in the past when I was a smoker with dogs and carpet.. Yes the label side butts up against the cooler, and yes, that's the side the dust sticks to. I use a datavac and give it a good blow every month or two whether it needs it or not. 

[MajorFoley]

5 minutes ago, freeagent said:

If you can think of a more difficult way to clean your cooler, have at it lol. Its not something I do a lot, but I have done it in the past when I was a smoker with dogs and carpet.. Yes the label side butts up against the cooler, and yes, that's the side the dust sticks to. I use a datavac and give it a good blow every month or two whether it needs it or not. 

I plan on buying a metrovac datavac, problem is there out of stock on pccasegear so im waiting Thanks, yeah putting PC back together tonight but first need to free up some storage on phone so i can record where all my cable managing is, the worst part of doing a PC build I swear...

[WoodenMarker]

Dust accumulates mostly where the fan blades push against the air and where the air is pushed against the heatsink. When the fan is mounted in push, the heatsink it's up against is where most of the dust ends up.

As mentioned, rinsing the heatsink under water and drying thoroughly afterwards is one of the best ways to clean a heatsink. 

[freeagent]

12 hours ago, MajorFoley said:

I plan on buying a metrovac datavac, problem is there out of stock on pccasegear so im waiting Thanks, yeah putting PC back together tonight but first need to free up some storage on phone so i can record where all my cable managing is, the worst part of doing a PC build I swear...

I bought mine directly from the metrovac website. Its great! Better than a can of that compressed stuff for sure. I did use the dust filter the first few times.. but then I just pulled it out 

 

https://metrovac.com/products/datavac-electric-duster?variant=18877237067849

[MajorFoley]

10 hours ago, freeagent said:

I bought mine directly from the metrovac website. Its great! Better than a can of that compressed stuff for sure. I did use the dust filter the first few times.. but then I just pulled it out 

 

https://metrovac.com/products/datavac-electric-duster?variant=18877237067849

I'm willing to wait 10 more days when stocks back in

[LogicalDrm]

I've cleaned one old Noctua heatsink by running tap water. Then let it dry overnight.