Is 70% Rubbing Alcohol Good enough to Remove Thermal Paste off your CPU?

[Guest]

Title says it all. Thermal paste is the standard intel stuff.

[Xaring]

You shouldn't, use 96 or 98%, the 30% left in yours is water, which can corrode whatever it touches!

[MegaDave91]

Yes

[suchamoneypit]

I use 70% on my stuff, it will work fine and won't corrode unless you leave it sitting on it.

[ItsMinJunLol]

I heard from some videos from Linus and other build logs saying Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol that is above 70%-99% is good. So I'd say 70% is enough but still, closer to 99% is suggested.

[Starelementpoke]

20 minutes ago, Bobby_Joe_90 said:

Title says it all. Thermal paste is the standard intel stuff.

If I can use those little wet towelette alcohol wipes you get on an air plane, I think 70% will be fine.

[Technous285]

I normally just use the 70% Isopropyl that comes in the little spray bottle for cleaning glasses (specs); dab a bit of that on a piece of paper towel and then go to town and wiping away the thermal paste, cleaning up any excess/leftover with a clean section of the paper towel before tossing the towel.

It's how I cleaned the paste from my GTX780 before putting that under water with an EKWB block, same with my 2600K when I upgraded from the stock heatsink to a Antec H2O 920 then over to a Hyper 212 (after moving the 920 over to my 3770K system), same again when I upgraded my 3770K from the H2O 920 to a EKWB block. It's likely how I'm going to clean the thermal paste off of my 980Ti's when I get the blocks and loop parts to put them under water.

[STRMfrmXMN]

29 minutes ago, Bobby_Joe_90 said:

Title says it all. Thermal paste is the standard intel stuff.

I usually use 70% and haven't had any problems. 

[Luc401]

Yes and I've even used 40% vodka to do it once at school..

[Atmos]

More than enough.

You could honestly get away with using a slightly damp cloth to remove it, so long as you aren't doing it all the time.