Don't have isopropyl alcohol on hand

[Topkek]

So Im swapping out coolers but i dont have isopropyl alcohol on hand, is it the absolute end of the world if i dont use it and just use a tissue to wipe off as much thermal compound as possible

[jools]

acetone nail polisher remover or just a it of toilet paper . its not major just rub hard lol

[manikyath]

i honestly just rub it "clean enough" with a dry tissue most of the time

[Hamil_P1]

Personally I don't have any solid reason to say that it would. get as much off as you can in case of impurities, get as much as you can off with what you have, go tot he store if you have time for peace of mind. clean is always better. plus if thermals aren't what you expect you would not be wondering if it was the thermal paste clean up job to be fault.

but i do't imagine it would make a huge difference.

[RollinLower]

15 minutes ago, Topkek said:

So Im swapping out coolers but i dont have isopropyl alcohol on hand, is it the absolute end of the world if i dont use it and just use a tissue to wipe off as much thermal compound as possible

i've never used alcohol for this. i always just use some tissue and wipe most of it off, then some damp tissue to remove the last bit. i always let it sit afterwards for about half an hour to make sure everything is dry, then just assemble as normal.

[EPPHO]

No need for alcohol,just clean it with paper towel 

[sl06bhytmar]

I use acetone because it is cheaper and more readily available.

[Mick Naughty]

Got any atf?

[Curufinwe_wins]

I've also used window cleaner with pretty good effect. the idea is just cleaning as much as you can. organic solvents make that easier.

 

The issue with straight water is just that it doesn't dry itself very well, so you have to either let it sit for a while or dry it manually. works fine itself.