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Cleaning Top of Noctua Cooler

dual290x
By dual290x
in Cooling
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So, I am about to do some stuff with hardware and I want to reuse my Noctua NH-D15s. It works well but there is some kind of residue and fingerprints on the top. How can I clean it without causing discoloration?

20180104_155741.jpg

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Instructions for frustration management:  

1) Sit at desk.   2) Repeatedly slam forehead against desk.

 

I never said I was smart, just smart enough to be dangerous.

 

 

ORLY?

……..'|:::::::,': : : : : : :_„„-: : : : : : : : ~--„_: |'
………|::::::|: : : „--~~'''~~''''''''-„…_..„~''''''''''''¯|
………|:::::,':_„„-|: : :_„---~: : :|''¯¯''''|: ~---„_: ||
……..,~-,_/'': : : |:    ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) : |: : : :|:  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)): \..|
……../,'-,: : : : : ''-,_______,-'': : : : ''-„_____|
……..\: :|: : : : : : : : : : : : : :„: : : : :-,: : : : : : : ?
………',:': : : : : : : : : : : : :,-'__: : : :_',: : : : ;: ,'
……….'-,-': : : : : :___„-: : :'': : ¯''~~'': ': : ~--|'
………….|: ,: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :: :
………….'|: \: : : : : : : : -,„_„„-~~--~--„_: :: |
…………..|: \: : : : : : : : : : : :-------~: : : : : |
You have been visited by the propane god, I tell ya hwat. Repost this on 5 more profiles or Hank Hill will bring the propain.

- credit to, @Cinnabar Sonar

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Posted

I'd guess isopropyl would get it clean and shouldn't cause discoloration.

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Posted

any non abrasive cleaner will do. Alcohol might be sfest when it is in close proximity to the electronics 

otherwise: water with some dishwashing detergent is very effective removing fat from metal objects as it is designed for it. Don't spill it on your electronics though and dry it of when you are done 

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Really wish manufactures would stop using surfaces that aren't matte for products meant to be handled.

 

 

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13 minutes ago, Mooshi said:

Really wish manufactures would stop using surfaces that aren't matte for products meant to be handled.

I mean do you really handle your cpu heatsink that much?

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22 minutes ago, Ansger said:

any non abrasive cleaner will do. Alcohol might be sfest when it is in close proximity to the electronics 

otherwise: water with some dishwashing detergent is very effective removing fat from metal objects as it is designed for it. Don't spill it on your electronics though and dry it of when you are done 

 

23 minutes ago, Imbellis said:

I'd guess isopropyl would get it clean and shouldn't cause discoloration.

Tried, didn't work.

23 minutes ago, TheGlenlivet said:

Try IPA first, simple green (or equivalent ) next.  

IPA?

17 minutes ago, Mooshi said:

Really wish manufactures would stop using surfaces that aren't matte for products meant to be handled.

Same.

4 minutes ago, sazrocks said:

I mean do you really handle your cpu heatsink that much?

If you are like me... you tend to touch it a lot.

Instructions for frustration management:  

1) Sit at desk.   2) Repeatedly slam forehead against desk.

 

I never said I was smart, just smart enough to be dangerous.

 

 

ORLY?

……..'|:::::::,': : : : : : :_„„-: : : : : : : : ~--„_: |'
………|::::::|: : : „--~~'''~~''''''''-„…_..„~''''''''''''¯|
………|:::::,':_„„-|: : :_„---~: : :|''¯¯''''|: ~---„_: ||
……..,~-,_/'': : : |:    ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) : |: : : :|:  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)): \..|
……../,'-,: : : : : ''-,_______,-'': : : : ''-„_____|
……..\: :|: : : : : : : : : : : : : :„: : : : :-,: : : : : : : ?
………',:': : : : : : : : : : : : :,-'__: : : :_',: : : : ;: ,'
……….'-,-': : : : : :___„-: : :'': : ¯''~~'': ': : ~--|'
………….|: ,: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :: :
………….'|: \: : : : : : : : -,„_„„-~~--~--„_: :: |
…………..|: \: : : : : : : : : : : :-------~: : : : : |
You have been visited by the propane god, I tell ya hwat. Repost this on 5 more profiles or Hank Hill will bring the propain.

- credit to, @Cinnabar Sonar

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Believe it or not, I was switching my motherboard.... joy. The IPA cleaned it, but what I noticed was that I have to keep using new cottom balls. 

Instructions for frustration management:  

1) Sit at desk.   2) Repeatedly slam forehead against desk.

 

I never said I was smart, just smart enough to be dangerous.

 

 

ORLY?

……..'|:::::::,': : : : : : :_„„-: : : : : : : : ~--„_: |'
………|::::::|: : : „--~~'''~~''''''''-„…_..„~''''''''''''¯|
………|:::::,':_„„-|: : :_„---~: : :|''¯¯''''|: ~---„_: ||
……..,~-,_/'': : : |:    ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) : |: : : :|:  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)): \..|
……../,'-,: : : : : ''-,_______,-'': : : : ''-„_____|
……..\: :|: : : : : : : : : : : : : :„: : : : :-,: : : : : : : ?
………',:': : : : : : : : : : : : :,-'__: : : :_',: : : : ;: ,'
……….'-,-': : : : : :___„-: : :'': : ¯''~~'': ': : ~--|'
………….|: ,: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :: :
………….'|: \: : : : : : : : -,„_„„-~~--~--„_: :: |
…………..|: \: : : : : : : : : : : :-------~: : : : : |
You have been visited by the propane god, I tell ya hwat. Repost this on 5 more profiles or Hank Hill will bring the propain.

- credit to, @Cinnabar Sonar

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18 hours ago, Mooshi said:

Really wish manufactures would stop using surfaces that aren't matte for products meant to be handled.

 

If you need to crab cooler from top, you are doing something wrong. Besides, if you are worried about fingerprints, use gloves.

 

13 hours ago, TheGlenlivet said:

Isopropyl Alch.  Looks like you tried already...

 

I don't know if they are thing around there, but here IPA is short for Indian Pale Ale. Which probably would help. Simple Green could be another variation of beer. Or maybe cider.

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14 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

 

If you need to crab cooler from top, you are doing something wrong. Besides, if you are worried about fingerprints, use gloves.

 

 

I don't know if they are thing around there, but here IPA is short for Indian Pale Ale. Which probably would help. Simple Green could be another variation of beer. Or maybe cider.

Heh.  No, IPA is a beer around here too.  I worked in the clean room industry for a long time and IPA was always isopropanol (Isopropal alcohol -IPA).

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30 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

 

If you need to crab cooler from top, you are doing something wrong. Besides, if you are worried about fingerprints, use gloves.

I don't disagree with you at all. I generally do, but we all know that at some point we will touch something and not mean to. I am not worried about fingerprints... but I will try to sell this cooler at some point and go watercooling. So I will need to clean it.

The smudges will come off, the finger prints... that is a different story.

Instructions for frustration management:  

1) Sit at desk.   2) Repeatedly slam forehead against desk.

 

I never said I was smart, just smart enough to be dangerous.

 

 

ORLY?

……..'|:::::::,': : : : : : :_„„-: : : : : : : : ~--„_: |'
………|::::::|: : : „--~~'''~~''''''''-„…_..„~''''''''''''¯|
………|:::::,':_„„-|: : :_„---~: : :|''¯¯''''|: ~---„_: ||
……..,~-,_/'': : : |:    ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) : |: : : :|:  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)): \..|
……../,'-,: : : : : ''-,_______,-'': : : : ''-„_____|
……..\: :|: : : : : : : : : : : : : :„: : : : :-,: : : : : : : ?
………',:': : : : : : : : : : : : :,-'__: : : :_',: : : : ;: ,'
……….'-,-': : : : : :___„-: : :'': : ¯''~~'': ': : ~--|'
………….|: ,: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :: :
………….'|: \: : : : : : : : -,„_„„-~~--~--„_: :: |
…………..|: \: : : : : : : : : : : :-------~: : : : : |
You have been visited by the propane god, I tell ya hwat. Repost this on 5 more profiles or Hank Hill will bring the propain.

- credit to, @Cinnabar Sonar

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5 hours ago, dual290x said:

I don't disagree with you at all. I generally do, but we all know that at some point we will touch something and not mean to. I am not worried about fingerprints... but I will try to sell this cooler at some point and go watercooling. So I will need to clean it.

The smudges will come off, the finger prints... that is a different story.

Heatsink is aluminium. You can treat it same as if it was kitchenware. So washing it with dish soap. After that comes other household cleaning stuff. Window cleaner, general cleaning liquids, metal shine... Fingerprints are just grease. If they won't come off, its possible that your fingers had ink or something like that when you touched heatsink.

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On 1/4/2018 at 3:30 PM, sazrocks said:

I mean do you really handle your cpu heatsink that much?

There are a surprising number of secret heatsink fondlers around. Watch your components closely.

 

17 hours ago, airdeano said:

ive used lighter fluid with no side-effects (painted the fin stack)

What cooler is that? I like the look of that.

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3 hours ago, johnukguy said:

What cooler is that? I like the look of that.

noctua nh-14. painted fans and top of fin stack.

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