Cleaning the core of cpu?

[Tow88]

Hello, I am new to this forum. I have an amd athlon retail xp. I would like to clean the residue tape from the core and use artic silver instead. I am not sure what is safe to use to clean the core and surrounding wafer area. What would you all recommend?

 

[screw3d]

here and welcome to the forums!

 

[react]

I've been cleaning my cpu's with nail polish remover for awhile.... According to the sitei'm not supposed to! :Q

 

[chocoruacal]

Originally posted by: react
I've been cleaning my cpu's with nail polish remover for awhile.... According to the sitei'm not supposed to! :Q

I use nail polish remover and have never had a problem. Scrape the area with something plastic (I use a credit card) and then wipe it off with the nail remover.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: react
I've been cleaning my cpu's with nail polish remover for awhile.... According to the sitei'm not supposed to! :Q

The reason is because acetone is not meant to completely and totally evaporate from the surface... so unless you clean the residue off with alcohol or something that doesn't leave a residue, you're risking contamination of the thermal compound, which may cause it to break down and not do it's job.

 

[Shimmishim]

yup, if you use acetone, use alcohol as well afterwards

 

[LastRide]

I just use my plastic guitar pick.Starting from an edge I pull it towards the center and work around to the other edges.You can just use your finger nail to lift it off.Scrape it a little more if need be.I then use Isopropanol and Q tips.Keep changing the Q tips so they are clean and not spreading that thermal tape around.I do the same with the heatsink.You can use anything that won't scratch it.

 

[pillage2001]

I just use water and some kleenex.

 

[bootoo]

Rite-Aid and Long's drugstores (who knows who else) have rubbing alcohol (bad; has mineral oil) and isopropyl alcohol/water only. Isopropyl alcohol works great. Nail polish remover has additives that will not make you happy! Pure (so to speak) acetone is hard to find these days but work great as well but cheapy drugstore alcohol is a $-friendly solution.

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

just a couple plain old qtips is what i use lol
give it a good scrubbin! haha