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get thermal paste off CPU

Originally posted by: drpootums
Would regular rubbing alcohol be ok to use to get thermal paste off my CPU and HS?

thx
Click to expand...

Yes
Yes...plain old drugstore alcohol is just fine..
Can also use cleaning stuff like Goof Off or Gunk..then use alcohol

 
thx, my mom's a nurse, so we have plenty!

one more question, the thermal paste my Zalman came with is all i have, do you think i could just put it on like most people do with their AS5 (one spot in the middle that the HS spreads around itself)?
 
Just use rubbing alcohol damnit. Never let me down.

You can use the Zalman thermal paste, but many people prefer AS5, which would set you back another 10 or so dollars. But the thing is, it really doesn't spread itself. A few dots, spread with an old credit card to make it smooth and cover the whole CPU, then put the heat sink on.
 
Yea, it works fine, it's how I did it on mine. It is more likely to run hotter if you spread it over the whole heatsink.

A few dots, spread with an old credit card to make it smooth and cover the whole CPU, then put the heat sink on.
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No foo! 😛 That why you turn the heatsink a half turn counter clockwise and clockwise. You don't need it on the whole CPU, just the are where its the hottest(above the core).
 
Id recommend using water or just alcohol.. ..if you leave any residue from Goof Off or any other cleaner like it you will likely have a hotter running CPU .

Personally I use water and a soft towel and nothing else. I basically buff off the CPU, changed the towel wipe spot constantly. As a finish I use my hot breath and buff again. It the only way I will ever do it since I have burned a CPU from cleaning residue in the past.




 
alcohol is much better than water.. if you drip it evaporates very quickly unlike water... water+electricity= 8(
the higher alcohol concentration the better. or you could just go with the acetone... evaporates real fast and will clean up almost anything it was especially good for hardened thermal tape on my old PIII!
 
I used lighter fluid, works awesome and it only cost me a couple bucks. lighter fluid, q-tips, napkin or rag to polish up the bottom of your heatsink too.
 
i just got something call arctic ceramic thermal compound, it is artic silver product. Is it AS5 that you guys just mentioned ?
Stuff

edited: didnt know i can use the nail polish remover.
 
I use electrical contact cleaner. It's called "QD Contact Cleaner" I bought an 11oz spray can like 5 years ago. It's still over 80% full. It Leaves absolutely no residue, and wipes away even hardened TIM like nothing.

I never use nail polish remover. Most brands have oils in them, to re-hydrate the nail after such harsh chemical use. Everclear works well too. 😀
 
Originally posted by: Amaroque
I use electrical contact cleaner. It's called "QD Contact Cleaner" I bought an 11oz spray can like 5 years ago. It's still over 80% full. It Leaves absolutely no residue, and wipes away even hardened TIM like nothing.

I never use nail polish remover. Most brands have oils in them, to re-hydrate the nail after such harsh chemical use. Everclear works well too. 😀
Click to expand...

I normally use just plain alchohol (91%), but I occasionally use an electrical contact cleaner like what Amaroque says. Sometimes there is just too much compound smeared all over in the nooks of a cpu that you need to chemically blast that damn stuff off!
 
Originally posted by: caivoma
i just got something call arctic ceramic thermal compound, it is artic silver product. Is it AS5 that you guys just mentioned ?
Stuff

edited: didnt know i can use the nail polish remover.
Click to expand...

Na that is Arctic Silver Ceramique, not AS5. Ceramique is actually easier to clean than AS5 but not as effective. But the difference is very small.
 
creamique is damn near as good as AS5. Many people prefer it since its not capacitive whereas AS5 is. If you get AS5 all over the bridges or electrical contacts it can give you trouble, but creamique should be more forgiving. I'd just use the creamique if you already got it.

Use alcohol. Coffee filters are a good choice for cleaning it with, I like qtips too but they can leave small strands of cotton behind sometimes.
 
Just recently tried some carb cleaner to get a particularly messy paste job cleaned up on my dad's Athlon XP. It worked like you wouldn't even believe. Even dissolved the adhesive holding the little foam standoffs on, had to superglue them back on! Rinse with some high grade alcohol and you're all set.
 
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