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Using contact cleaners to remove thermal paste

S

sub-80

Senior member
Hey Guys;

I keep hearing using alcohol to remove thermal paste or just to clean the cause, how about contact cleaner? Does it do the same job? At same quality?


Thanks;
 
Scotch tape seems to work well after removing the majority of the stuff using cotton swabs. I just use 3-4 inch strips, press it down and then pull it off. Repeat until the processor and/or cooler is shiny clean. Seems to work well if you don't have almost pure alcohol. It's said that rubbing alcohol is not appropriate.
 
methyl ether > acetone = nail polish remover > denatured alcohol > 90% ethyl.

😛

Rakehellion said:
What is contact cleaner? Like for contact lenses?
Click to expand...

i am guessing WD-40.
which as phynaz states is a nono cuz it contains lubricants, and well, may end up putting a thermal layer buffer over the surface your trying to have contact with.
 
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Methyl ether? It boils at -24C, I can't see it being terribly useful for this. Ethyl makes way more sense since it can exist as a liquid at room temp and is quite a ways more nonpolar than acetone.
 
rpmtl said:
Scotch tape seems to work well after removing the majority of the stuff using cotton swabs. I just use 3-4 inch strips, press it down and then pull it off. Repeat until the processor and/or cooler is shiny clean. Seems to work well if you don't have almost pure alcohol. It's said that rubbing alcohol is not appropriate.
Click to expand...

Well, if it's on the internet, it must be true.

Some of us here have been using rubbing alcohol for 20+ years to clean old thermal paste off of CPUs. If you want to spend the time 'tape cleaning' a CPU, by all means go right ahead.

You do realize tape has an adhesive on one side, and that some of that residue will inadvertently be left on the CPU?
 
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After using isopropyl alcohol, just use the condensation from your breath and a coffee filter to remove the deposits. The filter does not leave lint like cotton does.
 
I just looked at the SDS of the contact cleaner that I have and it scared me.

+ H222-Extremely flammable aerosol + H280 - Contains gas under pressure; may explode if heated
+ H340 - May cause genetic defects
+ H350 -May cause cancer
+ H361 - Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child
+ H370 - Causes damage to organs
+ H373 - May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure
 
Generally I avoid pressurized cans, just because spaying gasoline/lighter fluid around is neither healthy nor safe.

Some websites claim that contact cleaner is just Isopropyl Alcohol mixed with Butane, Propane. It cleans moves debris and soot, that accumulates from switch-off sparks as well as dust, oils (from air, skin or plasticizer) from analog sliders / like potentiometers.

Isopropyl doesn't evaporate as quickly as ethanol, so it's a better solvent/anti-bacterial agent by virtue of longer residing on the surface.

Claims that these things remove oxidation are ludicrous, that's just something people associate with electronics. It's like selling butane cans and calling it "canned air".
 
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nismotigerwvu said:
Methyl ether? It boils at -24C, I can't see it being terribly useful for this. Ethyl makes way more sense since it can exist as a liquid at room temp and is quite a ways more nonpolar than acetone.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: my oops....
 
UsandThem said:
You do realize tape has an adhesive on one side, and that some of that residue will inadvertently be left on the CPU?
Click to expand...

The 'Magic' type of Scotch tape comes off perfectly clean and leaves no residue. I spent 10 years doing special effects with film and used it often for masking film when doing hand coloring. If it left any residue it would have been very visible. Some folks have even used it (no kidding) to clean camera sensors. I would NOT do that myself (and would NOT recommend it) but for whatever reason that brand of tape leaves nothing behind.

I find that using 4" strips where I can press 1/2 the strip onto the CPU or cooler and then remove it will pull the grease off and leaves the surface looking like new after repeating it with new tape strips about 10-15 times.

And you are correct --- everything we read on the Web is TRUE! ;-)

(but this tape trick really does work surprisingly well)

Here's one I found doing a quick search:

http://photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00Z8oD
 
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I contacted Max Profesional and if any of there products can be used for cleaning cpu and removing thermal paste from cpu. The representative recommended the contact cleaner as it is non-conductive, removes grease and leaves no residue.

Note: they also have 99% Isropropyl alcohol

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 
rpmtl said:
And you are correct --- everything we read on the Web is TRUE! ;-)

(but this tape trick really does work surprisingly well)

Here's one I found doing a quick search:

http://photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00Z8oD
Click to expand...

I will admit when I am wrong. It looks like that method would work. I have been around the computer building community for 20 years, and I have never even heard someone even mention that method.

However, I wouldn't have the patience for that when a cloth and a little alcohol works so well, is so cheap, and gets the job done quickly every time.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
 
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