What can I use to clean Arctic Silver off of a CPU?

[nitrousninja]

I want to clean off the cpu and the little bit on the die before reaplying new AS. Any suggestions?

 

[Insidious]

This link is a good read if you have ASII questions

 

[Kipper]

Most people I've talked to have used 100% or so Rubbing Alcohol with no problems whatsoever. Just let it dry before you reapply.

 

[WarCon]

If its really bad, take it to the sink and use dishwashing soap (Dawn works really well) and give it a mild scrubbing and it ends up looking good as new. The chip is entirely water proof, just have to make sure its dry before reinstalling.

 

[Technonut]

I have the best luck using straight Citra-Solv cleaner followed by rubbing alcohol. The Citra-Solv cuts through AS like a hot knife through butter.

 

[Twinhead]

Ohh my goodness!!! WarCon, are you sure we can put the entire chip under the water?

 

[MrThompson]

Twinhead - Scrubbing with a toothbrush and dishwashing liquid is my favorite cleaning method. No problems yet.

 

[Jerboy]

 

[yokomo]

I just grab a qtip and a dab of my gf's fingernail polish remover you can beat the price and it smell's really FunNy .....

 

[OJ]

Spray Brake dust cleaner works really well, I tried it.

 

[Wind]

I use nail polish remover. Work fine.

 

[VirginiaDonkey]

WD-40 on a paper towel followed with a alcohol wipe works like a charm as well

 

[Lark888]

Following the link provided so thoughtfully -

For the Heatsink:
"Never use any oil or petroleum based cleaners (WD-40, citrus based cleaners and many automotive degreasers) on the base of a heatsink. The oil, which is engineered to not evaporate, will fill in the microscopic valleys in the metal and significantly reduce the effectiveness of any subsequently applied thermal compound."

For the CPU:
CPU Ceramic:
Use any of the following cleaners.
Any dish detergent (Dawn, Lux, Palmolive, Etc.)
Do not use soap for an automatic dishwasher to clean a CPU.
WD-40, citrus based grease removers (Goo Gone, Etc.)
Xylene based products (Goof Off, some carburetor cleaners and many brake cleaners)
Mineral spirits. (Be careful to keep the mineral spirits away from the core.)
Once the majority of the compound has been removed from the ceramic, small patches remaining on the ceramic can be 'erased' with a soft eraser.

This caution has been repeated elsewhere on maintaining the thermal conductivity. I suspect that a very complete cleaning following use of oil based cleaners will "clean the cleaner" so to speak but might as well stick to the AS-II recommended ones.

"ONLY Arctic Silver II should be between the processor core and the heatsink.
Remove any thermal pads or other interface material from the heatsink before applying the Arctic Silver. Thermal pads can be scraped off with a plastic tool that will not scratch the bottom then the remnants can be removed with a xylene based cleaner, (Goof Off and some carburetor cleaners) acetone, MEK, mineral spirits, or 99% pure isopropyl alcohol."

I've used the last one (isopropyl alcohol) after removing most of the bulk material with Q-Tips. Using 3 or 4 Q-Tips and rolling the tip to pick up the Arctic Silver works well. Just get a new Q-Tip after you've rotated it one time, otherwise you'll start to put it back on.

 

[Jerboy]

Lacquer thinner or toluene

 

[BIGGDOG]

For all my CPU cleaning needs I use Dishwashing liquid soap. IE Dawn. I put a little on the Artic Silver then I take a toothbrush and gently work it around the chip and also I make sure to get all sides of the chip as well. While gently brushing I will then place the chip under the running water while brushing away all of the substance.