Rubbing Alcohol

[Aastii]

When removing thermal paste is it necessary to use alcohol, or can you just use a soft cloth or kitchen roll?

I have always used just kitchen roll, once every 6 months or so use mer, and everything has always been fine, no problems with temps or anything, but have noticed people saying you should always use alcohol when removing thermal paste

 

[bomberboysk]

Just wiping it off wont remove the small amounts left behind, alcohol "dissolves" it so you can wipe it off, and leaves no residue itself behind once wiping it off. Q-tips are the best to use to spread/wipe off the alcohol. Tbh i use articlean now, best $5 ive ever spent, works faster than alcohol, takes less stuff, and one bottle will last pretty much forever.

 

[deveritt]

Usually it comes off easier if you wet it and you do NOT want to use water. So alcohol is what everyone uses. If you are just dry wiping it, it really shouldn't be any different, you just have to scrub a bit more I suppose.

 

[Aastii]

Just wiping it off wont remove the small amounts left behind, alcohol "dissolves" it so you can wipe it off, and leaves no residue itself behind once wiping it off. Q-tips are the best to use to spread/wipe off the alcohol. Tbh i use articlean now, best $5 ive ever spent, works faster than alcohol, takes less stuff, and one bottle will last pretty much forever.

so what i do is safe then, just wiping and every while when it builds up using mer to get rid?

 

[bomberboysk]

so what i do is safe then, just wiping and every while when it builds up using mer to get rid?

what is mer..? Its alot easier and better to use something like 93% ispropryl alcohol than to use just a dry cloth, as it provides no lubrication when dry and can create small abrasions in the copper/aluminum, and possibly not removing all of the thermal interface material.

 

[Aastii]

what is mer..? Its alot easier and better to use something like 93% ispropryl alcohol than to use just a dry cloth, as it provides no lubrication when dry and can create small abrasions in the copper/aluminum, and possibly not removing all of the thermal interface material.

mer is car polish, very mild abrasive and i found by accident it works amazing at cleaning chips and heatsink surfaces, see temp drops of (depending on how long since last done) up to 5 degrees or so, whack it on with a q-tip, take off with dry q-tip

 

[bomberboysk]

mer is car polish, very mild abrasive and i found by accident it works amazing at cleaning chips and heatsink surfaces, see temp drops of (depending on how long since last done) up to 5 degrees or so, whack it on with a q-tip, take off with dry q-tip

Car polish leaves behind a residue, you should probably just stick to rubbing alcohol to clean it off with

 

[Aastii]

Car polish leaves behind a residue, you should probably just stick to rubbing alcohol to clean it off with

seeing the temp go back down to those of a brand new heatsink after using it would show that it works pretty good

I used to use rubbing alcohol but after my sister decided to knock it off onto a cream carpet making it look like it was permanently wet in that patch so thanks to her stupidity i can't have it in the living room now, and as that is the only room in the house big enough for me to work on my computer, i can't really use alcohol for the next couple years til i move out that is why i have been using soft cloths and mer

 

[bomberboysk]

seeing the temp go back down to those of a brand new heatsink after using it would show that it works pretty good

I used to use rubbing alcohol but after my sister decided to knock it off onto a cream carpet making it look like it was permanently wet in that patch so thanks to her stupidity i can't have it in the living room now, and as that is the only room in the house big enough for me to work on my computer, i can't really use it for the next couple years til i move out that is why i have been using soft cloths and mer

there are no rooms big enough to fit a heatsink?

 

[Aastii]

there are no rooms big enough to fit a heatsink?

if you saw the house you would see why. The living room and dining room are one, the kitchen has the pissyest amount of floor space, my parents and sisters bedrooms are out of the question, the bathroom, just no , my room has a bed and a wardrobe in and that is all, and just enough room to walk from one to the other, we have one large room in the house and that is the living/dining room. I'd use the garage all the time but it is packed full of sh*t.

 

[bomberboysk]

if you saw the house you would see why. The living room and dining room are one, the kitchen has the pissyest amount of floor space, my parents and sisters bedrooms are out of the question, the bathroom, just no , my room has a bed and a wardrobe in and that is all, and just enough room to walk from one to the other, we have one large room in the house and that is the living/dining room. I'd use the garage all the time but it is packed full of sh*t.

That explains it. Could always just put some rubbing alcohol in a small container though

 

[Aastii]

That explains it. Could always just put some rubbing alcohol in a small container though

and claim it is my water bottle that never gets emptied We will see.

Oooh, i could always wait until my near empty syringe of thermal paste runs out (maybe 2/3 uses left), clean it out and then fill it with the alcohol each time i need it, and keep the bottle in my room sneaky sneaky

 

[bomberboysk]

Lol, or an eye dropper

 

[Aastii]

Lol, or an eye dropper

lol, whatever, it is all good