You're already going to be using it to remove thermal paste and its relatively non-toxic for topical use. If you need one but are not sure what would be an appropriate item to use, you can use a clean coffee filter to do this. You do realize tape has an adhesive on one side, and that some of … 2 Answers. This post wi… The best way to clean thermal paste off a CPU is to use isopropyl alcohol (as high a percent as possible like 90%) and a coffee filter. I'd also shoot for 99% (or as close you can get), however, I've used 70% in the past and it works just as well though. The isopropyl alcohol (90%+) will work great to take out the old thermal paste. Paper towels have a tendency to shred and if you look closely, you can see bits and pieces floating through the air. Don’t try to pull or push out large chunks because the force will be enough to snap a pin in half. Refectio - Mail-in Micro-Soldering Repairs & Data Recovery. By revraw November 23, 2016 in CPUs, Motherboards, and Memory. This is due to isopropyl’s solvent characteristics, allowing it to break down the thermal paste so it can easily be wiped away. Go to solution Solved by mariushm, November 23, 2016. Hi Guys, I recently purchased what i believed to be 99.8% pure Isopropyl to remove thermal paste from my cpu/cooler, however on further inspection at the ingredients i have found that the liquid is actually '99-100% ethanol'. Apply a tiny amount of thermal paste to the center of the cooler base on the heat sink. So I recently bought Diggers Isopropyl Alcohol from Bunnings Warehouse and the amount of Isopropanol in it is 100%. Have a lot of it off, but was wondering if just dabbing a bunch of isopropyl alcohol would simply dissolve the thermal paste? Using something like Q-tips or tissues can leave behind small hairs or fibers. Menu. @jtittle. Isopropyl alcohol (2-propanol), also known as isopropanol or IPA, is the most common and widely used disinfectant within pharmaceutics, hospitals, cleanrooms, and electronics or medical device manufacturing. Wet one with either rubbing alcohol or a cleaner specifically designed for thermal materials. @thekingcameron Yes, Isopropyl Alcohol will help to remove remaining residue, though I'd remove as much of it as you can using a lint-free cloth or similar before using it so you're not spreading the thermal paste or compound around and making a mess. And there you have it. Continue this thread While that's most likely not going to be enough to cause damage, I prefer to stick with what works and ensure the surfaces are free of lint, dust, or debris. However, after breaking down the PS4 all the way to the shell, I was able to determine that all it needed was a thorough cleaning, replacement of the thermal pads, cleaning the old thermal paste off with isopropyl alcohol from the CPU and spreading the new thermal compound with the included spatula. Isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol, is probably the best solution to this problem. Jonathan Tittle, David Chun These are the same wipes I use for cleaning RAMS, CPU Processors and GPU Chip boards. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Posts: 11569 Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2002 1:51 am Location: Aha, it seems like the soaking with IPA is VERY slowly starting to have effect (on the chip at least). 3) Other important materials like phillips/flat head screwdriver for opening up your laptop. If you want to apply thermal paste to help your computer stay cool, wipe the surface of your CPU and your heat sink with a cotton ball dampened with isopropyl alcohol. Locate the corner of the CPU socket marked with a triangle and line it up to match the corner of the new processor with the triangle; The q-tip dipped in the alcohol can remove the significant portion of it. ISO dries rapidly and is quite safe for your CPU, but put only a small amount on your cloth. Before we begin how to clean thermal paste off cpu, we will tell you that what we are going to say is perfectly applicable to both the processors and the GPUs of the graphics cards, only that it is much more likely that you will do it more times with your processors than with the graphics. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Buy Isopropyl Alcohol Pad Thermal Paste Remover for $0.29 with Free Shipping Worldwide (In Stock) [15] If you need to remove or replace thermal paste from your heatsinks or processor boards, then these wipes are also for you. Buy Isopropyl Alcohol Pad Thermal Paste Remover for $0.29 with Free Shipping Worldwide (In Stock) Isopropyl Alcohol 99% is pure isopropanol and Isopropyl Alcohol 70% is pure isopropanol diluted with 30% purified water by volume. You can find the isopropyl alcohol at a pharmacy or grocery store in the pharmacy area. Coffee filters leave nothing behind. Wipe the surface lightly with a cotton ball or cotton swab dampened with isopropyl alcohol. I know it says rubbing, but would it still work since it's above 70%? If you plan to reuse the processor, remove the old thermal paste using isopropyl alcohol. @thekingcameron Yes, Isopropyl Alcohol will help to remove remaining residue, though I'd remove as much of it as you can using a lint-free cloth or similar before using it so you're not spreading the thermal paste or compound around and making a mess. Only take out small pieces of paste at a time. I like to use KimWipes as they leave very little lint. Model A1286. Although the basic thermal paste would be enough to do the job. After a lot of patience, soaking with cotton pads and rubbing, here is the result: You must log in or register to reply here. Try not to get it anywhere but the die itself when cleaning the actual card. Alcohol will evaporate without messing up anything. A 70% isopropyl alcohol solution dissolves their lipids and is effective against most bacteria and fungi and many viruses, but is ineffective against bacterial spores. 70% solution is enough but the higher the percentage the better. Long story short, thermal paste is on my 3600’s cpu pins. Thermal paste is a compound that is used as an interface between your computer’s CPU and the heat sink attached to the CPU cooler. It will take about any thermal compound or glue right off, especially the gummy pink stuff that was used alot in the Pentium III era. Before you start applying the thermal paste, make sure the rest of your CPU cooler is ready to install. Intermediate. Jonathan Tittle If applicable, isopropyl 90% alcohol is recommended to ensure a clean surface. This is what it looks like! 70% alcohol is fine. Wet one with either rubbing alcohol or a cleaner specifically designed for thermal materials. It should look as shiny as the day you bought it when you’re done. @thekingcameron Yes, Isopropyl Alcohol will help to remove remaining residue, though I’d remove as much of it as you can using a lint-free cloth or similar before using it so you’re not spreading the thermal paste or compound around and making a mess. Repeat as needed with fresh filters, cloths, or q-tips. 3 Install the heatsink. Now that you have the heatsink out, there is nothing stopping you from getting the … If you want to spend the time 'tape cleaning' a CPU, by all means go right ahead. You can use these IsoPropyl alcohol wipes for cleaning your motherboards, electronic chips, consoles , processors and so on. Use ISO, if the thermal paste is old it probably isn’t going to come off easily. TR Staff. The q-tip dipped in the alcohol can remove the significant portion of it. Isopropyl alcohol is esterified to give isopropyl acetate, another solvent. The most important thing is to make sure it's dry and that whatever you're using to remove the initial layer of paste and to clean with doesn't leave lint or debris behind. https://i.imgur.com/UIpBr07.jpg Will this work? Luckily.. Noctua makes these handy little thermal Paste removal wipes. 03/13/2018 by Cameron Torres. Use ISO, if the thermal paste is old it probably isn’t going to come off easily. Go to YouTube and search for: remove thermal paste I found this video that has a bunch of useful info: Removing Thermal Compound - The BEST Way? After all traces have been removed, repeat this step once more to get the surface ready for a new application of thermal paste. 70 percent is good but 90 percent is better (if you can find it). Isopropyl alcohol is commonly used for cleaning eyeglasses, electrical contacts, audio or video tape heads, DVD and other optical disc lenses, removing thermal paste from heatsinks on CPUs and other IC packages, etc. The tissue wipes contain 70% isopropyl alcohol. I've always CAREFULLY used either automotive brake cleaner or carb cleaner applied to a cleanroom wipe to get stubborn thermal paste off CPU/GPU dies and heatsinks. For LGA CPUs, cleaning the CPU itself is … 2) Cleaning materials such as cotton swabs/balls damped with Isopropyl Alcohol. 5:38 Kerry56 Ars Tribunus Militum I'm replacing the thermal paste on my MacBook Pro and I was wondering, instead of spending extra money on thermal paste remover and purifier, would Isopropyl alcohol work just fine and be perfectly safe as well? that how i used to handle that pink bubble gum crap. Been trying to use q tips, isopropyl alcohol, and the ends of flossers (I have the ones that have the toothpick like end) to get the thermal paste off. I'd also shoot for 99% (or as close you can get), however, I've used 70% in the past and it works just as well though. The alcohol seems to evaporate almost instantly but since it is not pure I wondered if one should wait a certain amount of time before applying thermal paste. 70% alcohol … Avoid using rubbing alcohol, which is just 70% IPA. Intermediate. Accessibility. All these tips will assist you by making you aware regarding how to clean off thermal paste. X Research source Then use the wet end to moisten, loosen, and remove the old paste. Forums. Re: Isopropyl alcohol to remove thermal paste/grease Thu Sep 11, 2014 8:02 pm Tap water has all sorts of dissolved minerals and metals in it that you don't want to leave behind after it dries. CaviWipes™ Date Prepared: 7/14/2015 Page 2 of 6 4. Cleaning CPU Thermal Paste With Rubbing Alcohol. Not sure how to get the paste off of the pins of the CPU. I tend to avoid q-tips as the cotton tends to string out and you don't want that sitting on the CPU/GPU, chip, or hitting the heatsink as it'll burn up quickly and may cause damage to the components. Clean the CPU and heat sink surfaces. Wipe the remaining thermal paste and reapply the alcohol as needed. All these tips will assist you by making you aware regarding how to clean off thermal paste. I also use nail polish remover wipes because they’re lint-free and clean really well, © 2021 iFixit — Licensed under Creative Commons — Privacy — Some of us here have been using rubbing alcohol for 20+ years to clean old thermal paste off of CPUs. 2:21. Attach the heat sink to the processor, then reconnect the CPU fan wire to the motherboard. Then use the wet end to moisten, loosen, and remove the old paste. Been trying to use q tips, isopropyl alcohol, and the ends of flossers (I have the ones that have the toothpick like end) to get the thermal paste off. It has zero effect at all... Again, I don't think this is alcohol based... IPA has zero effect on this... scrap it off with a spudger and then soak the residue with iso. I’ve used it for building/rebuilding many desktops and my CPU’s have been really cool. Try not to get it anywhere but the die itself when cleaning the actual card. That means when it dries (In like seconds) it leaves no residue behind. The isopropyl alcohol (90%+) will work great to take out the old thermal paste. Remove the CPU. You need Isopropyl alcohol for removing thermal paste. ISO dries rapidly and is quite safe for your CPU, but put only a small amount on your cloth. You should also use a qtip soaked in it to clean up around those tiny microchips around the die. Wipe away most of the thermal paste that you can and then use 99% Pure IPA to clean away any residue. Isopropyl alcohol is commonly used for cleaning eyeglasses, electrical contacts, audio or video tape heads, DVD and other optical disc lenses, removing thermal paste from heatsinks on CPUs and other IC packages, etc. First Aid Measures Inhalation: Move to fresh air if effects occur and seek medical attention if effects persist. That should do, anything above 90% is good enough. Would bounty paper towels work as a lint-free cloth? Get the coffee filter damp with solution and wipe the thermal paste. Comes in different percentages. This is because isopropyl alcohol will dilute and soften the thermal paste, making it much easier to remove. @davchun. Terms — It is essential that you use the isopropyl variety of rubbing alcohol in specific, as ethyl alcohol will be far less effective at cleaning the thermal paste off of your CPU. Microfiber tends to work best, though coffee filters can do the job as well. Different solutions, purity grades, concentrations, and alcohol types yield beneficial cleaning and disinfection properties when applied correctly; or dangerous consequences when used improperly. With the chip in the socket of the dead Motherboard, use cotton balls or facial tissues wet with the alcohol and rub off the paste. Step 6: Insert the New Processor. Is this completely fine to remove thermal paste from CPUs? Like 70,80,99% pure.. you want 99% if you can find it. Regular ‘rubbing’ alcohol, often shown as 71% or less, doesn’t remove thermal paste very well, it also contains other items, such as water, which could cause corrosion if not completely cleaned up. I'd recommend microfiber. The higher the percentage of alcohol the better. Released February 2011 / 2.0, 2.2, or 2.3 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 Processor, Cameron Torres Have a lot of it off, but was wondering if just dabbing a bunch of isopropyl alcohol would simply dissolve the thermal paste? JavaScript is disabled. Isopropyl alcohol is esterified to give isopropyl acetate, another solvent. Apply the product, for example by applying a drop in the center of the chip. 03/13/2018 by Does anyone know how to remove this kind of thermal compound? - YouTube Watch at (4:30 to 6:10) He has a list of items that worked & not worked as good on the left side. … Rubbing alcohol designated 90% or higher can be used. Standard isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol 90% will work to clean the thermal paste off the top of the CPU. Using 99% results in quick dry times (simply blowing on it will result in relatively quick air dry), while 70% can take a little longer, though not to any substantial degree. I've always CAREFULLY used either automotive brake cleaner or carb cleaner applied to a cleanroom wipe to get stubborn thermal paste off CPU/GPU dies and heatsinks. and when you don't have any.. good luck finding it cause every store is sold out. Without thermal paste, the heat would not be efficiently transferred to the cooler’s heat sink and your CPU would overheat. Alcohol will evaporate without messing up anything. How do you clean isopropyl alcohol with thermal paste? Thanks! Standard isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol 90% will work to clean the thermal paste off the top of the CPU. You can use isopropyl alcohol to remove remaining thermal paste from a CPU surface, but you want to make sure you are using a lint free cloth/paper to do this. Does anyone know how to remove this kind of thermal compound? Long story short, thermal paste is on my 3600’s cpu pins. Will rubbing alcohol remove thermal paste? Skin Contact: Remove contaminated clothing.Rinse skin immediately with plenty of water for 15-20 Add Tip Ask Question Comment Download. Not sure how to get the paste off of the pins of the CPU. With the chip in the socket of the dead Motherboard, use cotton balls or facial tissues wet with the alcohol and rub off the paste. Share Followers 2. Ideally the drop should have spread now, covering the entire chip in a thin layer of thermal paste without any air bubbles. @thekingcameron. If there is, carefully remove the old paste from the lid of the CPU with isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth or paper towel that doesn’t shed, and let it dry before continuing. Repeat as needed with fresh filters, cloths, or q-tips. How to remove thermal paste without isopropyl alcohol? End to moisten, loosen, and Memory base on the heat sink and your CPU, was! Grocery store in the alcohol as needed with fresh filters, cloths or. The heat sink and when you do n't have any.. good finding! 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