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Thread: using isopropyl aclohol on CPU

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    using isopropyl aclohol on CPU

    So I want to clean the CPU and so far just used some tissue to wipe off the white thermal gunk. Is it needed for me to use a specialised cleaner to clean the CPU or is the tissue on its own just fine?

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    Some acetone based nail varnish remover will do nicely if you haven't got any IPA. Tissue by itself wont really be up to the job.

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    Flak Monkey! Dorza's Avatar
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    Like obvious said above; nail varnish remover does a great job of emulsifying the thermal grease and it drys instantly, but i use cotton ear buds to clean it off not tissue.

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    Not Very Senior Member RavenNight's Avatar
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    Nail Varnish Remover here as well, I use cotton wool pads as well, works a charm. Though for cleaning off the insanely encrusted I found liberal application of the nail varnish remover and an old credit card worked a treat!
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    I use turps substitute - does me fine...

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    I use Acetone to remove the paste and then finish off with Isopropyl Alcohol to leave it nice and clean.

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    I've always used the Akasa TIM cleaner stuff whenever I've removed thermal paste from cores. Works great and leaves you with a lovely lemony fresh core

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Codfather
    I've always used the Akasa TIM cleaner stuff whenever I've removed thermal paste from cores. Works great and leaves you with a lovely lemony fresh core
    I didn't know the Akasa Tim had a lemony smell.

    That along with the Bounce sheet as my dust filter should leave the internals smelling rather nice

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    i use metholated spirit from the chemist, 99p for a big bottle and always worked well for me

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    I use carb cleaner - comes in a huge can, usualy has a great nozzle and very high pressure.. and can be used to clean almost anything - and most importantly it leaves no residue unlike nail varnish remover which usualy has an oil-based scent

    also, brake cleaner is more or less the same thing.
    SmoothNuts!~yaman_an@*.dsl.pipex.com > change my rating to exceptional tbh

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    Does he need a reason? Funkstar's Avatar
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    Acetone is great stuff, we use loads at work, same with Methanol and Silane (not real silane, but i forget the proper name for the chemical we use). The Silane is amazing for disolving glue, don't know how it would be at thermal compound though. A little Acetone then removed the greasy residue from the Silane

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    Also, if you really are feeling cheap - and in my student days i was - you can use vodka to achieve more or less the same effect!! Pour some out into a little dish, get some cotton buds, dip them in and then watch all that TIM disappear. Not really as stupid as it sounds

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