Alternative to 70% isopropyl alcohol

[Rahulsingh190]

Hello Everyone,
I have i5 4670, which is a Haswell CPU - thus gets very hot within no time, so i've ordered a thermal paste( Deepcool Z3). Everywhere on the internet its written, to use 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean the previous thermal paste, I want to ask is there any alternative for isopropyl alcohol, which i can use. And is easily available at home. Something, like the alcohol which we drink, or vinegar. As i dont want to buy the whole bottle, just for a single use, one time use.

 

[zenx]

Rubbing alcohol (sanitary alcohol) you know 😛 the blue one

EDIT: Also here's a thread I replied to regarding cooling tips (also explained how to properly use the thermal compund so be sure to check it out) http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2494292/computer-overheating.html

 

[synphul]

If anything, [strike]I might try a little vinegar on a cotton swab maybe[/strike]. The reason for alcohol, it's safe, leaves no odor/residue and it evaporates quickly while removing the thermal grease/paste. Most people have some around the house as part of basic first aid (aka rubbing alcohol). Something good for disinfecting scrapes or cuts, sterilizing anything etc. Not sure where you're located, generally it's cheap. As in $1 to $1.50 for a large bottle. Should be available at just about any store, possibly even a gas station (though might be more expensive at a convenience store like that).

My concern would be with things leaving a residue which just about anything else would do and you don't want anything wet getting on the processor. Even oil from your fingers is best avoided, again the reasoning for the alcohol. There really is no good substitute, alcohol is the substitute (to products marketed as thermal paste remover for a much higher price). Anything else such as window cleaner I would be concerned with the potential of ammonia since I'm not positive what corrosive effect it might have if any.

 

[sizzling]

Definitely don't try vinegar, its very acidic so no idea what damage it could do.

 

[Smudgy]

easy solution the alcohol wipes outta a first aid kit will do the trick just a thought

 

[synphul]

Yea the more I thought about it, the more I didn't like that idea. Although it's safe for a number of things, the residue (and likely odor) wouldn't be welcome with vinegar.

I guess I never thought about it, have always had rubbing alcohol around the house. I think places like walmart have it next to the hydrogen peroxide and usually $1 a piece.

 

[Smudgy]

i keep mine next to my air can lol

 

[synphul]

Lol. I might have to look into something else like a small electric compressor or something. The prices of canned air anymore is ridiculous. $6-$8 a can for compressed air, febreeze doesn't cost that much and it has scents and odor eliminators in it. There's not much air in a can and no reason it should be over $2-3 a can other than bending consumers over.

 

[zenx]

Lol. I might have to look into something else like a small electric compressor or something. The prices of canned air anymore is ridiculous. $6-$8 a can for compressed air, febreeze doesn't cost that much and it has scents and odor eliminators in it. There's not much air in a can and no reason it should be over $2-3 a can other than bending consumers over.

I use a small compressor I bought for my car. Works off the cigarette lighter. As you can probably imagine it doesn't provide a whole lot of airflow as it's small and needs to have decent pressure to inflate a car tire, but add a needle tip (the type you would use to inflate a football) - which was actually included with it and that changes everything Constant jet of air that can knock off any kind of dust without damaging anything - just like an endless canned air hehe. Bought it for like $15 so definitely worth it... and I also have a jump-start battery pack with a cigarette lighter output so I can use it indoors when it's cold outside but I imagine you could just hook it up to an old psu.

 

[PieFlavourPie]

Honestly, the last time I cleaned my CPU and cooler I just use a bottle of 35% vodka and smells. No stains, no smells and cleaned very well.

 

[zenx]

Honestly, the last time I cleaned my CPU and cooler I just use a bottle of 35% vodka and smells. No stains, no smells and cleaned very well.

Well of course it did As with any kind of electrical device as long as it's completely unpowered you can even throw it in the bath-tub or use water. The idea here is that alcohol evaporates so by the time you finish rubbing it you can say for certain that it is in fact completely dry. The higher the concentration the better. So yea the only thing that matters is that by the time you put it back and power it on it needs to be completely dry to avoid short-circuits and clean to avoid residue acting as a thermal insulator.

 

[PieFlavourPie]

Oh absolutely. No doubt the higher percentage of alcohol the better it is for cleaning, I was saying that a high percentage spirit can be used as an alternative to 70% isopropyl alcohol if you don't have any handy

 

[zenx]

Yea ) And since a good vodka starts at 40 degrees and up I'd say it was asking for it!!! ))) It's just fated to be used as a cleaning substance! ha! 😛

 

[zenx]

Anyway I think we kind of exhausted the subject (even got a little side-tracked). So there you go Rahulsingh190, those are your options - probably time to select one of the answers you like most so the thread can be marked as solved. Cheers!