Anyone used CRC to clean a motherboard?

slhardware

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Nov 24, 2012
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I saw some people on various forums say that this CRC Electronic Cleaner (http://crcindustries.com/ei/product_detail.aspx?id=05103&S=Y) can be used to clean computer components.

Anyone used it before? Can I just spray my laptop's motherboard and let it dry? Or do I need to wipe it off? I guess I would need to avoid spraying the CPU so I don't risk eliminating any of the thermal paste under it.
 
Solution
Washing away thermal paste compressed between the cooler and cpu is nothing short of impossible.

I have never needed to clean a motherboard I'm not sure why you would need to, however you can use CRC to do it. When I clean things with CRC I like to use lint free cleaning cloths to wipe away the dirt and residue, it tends to be helpful. ALso despite what it says while it doesn't leave a residue it does kind of leave what looks like a water mark if you don't wipe it away.
I've been modding or building Amigas / Atari ST's / PCs for well over 20 years, never had to clean a mobo before... what do you need to clean that a can of compressed air won't blow away?

The description of the item though does say for computer components, so should be okay. Just let it evaporate for a long time in a *very* well ventilated room and no cigarettes / lighters / thunderpoons anywhere near it. I don't think it will wash the paste away trapped between your heatsink and CPU... 😉
 
Washing away thermal paste compressed between the cooler and cpu is nothing short of impossible.

I have never needed to clean a motherboard I'm not sure why you would need to, however you can use CRC to do it. When I clean things with CRC I like to use lint free cleaning cloths to wipe away the dirt and residue, it tends to be helpful. ALso despite what it says while it doesn't leave a residue it does kind of leave what looks like a water mark if you don't wipe it away.
 
Solution
I clean my rig once every two weeks and I used compressed air and CRC. Love the stuff! I usually use it to clean all fans, including the GPUs' fans, screens, and intakes. I also use it to clean dusty interfaces and to evaporate away the dust on hard drives. I use it on cheap keyboards, but not my new Razer Ultimate Stealth Blah Blah Blah. I have spayed it directly on my motherboard, and it didn't hurt the board. HOWEVER, I have read somewhere that it tends to harm (over time) some plastics; so I'm reluctant to spray lots of the stuff on my motherboard or on an expensive keyboard or mouse. Be careful! It's the most flammable substance on earth. Also, and this is IMPORTANT, turn off your PC; then unplug our PC; let any hot components cool down; then press the power button again to dissipate remaining residual charge; only after doing these things is it safe to start spraying. Don't spay it on/in your power supply. I don't power up until a half hour after cleaning to be absolutely sure that all liquid has completely evaporated. But evaporation is how CRC works: you spray it on a surface, and it immediately evaporates dust away with it.