Can i clean my CPU heatsink with water?

[gustavo.mazuco]

Hi, guys, so i have a hyper t4 heatsink that i've been using for a very long time and it is now full of dust so i've been thinking about cleaning it but i have no air compressor or anything like it.

So can i clean it with tap water? Would something go wrong?

I would wash it and then dry it with a hairdryer.

Oh and only the heatsink, not the fan.

 

[USAFRet]

Hi, guys, so i have a hyper t4 heatsink that i've been using for a very long time and it is now full of dust so i've been thinking about cleaning it but i have no air compressor or anything like it.

So can i clean it with tap water? Would something go wrong?

I would wash it and then dry it with a hairdryer.

Oh and only the heatsink, not the fan.

Yes, no problem.
Sink, hot soapy water.
Let it soak for a while.
Rinse off, getting a good flow in between all the fins to wash away all the gunk.
Let dry for a day or two.

 

[Evvvvv]

Just clean the bit that goes onto CPU later with alcohol, and you are good to go.

 

[topheron]

Cleaning the HEATSINK with soap and water is fine... but take it off the CPU and motherboard first!

If you aren't comfortable taking the heatsink out of your case, I usually just use an old toothbrush to brush away as much dust as I can, and then use my lungs to blow on it. Be gentle with the toothbrush and don't break any fan blades.

It looks like your heatsink fan just clips to the aluminum fin part, so you can remove the fan, brush down the parts you can reach and put the fan back on easily.

If you remove your heatsink to clean it with soap and water, you'll have to have alcohol to clean the cpu and the heatpipe base (you need to remove all the old thermal paste), and you'll need replacement thermal paste to apply when you reinstall. I use Arctic Silver.

Also, I agree with your decision to brush off the fan instead of submerging it in water. The heatsink itself is waterproof, the fan will... probably... be alright if you let it dry for a day or two, but I wouldn't chance it.

 

[gustavo.mazuco]

Alright guys, thank you very much for your help!

 

[gustavo.mazuco]

Cleaning the HEATSINK with soap and water is fine... but take it off the CPU and motherboard first!

If you aren't comfortable taking the heatsink out of your case, I usually just use an old toothbrush to brush away as much dust as I can, and then use my lungs to blow on it. Be gentle with the toothbrush and don't break any fan blades.

It looks like your heatsink fan just clips to the aluminum fin part, so you can remove the fan, brush down the parts you can reach and put the fan back on easily.

If you remove your heatsink to clean it with soap and water, you'll have to have alcohol to clean the cpu and the heatpipe base (you need to remove all the old thermal paste), and you'll need replacement thermal paste to apply when you reinstall. I use Arctic Silver.

Yeah, it's just the heatsink, not the cpu or mobo, the heatsink alone.

Also, a bit unrelated, but about thermal paste: You know if arctic silver 5 paste is good? I've been thinking about buying one.