[SOLVED] Cleaning Asus rtx 3070 with isopropyl alcohol

[omegaglory1]

Hi all, is it safe to clean the PCB of an Asus RTX 3070 using isopropyl alcohol?

I stored my card in a plastic container with desiccant, it was left for almost 2 months and there was a musty odour when I opened it to inspect. I can’t see any visible mould on the PCB portion or the plastic casing/fans but the heat sink has a mild residue on it (somewhat oily). The card had been disassembled and cleaned with an air blower.

I’ve read that ipa 90% or higher is safe but the card has a black PCB, would it react differently compared to the more common green PCB material? Is it safe to use on the capacitors and other bits on the PCB?

 

[CountMike]

Hi all, is it safe to clean the PCB of an Asus RTX 3070 using isopropyl alcohol?

I stored my card in a plastic container with desiccant, it was left for almost 2 months and there was a musty odour when I opened it to inspect. I can’t see any visible mould on the PCB portion or the plastic casing/fans but the heat sink has a mild residue on it (somewhat oily). The card had been disassembled and cleaned with an air blower.

I’ve read that ipa 90% or higher is safe but the card has a black PCB, would it react differently compared to the more common green PCB material? Is it safe to use on the capacitors and other bits on the PCB?

Yes it is safe I do that all the time. Just don't use too much alcohol, semi dry (not dripping) soft brush should be enough,

 

[omegaglory1]

Thanks for the advice. What kind of brush is suitable?

Yes it is safe I do that all the time. Just don't use too much alcohol, semi dry (not dripping) soft brush should be enough,

 

[SkyNetRising]

but the heat sink has a mild residue on it (somewhat oily). The card had been disassembled and cleaned with an air blower.

Can you show a photo?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

 

[omegaglory1]

Can you show a photo?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

Can you show a photo?
(upload to imgur.com and post link)

The residue was colourless and felt somewhat like condensation but slightly oily. I left the container open to air out and it’s more or less disappeared

 

[CountMike]

Thanks for the advice. What kind of brush is suitable?

Thanks for the advice. What kind of brush is suitable?

Larger soft, natural bristle brush for artistic oil painting.

 

[omegaglory1]

If I were to clean my GPU with a lower strength of isopropyl alcohol such as 70%, what are the risks? I’m asking because 70% is considered a sweet spot for eradicating mould, enough water for the active ingredient to penetrate the fungi and do its work. Higher strengths may cause proteins in microbes to coagulate and form a layer that’s harder to penetrate.

Will I need to leave the GPU for a few days for all the water to evaporate?

 

[hotaru.hino]

If I were to clean my GPU with a lower strength of isopropyl alcohol such as 70%, what are the risks? I’m asking because 70% is considered a sweet spot for eradicating mould, enough water for the active ingredient to penetrate the fungi and do its work. Higher strengths may cause proteins in microbes to coagulate and form a layer that’s harder to penetrate.

Will I need to leave the GPU for a few days for all the water to evaporate?

You can always test the evaporation rate on a separate item. Though if you are concerned still, I would say leave the card in front of a blowing fan to promote airflow through it and it should be fine after a few hours.