Thermal paste cleaning.

[Scouzy Alex]

I dont have enough money to go out and buy alcohol can i just use a Q tip with a glasses lens cleaner which i have, its microfibre cloth so it shouldnt leave any pieces of lint on the cpu. i really dont have anything to do it with. However my mum has things like nail polish remover and my dad has wd-40 which im pretty sure wouldnt work and will just damage the cpu anyway.

 

[mcconkeymike]

Not sure where you are from, but I think a bottle of alcohol is only like $1. I've used just a plain dry paper towel to remove thermal paste when I don't have alcohol available and never damaged the CPU.

 

[USAFRet]

I dont have enough money to go out and buy alcohol can i just use a Q tip with a glasses lens cleaner which i have, its microfibre cloth so it shouldnt leave any pieces of lint on the cpu. i really dont have anything to do it with. However my mum has things like nail polish remover and my dad has wd-40 which im pretty sure wouldnt work and will just damage the cpu anyway.

eye glass cleaner fluid may work.
Just be sure you get ALL of it off, and leave behind no lint. Even microscopic lint.
Steal a coffee filter from Mom.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

It's about $2.39 @ Walmart for a quart (32 oz) of 91%

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Vi-Jon-91-Isopropyl-Alcohol-First-Aid-Antiseptic-32-fl-oz/33057974

 

[greens]

Glasses cleaner is ammonia which should evaporate completely. That said, it isn't going to act as a solvent but is rather a weak base that breaks down into a kind of soap - not what you need at all.

Acetone from the nail polish cleaner is an extremely effective solvent. But it has scent and coloring added, i'd probably not use that either.

Q-tips are lint balls, i wouldn't use that.

The microfiber cloth is a good choice but will be ruined, as it will be contaminated with high levels of silver.

Do your folks drink coffee? I'd just use a coffee filter - less lint than any other easily accessible material and is dirt cheap. You sure you don't have any kind of alcohol? no rubbing alcohol? Isopropyl is used so commonly around the house i find it hard to imagine you don't have a bottle!

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I use foam rather than cotton Q-tips and Indigo extreme cleaner ... be careful w/ acetone and can have a negative effect on some plastics

 

[Scouzy Alex]

Not sure where you are from, but I think a bottle of alcohol is only like $1. I've used just a plain dry paper towel to remove thermal paste when I don't have alcohol available and never damaged the CPU.

 

[Scouzy Alex]

Im from the UK and have never seen alcohol in any shops around here. Id have to go to a specialist place to get it and i dont have any more money as i used it all on the build. This is my first build and dont want to break it just for using tissues instead of the alcohol.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Interesting... Here i can find it in any pharmacy, department store of supermarket ... 32 oz of 91% is cheaper than a 16 oz Starbucks Coffee

 

[Firecheetah13]

NEVER use a paper towel! My friend did this once and his CPU temps shot right up to 90 degrees (originally averaging 76 at full load)! Granted his 6600k was overclocked, but still, spend the $3 and pick yourself up some rubbing alcohol.