what can i use to clean thermal paste

[frankerz]

so i recently took off my cpu fan because im an idiot and was told that i have to clean it off and apply new thermal paste, so my first question in what can i clean it off with, will water suffice because i really dont want to go out and spend money on something that i dont necesarrily need. this may sound stupid but will whiskey or vodka be ok or does it have to be a type of alcohol you get from a pharmacy.

when i put the cpu fan back on my pc would turn off when playing games, is this 100% because of the thermal paste issue or could it be something else. thanks in advance and sorry if i sound stupid

 

[Kavinqt]

Do not put water on your CPU lol, I just use toilet paper. People say the fabric can fall off of it and get stuck on the CPU but I've never had an issue with doing this for years. Just be careful not to let any rip off and get into the socket or anything on the motherboard.

 

[Justiceinacan]

When you take of old thermal paste, consider it dead weight.

I advise isopropyl alcohol on a facecloth and rub it till it comes off. It's just a drive and less than $5 (btw, get 90% or more)

 

[Kavinqt]

When you take of old thermal paste, consider it dead weight.

I advise isopropyl alcohol on a facecloth and rub it till it comes off. It's just a drive and less than $5 (btw, get 90% or more)

I've used isopropyl alcohol before with cloth and it seemed to leave some type of burn mark on my cpu's surface.

 

[burtman88]

They make cleaners for this 7 dollars very cheap, lol i probably have 8 bottles of this stuff. To clean it off just use coffee filters, leaves nothing behind and i am sure you have plenty of it in the house. I've only used coffee filters for the past 12 years never had one issue.

 

[frankerz]

i found some white spirit in the cupboard will that do? and is it ok to use qtips or is a cloth more advisable

 

[Kavinqt]

qtips work they take long though.

 

[burtman88]

You really dont have coffee filters? very simple to do with them. The cleaners that i always bought smelled like orange cleaner to me.

 

[frankerz]

yeah feel abit nervy using qtips because a few people have said they could leave pieces of cotton on the cpu and breaking it is the last thing i want to do

 

[Deverick37]

isopropyl alcohol will work, 70% or the 99% is better. Works well with a piece of a clean coffee filter.