Best way to remove thermal compound.

Hogzy

Whats the best/cheapest way to remove thermal compound from my CPU?
A quick google search recommends rubbing alcohol but im afraid if i go to a Pharmacy for this i will have to buy it in a bulk quantity.

I would prefer to buy locally and not online as i need it now.

Thanks

Unregistered.

Smudge as much of with tissue paper if you can. Then clean the IHS with alcohol wipes - same principal as the rubbing alcohol. Usually get a handfull for one or two euro.

Kinetic^

Acetone based nail varnish remove will do the trick.

Unregistered.

Kinetic^ wrote: »

Acetone based nail varnish remove will do the trick.

Make sure to use sparingly so as to not have any drip off the CPU and onto the mobo

the untitled user

Hogzy wrote: »

Whats the best/cheapest way to remove thermal compound from my CPU?
A quick google search recommends rubbing alcohol but im afraid if i go to a Pharmacy for this i will have to buy it in a bulk quantity.

I would prefer to buy locally and not online as i need it now.

Thanks

The likes of Maplin will have it too, doubt they'd be any cheaper than the chemist but no harm trying if you need it quick. Think I paid round a tennor for 400ml canister in Maplin's recently.

Avns1s

I always remove the cpu and fan and remove the paste carefully with the blade of a stanley knife.

Krieg

isopropanol (alcohol) & Lintless wipe

Huawei Gallagher

You can buy a bottle of citrus based cpu cleaner in a shop (Maplins or PC World, I forget which). But I found it leaves a bit of a film, which cant be good.
Alcohol is, IMHO, best as it is strong and all evaporates away leaving nothing behind. But it will get harder to find as it is not as green as citrus based(damn greens caring about the environment grrr:D).

Shtanto

Unregistered. wrote: »

Make sure to use sparingly so as to not have any drip off the CPU and onto the mobo

+1 for nail varnish remover. You only need a notion of a drop on a q-tip. The gunk should come up handily enough. Use the other end of the q-tip to mop up anything left over. If your heatsink is lapped, you can get away with less and less thermal paste. I lapped my heatsink with 1600 grain sandpaper and an old bathroom mirror (read: very flat surface), and I only needed a wisp of thermal paste. If you can get the heatsink paste up to a mirror finish, you might not need thermal paste at all. Copper carries heat away better than thermal paste can.

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MunsterCycling

Be very careful using Nail Varnish remover, most modern ones have a nail conditioner that leaves a film on the processor, best is isopropanol as suggested by Krieg above.

Monotype

Not any good to you on short notice as it is not something you find easily around, but for future reference, it might be a good idea to stock some Arcticlean which is specifically designed for the job.

Hogzy

Went to the pharmacy and they gave me 200 alcohol wipes for €5. De-Light-ed LOL:D