Thermal paste removal.

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Is a special thermal paste remove fluid really worth the extra cost compaired to Isopropanol alcohol?

£5.50 for the thermal paste remover or £1.99 for the IPA ("not the bitter"... it actually says that in the product desription).
 
Doubt it, tbh thermal paste given the fact it is, well, extremely thermaly conductive probably does not really need throughly cleaning. I got some just to have it in case, but realistically, there is no point and a damp cotton bud would probably do the trick just fine.
 
Is Isopropanol alcohol the same as surgical spirit?

Nope. Surgical Spirit is Ethanol mixed with distilled water (usually).

Go for the purest IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol, Isopropanol, Iso-2-propanol or whatever) Usually 99.9%. DO NOT DRINK IT. It catalyses into Acetone in the liver and stands a high chance of killing you. Obviously!
 
Its always just rubbed off whenever i have had to remove it - might not be the best way but it certainly works! But for £2 why the hell not buy the IPA :)
 
the isopropyl is designed to react with most thermal paste compositions to "mop up" the leftover chemicals, this allows for new thermal paste to make better and less polluted contact with the heatsinks
 
I've always used IPA, got a litre of the stuff from work about 5 years ago and I still have 90% of it left. It cleans up all residue and evaporates really quickly.

No idea about the thermal paste remover and whether it's just an overpriced gimmick.
 
i was thinking of using Tyre Dressing, anyone used this gear before? it's a clear liquid for cleaning tyres and such like. i use it on stainless steel (lift doors etc), i was wondering if i could use that.
 
Tyre Dressing would be designed to leave a residue behind. You want the cleanest purest surface you can get! Acetone leaves a very fine microscopic residue, as do a lot of cleaners. IPA totally evaporates and leaves no residues behind.
 
I have always used the remover stuff, processor comes up clean, and looks new, and that way. I know the new paste will have no air bubbles to create HOT Spots...

But thats just me...
 
That thermal paste remover product is an absolute rip off !! I use a bottle of Acetone which I picked up from a Chemist for £2.00 :) I apply some to a glasses cleaning cloth and it works perfectly.
 
I've always used Arcticlean. You get 2 small bottles. Stage 1 - you use a few drops of 99.99% pure "IPA" to remove the paste. then Stage 2 - a few drops of the cleaner which will purify the surface of the heatsink and CPu surface for the best conductivity. Highly recommended and only a couple of pounds on ebay
 
Unique 2-Step Process:
ArctiClean 1 Thermal Material Remover quickly emulsifies and dissolves the existing thermal grease or pad from the CPU and/or heatsink so that it can easily be removed with a clean cloth or paper towel. A few drops of ArctiClean 2 Thermal Surface Purifier and some gentle wiping then removes the remaining residue and inhibits flash corrosion on copper or aluminum.

ArctiClean 1 Thermal Material Remover:
ArctiClean 1 uses a proprietary combination of non-toxic biodegradable solvents to emulsify thermal greases or thermal pads. The citrus and soy based solvents in ArctiClean 1 match or exceed many hazardsous and volatile solvents such as fluorinated and chlorinated organic solvents, acetone, MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), mineral spirits, isopropyl alcohol, and toluene.

ArctiClean 2 Thermal Surface Purifier:
The cationic surfactants in ArctiClean 2 remove any residue left by the ArctiClean 1 leaving a pristine surface for the application of a new thermal interface material. It also incorporates advanced flash corrosion inhibitors that minimize the corrosion layer on copper and aluminum allowing for more intimate contact between the thermal interface material and the heatsink.

Using ArctiClean 2 With Other Solvents:
Most solvents and cleaning products leave residue on the CPU and heatsink that negatively affects the performance of any subsequently applied thermal interface material. ArctiClean 2 Thermal Surface Purifier removes the residue of citrus or petroleum based cleaners and inhibits flash corrosion on a copper or aluminum heatsink.

Why Not Just Use Isopropyl Alcohol or Acetone?
Put isopropyl alcohol or acetone on a thermal pad and 10 minutes later you will have a thermal pad. Only with a lot of rubbing and scrubbing will you be able to remove the pad. While the alcohol or acetone may soften the pad, neither actually dissolves the pad. Although less visible, it is the same cleaning thermal greases with alcohol or acetone.

ArctiClean 1 totally emulsifies thermal pads and thermal greases. The waxes, oils, and fillers of the thermal material are suspended within the ArctiClean 1 so they can be cleaned off completely. This emulsification allow ArctiClean to remove the thermal material in the microscopic imperfections in the heatsink or heat spreader that non-emulsifying cleaners cannot touch.

The flash corrosion inhibitors in ArctiClean 2 then significantly reduce the corrosion layer on the copper or aluminum, improving the interface between the metal and the new thermal material and maximizing thermal transfer.
 
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