Use white spirits to clean off thermal paste?

dagwoood · 24 Mar 2006 at 12:19

Is it advisable to use white spirits to clean the CPU and heatsink? On the Arctic Silver site, one of the items it says you can use is Mineral Spirits, but according to Google, in the UK we call it white spirits.

I know Isopropyl alcohol is recommended, but it's not cheap and I'll probably only need it this one time. White spirits is cheap and easily to get hold of.

Cheers, dagwoood.

PapaLaz.uk · 24 Mar 2006 at 12:36

Don't know if it's right or wrong, but I've ALWAYS used a drop of white spirit on my cpus/sinks. Never had a single problem and it does a very good clean-up job.

loltim · 24 Mar 2006 at 12:42

Cleaning spirits are seriously overrated, just get some kitchen roll and rub it off.

Bennah · 24 Mar 2006 at 12:45

Ive used white spirt in the past to clean heatsinks and cpu cores / IHS's but I found that it puts a little oil film on the area you have just wiped. I use cotton buds and just wipe it off. No need for any extra thermal compound cleaner. Just a waste of money.

vanandjuanunited · 24 Mar 2006 at 12:47

Kitchen roll dipped in Bacardi for the win.

pcfan · 24 Mar 2006 at 12:53

I just use a bit of toilet or kitchen paper! Does the job fine.

Peace · 24 Mar 2006 at 17:55

Nail polish remover does the job for me.

The IPB · 24 Mar 2006 at 18:03

Yeah nail polish works, I know people say "OMG nail polish" but it works and Ive never had problems doing it.

dagwoood · 24 Mar 2006 at 20:15

Thanks for all the replies guys, it's appreciated.

I'll see if just using kitchen paper/soft cloth will do the trick. I know AMD recommend just using a soft cloth and cotton buds, but having never removed thermal paste, I don't know how hard it is to get off.

I'd assumed it wasn't easy because of all the different cleaning products that are available to remove the paste.

Thanks again, dagwoood.