I got Ethanol! Will that remove the gunk off my chipset!?

[adam02]

So anyway, i read that rubbing alcohol or buying proper Arctic silver to remove thermal pads and excess dirt and cleanse the surface for more efficient heat dispersal.

I removed the chipset heatsink fan off my DFI Ultra-D to inspect the chip for a possible Modding to SLI-D. (to find that theres black enamel over the contacts- but anyway!)

the thermal pad is ripped apart so theres no point putting it on.
so i tried to remove it but it didnt work using a finger nail.

So then i tried Nail polish remover (funny how all these methods are Finger nail related) and it worked a bit. but theres still some excess thermal pad left.

So in Biology doing some experiments and to my surprise and luck were using "Ethanol" so i "Borrow" a small supply and have it here.

Im wondering will the Ethanol be decent for removing and cleansing CPU's, Chipsets and anything else relevant?

 

[003]

Isopropyl rubbing alcohol works. Use like a credit card so scrape the majority of it off, then use the isopropyl rubbing alcohol to clean the rest of it away.

 

[adam02]

did u read my post at all? :S

 

[003]

I don't knw if ethanol will work, that's the kind of alcohol that it's in wine and beer, would you use wine or beer to clean it off?

 

[molsen]

you have ethanol, why would you ask us if it will work? try it!

 

[septoid2]

If it doesn't work, its clearly inferior, smash it against a rock in spite. YOU ARE BETTER THEN IT.

 

[HAVOC]

Arctic Silver makes the best thermal material removal product.
It's called. "Arcticlean".

It gets the job done in less then half the time of anything else. It's a non-toxic product and smells really nice "Citrus". IT won't give you lower temps... but it does the job easier and faster, so for me that's a good thing.

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arcticlean.htm

 

[no leaf clover]

If it doesn't work, its clearly inferior, smash it against a rock in spite. YOU ARE BETTER THEN IT.

Seconded

 

[molsen]

IMO there's no reason to buy arcti-clean. If it takes half the time of isopropyl alcohol then it takes 3 seconds instead of 6. not worth the price.

 

[HAVOC]

IMO there's no reason to buy arcti-clean. If it takes half the time of isopropyl alcohol then it takes 3 seconds instead of 6. not worth the price.

Have you ever cleaned an old thermal pad off of a CPU die or heatsink dude? It doesn't take just 6 seconds with alcohol. It takes a few minutes of loosing up and strubing to get all that stuff off. Plus then you are left with residue.

The arctic silver product gets the surfaces clean and spotless in under 20 seconds tops...

In my business on of the routine maintainence jobs I do on older systems that I service is removal of old paste and reapplication of AS5. On any CPU, along with completely cleaning the dusty nasty heatsinks & fans... So the more time I can save the better. I used to use alcohol.. it sucks... takes way too long.

If you've got all day... use your alcohol... i'll spend $12 freakin' dollars for the good stuff that will last me 20 to 30 times...

pffff... too expensive... right...