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use what to clean GPU surface?

Y

ycchan

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jan 5, 2004
Messages
1,407
I got a new GPU cooler for my Radeon 9800 PRO. I took the old HSF out and removed the existing thermal paste. There is still a thin layer of paste on the GPU core. How do I remove this? Do I just scrape it off ?
 
Can use any number of things, me I like charcoal lighter fluid, can also use acetone, rubbing alcohol, fingernail polish remover (which is acetone in a purty bottle).
 
I used rubbing alcohol but it wouldn't remove the rest of the paste. I'm afraid to push hard on it. I can make out the ATI sign but the letters underneath is all blurred due to the paste :(
 
ycchan said:
I used rubbing alcohol but it wouldn't remove the rest of the paste. I'm afraid to push hard on it. I can make out the ATI sign but the letters underneath is all blurred due to the paste :(
Click to expand...

If you got a GFU/Wife grab some of her nail polish remover, or some charcoal lighter fluid if you have a grill, also one other thing is regular lighter fluid like Ronson thats used in Zippos works well too. Paint thinner, Xylene, Metheleyne Chloride, Denatured Alcohol, are a few other choices. Brandy, Tequilla, and Whisky are just a few more.

If you don't have any of those things, im sure theres a 7-11 nearby :p
 
Yeh hes rite the best stuff is nail polish remover, ive used it on thermal pads and they are a b*tch to get off and it came off with ease, oh another tip try and run your graphics card at full load for about 20 mins to soften it all up ;)
 
isopropyl alcohol and rubbing alcohol are not the same thing.
Use isopropyl alcohol it will evaporate and not leave anything behind.
rubbing alcolol has mineral oil in it and will leave a film..BAD

sparks
 
Cutex, the most popular nail polish remover contains: “Acetone, Water, Propylene Carbonate, Dimethyl Glutarate, Dmethyl Succinate, Dimethyle Adipate, Glycerin, Gelatin, Fragrance, Denotonium Benzoate, D&C Yellow No. 11.”

Obviously several of the ingredients should not come into contact with a CPU, GPU heatspreader or heatsink. Glycerin, Gelatin and the Fragrance (an oil) will leave a residue in the microscopic surface imperfections and compromise the thermal interface.

Colin Thompson
Arctic Silver, Inc.
 
Yup, I'll only use a "no crap" solvent like Xylene or Acetone on my components.
 
use a hair dryer to heat up the gunk left on and around the gpu, then wipe it off with a paper towel.
 
use only isopropyl alcohol at least 91%
Get it at CVS or the like
all the other stuff will leave a residue at the microscopic level and degrade perfomance or break down the paste you put back on!!!!!
 
sparks said:
isopropyl alcohol and rubbing alcohol are not the same thing.
Use isopropyl alcohol it will evaporate and not leave anything behind.
rubbing alcolol has mineral oil in it and will leave a film..BAD

sparks
Click to expand...


Whoops. My bad. Yeah, residue is a bad thing.
 
they say that carbontetrachloride is the best clearner there is.

kills dirt and brain cells at same time though.


hey does comet leave a residue ???

jerry
 
Just remember if you use nail polish remover to be sure it is 100% pure acetone. Any dyes or fragrances in it will leave a film residue on the chip. Same with isopropyl alcohol (if you can find it that pure, but usually the rest is just distilled water, which wont hurt anything).

Unless the checmical you're using has similar solvent properties to these two, I would not recommend using them. Like commercial cleaners. They probably contain many other ingredients that you don't want sitting on your gpu.
 
OPUS1 said:
use only isopropyl alcohol at least 91%
Get it at CVS or the like
all the other stuff will leave a residue at the microscopic level and degrade perfomance or break down the paste you put back on!!!!!
Click to expand...

Acetone and Xylene won't. And they'll evaporate faster as well.

And I stay away from paper towels as those can leave small paper fibers behind. I use lens cleaning cloths or coffee filters as they are relatively lint-free.
 
Acetone and Xylene have carriers that will stay behind!
As stated above the old demon alcohol (at least 91%) will evaporate
 
nope...tried it did not help remove the gunk left. Used paint thinner and it just rubbed right off
 
OPUS1 said:
Acetone and Xylene have carriers that will stay behind!
As stated above the old demon alcohol (at least 91%) will evaporate
Click to expand...

pure acetone does not have carriers. it is in fact a better solvent than iso alcohol. you don't notice anyone using iso to remove fingernail polish do you?
 
I find 99% isoprophynol works really well. Use either a coffe filter or eyglass cloth (no lint on either) to rub the alchohol on, and the paste off.

Edit: Some people find it hard to get 99% (make sure its not 70%, doesn't work at all), but I luckily managed to get the last bottle of the stuff from my local dominics. Check around at wally world if you cant find it anywhere else.
 
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