CPU cleaning

[Fenris]

After several overclocking attempts and HS/cooler mountings, my TBird is covered with thermal grease around the die. Can anyone tell me a soft way to get my CPU clean?
Can alcohol be used?

 

[Guest]

yes, alcohol can be used.
but wrap it softly with a piece of tissue can do the job.

<font color=orange>What do you think? </font color=orange>

 

[Bubba]

I just added some Arctic Silver to my chip. I had to get that pink sticky crap off the chip and the HS/fan. I used my girlfriend's nailpolish remover. All that pink junk came right off. Everything is now nice and clean. I don't know if this was a smart thing to do but I put the chip in and it still works just fine.
If you used a pencil to connect the L1 bridges, be careful not to remove these by accident.

 

[Guest]

I've found that q-tips + regular isopropyl alchohol work fairly well on heatsink goo.

 

[Lowlypawn]

After I used some alcohol and a Q tip to get most of the junk off.
I then took a dime sized 400 grit piece of sandpaper and using a Q Tip lightly sanded the top of my Tbird.
Before if I ran my fingernail over the top of the CPU I could feel the raised letters, But after only after a few minutes of sanding it felt glass smooth.
I don’t know how much this helps the CPU transfer heat to the Heat sink But It made me feel like the CPU was contacting the heat sink better (a copper hedgehog).
I can also guarantee the top of the CPU will be perfectly clean after this.