i was watching the video on amd and it said before installing your heatsink with a new thermal pad or thermal grease you need to clean the left over thermal junk of the cpu die. What should i use to clean it off, and to make sure im getting it all off.

100% pure alcohol should do the trick.

Bacardi 151.



Heh, i use the 70% isopropyl alcohol that i have under my sink. 100% would be best i suppose, but the 70% evaporates fast enough to not cause any problems being watered down a bit.

Very true. I too am guilty of using 70% pure.

Water + Elbow grease worked just fine for me.
wipe dry with cloth, let set for a while to get the last of the moisture off, and your good.

CPUs running @ 30c with stock cooling =)

I used this kit: http://www.frozencpu.com/thr-20.html and it works like a charm

^ | I would leery of water on near any circuit board.
^ | Alcohol sure work fine just use it gingerly.
^ | Contact Cleaner would be the best recomendation
^
.L<<<<-----edit------------------

Or what he recommended with the articlean.

do you mean contact solution as in contacts you wear. Any particular kind. I use optifree no rub solution would that work. If you didnt mean contact solution like you use on contacts then just throw your head back and laugh, its cool, np, lol.

Only use something like Surgical spirits with 100% alcohol in it and a soft tissue. The alcohol will evaporate and it won't leave a deposit behind. Some cleaners are oil based and stay on the cooler after you have finished cleaning it. You don't want this between your CPU and its cooler.

Go the Albersons grocery store if you have one and they sell a 90% rubbing alcohol. If you can't find 100% that is.

LOL, no, he meant electrical contact cleaner. Stuff electricians use to clean switches.

OHHHHHHHH. Like I said i'm a big time newbie with comps lol. So where to get some cleaners for it? For my future reference?

Well, to begin with, I use WD40 to clean electrical contacts because the lubricant protects the copper. Assuming the "best" contact cleaners provide lubrication, that's not what you'd need.

So I'd just go with the Alcohol. In fact, I wouldn't worry if it were 70%, the package should tell you all the ingredients, and "clean" alcohol should contain only alcohol and water.

Having said that, I just rub the stuff off without cleaner, I've never had bad results.

You know how the blood from the aliens in "Aliens" melts through anything? Get you some of that stuff. It'll take that old thermal grease right off.

-mpjesse

accetone, aka nail polish remover