Cleaning a CPU

[William Murphy]

I just bought the I5 3570k there are smudges and residue on the surface of the CPU which could be from when the CPU was being tested. I want to know if it is worth cleaning. I have some pure alcohol and lint free cloth. I am worried that cleaning would damage the CPU. Does cleaning it produce a lot of static? Are CPUs sensitive to static? I have an anti static wrist band with a crocodile clip at the end of it.

 

[WR2]

Hello WM;

No problem going ahead with cleaning.
Use a just barely damp cloth and a light touch.

Cleaning itself produces no static. Clip up your AS wrist band and you're in very good shape.

 

[WR2]

I have some pure alcohol

We're not talking Jack Daniels here, are we?
What do you have?

 

[William Murphy]

We're not talking Jack Daniels here, are we?
What do you have?

It's surgical spirit which contains industrial methylated spirt 95%, caster oil 2.5%, methyl salicylate 0.5%

 

[WR2]

It's what we call Isopropyl Alcohol and it's perfect for CPU cleaning.

 

[William Murphy]

It's what we call Isopropyl Alcohol and it's perfect for CPU cleaning.

Does the oil pose and problems? I remember reading that it doesn't evaporate well and prevents the thermal paste from getting into the micro valleys which reduces thermal transfer.

 

[WR2]

@ 95% purity it's absolutely not a problem.

Lots of people use the 70% solution and have no problems.

 

[William Murphy]

@ 95% purity it's absolutely not a problem.

Lots of people use the 70% solution and have no problems.

Where would you suggest attaching the AS wrist band? It has a crockodile clip on the end.

 

[WR2]

What most people find easiest to manage is mounting the PSU into the case, plugging the PSU power cord into the mains, and clipping on to a metal part of the case chassis.

 

[jonpaul37]

Cotton swabs, I use them for my CPU & heatsink cleaning, been doing it for years

 

[WR2]

 

[William Murphy]

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee201/Digger109/Computer - General/WristStrapInstructionsE.jpg

How is the power supply connected to the case?

 

[WR2]

With screws and metal to metal contact.

Disco ball is optional.

 

[jonpaul37]

invisible mootherboard, CPU/heatsink, RAM, video card, hard drive and DVD drive optional as well