How to clean thermal paste off the CPU without alcohol? You can remove it simply using nail polish remover. Sounds weird? But many have tried this. And it works; some other tactics also got our catch.
So, you want to use a new set of thermal paste to your processor if the old one dries out. For that, you will need to wipe off the last residue of thermal paste. The best way to do it is by wiping it off with alcohol. But what if there is no alcohol around?
Don’t worry about the question. We will show you by giving you a step-by-step guide using simple tools you can find nearby.
So stay along.
How to Clean Thermal Paste off CPU without Alcohol?
There are various ways you can clean the thermal paste of the CPU without any assistance from alcohol. Here in this section, we gave some alternatives of liquor along with a step-by-step guide.
Method 1: Remove the Paste with Nail Polish Remover
Thermal paste is a kind of grease. Grease is a good conductor. They can efficiently conduct heat throughout the system. We know grease types of substances don’t get easily cleaned with common solvents.
Specifically, when water is applied to greasy substances, they act in a contrary way. For this, you will need solvents like alcohol where grease gets dissolved. But if alcohol is rare in your area, you can use nail polish remover as an alternative. Here is a guide for your convenience.
Things you need
- Nail polish remover
- Regular cloth
- A flat surface
- Thermal paste
Step 1:
Get proper clothes. Remember, the piece of cloth should be smooth; otherwise, it will create more ridges on the surface of both the sink and processor.
Step 2:
Bring out the nail polish remover. You can get them in regular stores. Place your cloth on the bottle mouth and put a little bit of nail polish remover on the fabric.
Step 3:
Slowly wipe the surface and take out all the dried grease. And also, keep the processor on a flat surface. Don’t apply too much pressure on the surface. Otherwise, you will damage the pins.
Step 4:
After cleaning all the old residue apply the new thermal paste on the surface. Don’t apply too much.
Method 2: Clean with Distilled Water and Vinegar
You can also remove the thermal paste with vinegar and water. Because of the acidity of the vinegar, it can efficiently remove greasy substances. For this section, you will need a cloth, distilled water, and some vinegar. Let’s get to the step-by-step discussion.
Things You Need Here
- Half a cup of distilled water
- Half a cup of vinegar
- Spray bottle
- Coffee filter paper
Step 1:
Take the desired amount of vinegar and distilled water in a spray bottle with 50/50 proportion and mix them properly.
Step 2:
Get a cloth or coffee filter paper that is better and spray the solution on it.
Step 3:
Then gently wipe the surface and make sure there is no paper or cloth residue on the surface of both processor and heatsink.
Follow the steps accordingly and adequately and surely you will get your problems solved
Precautions Should Not Be Missed!
Here we gave a list of safety measures and precautions for a better experience.
- Don’t use any rough medium to clean the surface.
- Don’t use alkaline substances as solvents as these are corrosive and may destroy the processor.
- Keep the processor and sink on a flat surface.
- Don’t apply too much pressure on the processor, as it will damage the pins.
- Don’t use paper like tissue paper. The tissue paper will create paper residue and cause damage to the processor.
- Don’t apply too much alcohol to the processor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I use water to clean thermal paste?
No, you can’t directly use water to clean thermal paste. Thermal paste is an oily substance. So, water won’t clean the thermal paste of your CPU.
What if you put too much thermal paste?
If you apply too much thermal paste, it will act as an insulator .i.e it will dispose of more heat and damage the components.
How often should you replace thermal paste?
One time applying can give you a go for a few years. But, if you detach the cooler, then replace the thermal paste.
Final Words
When the heat increases, the CPU gradually loses its power. Also, due to excessive heat, the processor can get damaged too. For this, heatsinks are necessary.
When the heatsink is attached to the processor, the CPU’s heat is transferred to the heat sink. The surface of the processor and heatsink is rough.
So, to fill the rough gap, we need something with a better kinetic ability to fill the gaps. Here comes thermal paste. When you apply thermal paste, the gap within the CPU and heatsink is loaded to uniform heat flow. Thermal paste also has conductive properties.
We hope you got your answer on how to clean thermal paste off CPU without alcohol. Thermal paste can single-handedly distinguish the change in efficiency within your CPU. But applying and replacing the thermal paste should be done correctly. Otherwise, it can act oppositely.
We may have missed something. We gave all the directions and a step-by-step guide on cleaning your thermal paste without alcohol. You can let us know in the forum and help the significant community. Until then, thank you for your time.
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