How do I remove thermal paste from AIO cooler?

[Yoshiii335]

Hello,

I have a Kraken Z73 and while install the AIO cooler onto the cpu, I accidentally rubbed off some of the thermal paste that comes pre installed on the AIO cooler.

How do I remove it so I can just apply thermal paste onto the cpu as normal?

Do I even need to remove the thermal paste from the aio cooler, is there enough on it to still use it?

 

[P4-630]

Clean it with a tissue and apply new TIM on it.

 

[Yoshiii335]

Clean it with a tissue and apply new TIM on it.

I do not need to use alcohol ?

 

[P4-630]

I do not need to use alcohol ?

If you have it.

 

[Yoshiii335]

If you have it.

Only have 51 percent

 

[maxx2575]

Only have 51 percent

I mean that's fine it'll just take longer to dry

 

[P4-630]

Only have 51 percent

I may have done it without then, only with tissue.
I'd say it doesn't matter much.. But ok..

 

[ir_cow]

Lick it off

Don't actually do that. Alcohol will take it right off. 70-90% will work.

 

[P4-630]

Lick it off

 

[freeagent]

Lick it off

Don't actually do that. Alcohol will take it right off. 70-90% will work.

Looks thick and dry, might have to scrape it with a tooth like scraping cheese off of the burger wrapper.

Lower percentage alcohol might leave some residue behind, you can just wipe it away.

 

[Yoshiii335]

Lick it off

Don't actually do that. Alcohol will take it right off. 70-90% will work.

I got it off of the aio cold plate with just a tissue, doesn't appear anything is left, should I wipe it down with alcohol just to supply clean? I only 51 percent

Looks thick and dry, might have to scrape it with a tooth like scraping cheese off of the burger wrapper.

Lower percentage alcohol might leave some residue behind, you can just wipe it away.

It was "wet" I had just pulled off the plastic backing when I accidentally touched it .

 

[ShiBDiB]

Not a big deal, just use a tissue to get what you can off. Alcohol will help but isn't required.

 

[Yoshiii335]

Thanks everyone

 

[Space Lynx]

Not a big deal, just use a tissue to get what you can off. Alcohol will help but isn't required.

You aren't supposed to use tissue or paper towel to remove thermal paste, it is recommended by professionals that you use coffee filters, as they leave no residue like other materials.

 

[ShiBDiB]

You aren't supposed to use tissue or paper towel to remove thermal paste, it is recommended by professionals that you use coffee filters, as they leave no residue like other materials.

And I'm sure building your computer in a clean room would be ideal as well. A tissue is fine.

 

[Space Lynx]

And I'm sure building your computer in a clean room would be ideal as well. A tissue is fine.

I use paper towel sometimes, and sometimes I use coffee filters, I can't tell the difference either. I was just sharing what I read lol

 

[Morgoth]

you can even use blue spirit thats 85% alcohol

 

[P4-630]

I have used window cleaner in the past....

 

[freeagent]

You aren't supposed to use tissue or paper towel to remove thermal paste, it is recommended by professionals that you use coffee filters, as they leave no residue like other materials.

But we are professionals, I use TP all the time lol. The key is moistness so it doesn’t give off any particulates

 

[cvaldes]

You aren't supposed to use tissue or paper towel to remove thermal paste, it is recommended by professionals that you use coffee filters, as they leave no residue like other materials.

There's usually a difference between "what works" and "best industry practices."

Many people in tech forums (not just here at TPU) don't seem to understand that the rest of the world aren't running their own PC repair shops or aren't IT staffers.

You see a lot of these weird "best practices" blinders in discussions on cooling and UPSes. People recommending crazily overspecced PSUs for consumer-grade builds, expensive and overspecced UPSes, bizarre cooling recommendations, etc.

Weirdly, it's only PC people who do this. If you go to a cooking forum, it's not like forum commenters are telling you how Procedure A is done in Michelin 3-star restaurant kitchens.

Anyhow OP can use 51% rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. That might not be what someone running a PC repair shop would do but it's okay for Joe Consumer.

 

[Bones]

I just use a straightup paper towel, no alcohol or anything of that sort.
Doesn't matter if it's lidded or not, that what I've always done without a single problem about it and that's from 20+ years of doing this.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yeah dry wipes for the bulk then lastly 91% alcohol to get residue off both surfaces.

Seeing I might be using different paste.

 

[maxfly]

Old wash cloth or t-shirt. I'm stingy with paper products.

 

[basco]

no joke toilet paper if it´s fresh, and if its´hard and old yes then i use my girlfriends nail polisher or (better) isopropanol.

but it´s like everyday life like you get for example watercooling stuff at every hardware store but you can if ya want go to a pc shop and pay more for special watercooling hardware that´s exactly the same but special ya know what i mean

 

[ir_cow]

I've used everything as well. t-shirts, toilet paper and water, fingers, credit cards. The best is Alcohol because it comes off in one wipe.