Removing Thermal Paste - What's best?

[L3OUGH]

Hi all,

 

What's the best 'cloth' to use when removing thermal paste? I know the general rule is lint free, but I don't have anything lint free at home. I've got a bunch of microfibre clothes lying around, would they do the trick or not? I've also got some Akasa TIM Clean to do the actual removal of the compound.

 

Thanks

[Sagima]

I use kitchen roll (plenty) and cotton buds with ethanol (from the school chemistry dept) to clean off the gunk. I've not had an issue but i've never advised anyone to copy me either.

[pcstru]

I've never used cloth. I scrape paste off with the edge of a Stanley knife blade and then if necessary clear the final residue off with some kitchen roll dampened with Isopropyl alcohol.

[Dos_Box]

I used kitchen roll and contact cleaner to finish. Sometimes use an air duster (if I have one to hand) to blow off any potential 'dust' after.

Never had any problems.

[L3OUGH]

I'll go with kitchen roll and the TIM clean I've got! Air duster on hand for a quick blast when done before Artic Silver goes on. The new case will look awesomeee!

[difinity]

Most of the time its isopropanol alcohol applied with a cotton bud, I have recently bought some clean room wipes which are totally lint free.

Brake cleaner or MEK if the old paste is really dried on.

[dry]

Cotton swabs from CPC (sorry can't find link at the moment) and isopropyl alcohol here.

 

The swabs are handy as they've on a long wooden stick which makes it easier to reach into difficult to get to CPU locations.