I was trying to clean some stubborn thermal paste and, while removing my CPU from the motherboard, I accidentally smeared a tiny bit on the underside of the AMD 7 CPU with my cloth. I felt pretty foolish afterward! What's the best way to clean it up without causing damage?
6 Answers
I had a similar accident! I just dipped a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and gently cleaned it off. That should do the trick.
Use some 99% isopropyl alcohol to clean it up. Don't stress too much; thermal paste isn’t conductive, so it shouldn't cause any issues if you're careful!
No worries! I remember a tech reviewer using nonconductive thermal paste on the underside of a CPU, and it worked fine. Just make sure to clean the copper contacts well. Just take your time and you’ll be fine.
Grab the highest concentration of isopropyl alcohol you can find and a soft toothbrush or a toothpick. I had a worse situation with mine, and as long as you're gentle and patient, you should be all good!
Would a cotton swab be too harsh for this?
You're all set! As long as the contacts are clear and making a good connection, a little mess won't matter. Just clean up the copper tips nicely.
Use a kids' toothbrush (extra soft) with some iso alcohol. Even if there's some left, it should be fine!
Good to know! I was worried about that. Is Arctic Silver also not conductive?