Soaking a CPU ...

[PerlAddict]

Hey guys. I just got back from the auto store and pharmacy, and here's what I picked up: 3M Imperial Wet/Dry 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, & 2000 grit paper, and 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.

I went to three pharmacies before I found 91%. I asked the pharmacist at CVS if they had any 100% or 99% Isopropyl (I wasn't sure if such a thing as 100% Isopropyl even existed), and he told me the highest he'd ever heard of was 91%. I said I knew 99% was made, and he said never in his life had he heard of such a thing. About that time his assistant was typing away, and she cut him off and said, "Oh yes, they do make it. See, it's right here. But we don't carry it." I just smiled and said thanks - guess someone should have paid a little more attention in pharmacy school.

Anywho, I bought all this to attempt my first lapping of a heatsink(first my SP-97, then my VGA Silencer), but (and here's why this thread is posted here ... sorry for the prolonged getting to the point) I need to clean off my CPU ... it has a bunch of green gunk from whatever its previous owner used as a thermal paste between the die and the heatsink. Is 91% a safe solution to clean the CPU? Can I actually submerse the entire chip into the alcohol? And, while I won't be installing this chip for another 48 hours, most likley, what is a good general time to let it sit and dry before you would consider it safe to install? 24 hours?

Thanks for all the help. As soon as my BH5 gets here, I'm gonna be rearing to go.

- Dave

 

[larva]

If I have stuff on a cpu that won't wipe off with a dry cloth I use goo gone or W40 to melt the crap and then go over it with rubbing alcohol to remove the solvent residue (of whatever percentage). And although it is feasible for microscopic portions of residue to remain, trust me, the effect of this is essentially unmeasureable.

 

[racpuc]

I wouldnt dunk the entire cpu in any solution. Not sure if htey made the cpus to be water proof. Just clean the cpu die and the bridges.

 

[Cerberus2k7]

I soaked mine in 70% and it was just fine.

 

[itshondo]

clean it off with residue free Automotive brake cleaner- that's what Artic Silver recommends. I guantee that it will dissolve any oil based elements, leaving your heatsink clean.

 

[Dukemurmur]

Yep Brake cleaner is what i have used. It works MUCH better then Isopropyl of any %. It will melt the junk away. Then just wipe it off and if u feel so inclined then u can clean it after with Isopropyl if u would like. It isn't needed though to clean with the Isopropyl. U could soak it just give it PLENTY of drying time in a warmer then room temp spot so it will dry faster.

 

[Oni]

I wouldn't dunk it, but give it a good wipe down, being liberal w/ the alcohol shouldn't be a problem. Just let it dry off completely first.

 

[JigPu]

Another Brake Cleaner suggestion for the REALLY bad gunk I used to use Carb Cleaner, but the dudes at AS say that it'll leave residue but brake cleaner dosen't. Since I've got both, I just switched Just spray a little on a paper towel, and wipe your core clean.

It may be safe to soak the CPU, but I don't think you'll really need to. Even if you don't have any brake cleaner, 91% works quite well most of the time and should get rid of the nasties.

JigPu

 

[Nephewkp]

I didn't know that procs could swim.

 

[Cerberus2k7]

I didn't know that procs could swim.

AHAHAHAHA....HaHaha...haha....ha...no.

 

[Krowa 02]

Just lick it off, you get really dizzy for a few seconds but it goes away.... I think

I also suggest brake cleaner, stuff destroys anything in its way.

 

[MRD]

Any non polar solven should work. We used to use hexane in organic chemistry lab to clean non polar stuff. Alcohol is less polar than water, but a lot more polar than hexane.

Alcohol can still oxidize things. (-OH is the functional group, so it can provide oxygen, potentially damaging a cpu if it is in contact for a long time.) It's probably ok to dunk it, but I wouldn't soak it, and I'd make sure that it dries THOROUGHLY before putting back in the board.

I'm really not sure though, I'm not sure I'd chance it.

 

[PerlAddict]

Thanks guy. I'll take that brake cleaner fluid advice and run with it.

And for the record, when I said soaking, I wasn't thinking of actually dunking a chip and leaving it in the solution (or actually dunking it at all, really), I was just curious if it WOULD be safe in general. I like to ask questions that I have no real intention of acting on, just for my own personal knowledge.

 

[Sentential]

LOL!...... We OCers are the only bunch of pplz I have ever been around that spend as much time on their Computers as they do in Car/Home improvement stores!

 

[Steven4563]

AHAHAHAHA....HaHaha...haha....ha...no.

haha yes y make a post like that

 

[Avg]

It doesn't stop at overlocking the computer, everything has to be overclocked from your little hamster to your v8 in the garage. by the way my hamster is up to 20 sps(spins per second) on his volcano 12 wheel.

 

[Quailane]

My cpu has accidentally been soaked in some sort of oil when the hsf's bearings broke. It changed the color of the plastic holding the pins on the bottom to white. I dunked it in alchohol solution to clean the whole chip, but the color of the plastic is still white.

 

[OC Noob]

You should beable to dunk any component in whatever, so long as its not plugged in and the whatever is completely gone before you do plug it in.

Although, I haven't dunked I have poured about a liter of Alcohol over a CPU, dried and used it. Isopropyl alcohol dries rather quickly and given 12 hours to dry the chip was fine.

I'd say its water proof, but you don't want water under the HS, that could be tough to completely dry and then you've got trouble. Alcohol on the other hand isn't a big deal.

 

[CandymanCan]

Iv dunked my cpu's in Rubbing alchohol many times just let it dry for a few hours and double sheck it, it should be fine., And yes cpu's are basicly waterpoof, to keep the dust outa them.

 

[Dukemurmur]

Yeah hell u could soak it in water if u felt the need just give it a VERY long time to fry just in case. Also hotter then room temps help