Serious question, what's your go-to method for cleaning old thermal paste off a CPU?

I used a tiny bit of 91% isopropyl on a coffee filter yesterday and it worked way better than the old cotton swab trick. Anyone got a better tool for those really stubborn spots around the edges?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora_wells581mo ago

Yeah the coffee filter is a solid move, doesn't leave any lint behind. For the really caked-on stuff at the edges, I keep a plastic spudger from an old phone repair kit. Lets you gently scrape without any risk of scratching the IHS like a metal tool could. Just a tiny bit more alcohol on a corner of it and those stubborn bits come right off.

mia_fox981mo ago

But like, is all that extra stuff even needed? Just wipe it off.