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Can you clean a processor with white spirit?

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Cpassimple Posted messages 3987 Status Member -  
epango Posted messages 37195 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   -

Hi, while changing the motherboard, I messed up the job and got thermal paste on the processor (Ryzen 5800x) and the socket.
Since I only have White Spirit on hand, I would like to know if I can use it with a brush or if I should just stick to plain water?
Thanks

Ryzen 3600 / AIO TDP 420Watts / b450 Tuf gaming: 32Go 3200MHz Ripjaws: 500Go Samsung 840: 11 To 7200Tpm
X300 Toshiba: RTX 3070 Phoenix: Aurus AP850GP 80+ Gold Gigabyte: Antec Nineteen Hundred

4 answers

  1.
    fabul Posted messages 42168 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   6 069
     

    Hello,

    Water is better.

    If you had had some alcohol it would have been perfect.

    2
    1. epango Posted messages 37195 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 270
       

      "Water is better"

      Are you serious?

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    2. fabul Posted messages 42168 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   6 069 > epango Posted messages 37195 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
       

      Water and elbow grease, I forgot to mention the elbow grease.

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    3. fabul Posted messages 42168 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   6 069 > fabul Posted messages 42168 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention  
       

      I don't know White Spirit, but it seems similar to mineral spirits from what I'm reading.

      In other words, it reminds me of paint thinner.

      I wouldn't use that.

      Water is "cleaner".

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    4. epango Posted messages 37195 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 270 > fabul Posted messages 42168 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention  
       

      It's a misplaced joke. The people reading you may believe they can actually clean their CPUs and motherboards with water. Which would be a disaster.

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    5. flo88 Posted messages 28492 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   5 170 > fabul Posted messages 42168 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention  
       

      Hello

      To come to an agreement, in repair labs, soapy water is widely used; it is the primary cleaning method, followed by air drying. In fact, there is hardly any iron or steel on the PCB boards, so it doesn't rust.

      1
  2. Cpassimple Posted messages 3987 Status Member 923
     

    It's true that I'm thinking about the 11-gram tube of Kryonaut, but I'm not considering alcohol in case of an accident.

    I'll gear up for next time.
    Thank you.

    Ryzen 3600 / AIO TDP 420Watts / b450 Tuf gaming : 32Go 3200MHz Ripjaws : 500Go Samsung 840 : 11 To 7200Tpm
    X300 Toshiba : RTX 3070 Phoenix : Aurus AP850GP 80+ Gold Gigabyte : Antec Nineteen Hundred

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    1. fabul Posted messages 42168 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   6 069
       

      You're welcome,

      @+

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  3. henry
     

    Hello

    It's not meant for that, but there is often alcohol in the home medicine cabinet.

    You have to be very careful not to contaminate the pharmaceutical bottle at all; the products in the PC are probably toxic, so take a little alcohol that will never be returned to the pharmacy bottle.

    Under the same name, alcohol from the pharmacy and alcohol from DIY are not exactly the same; we couldn't do the reverse, using isopropyl alcohol from DIY for medical purposes. And neither of them is drinkable; it's yet another type of alcohol that is found in beverages.

    In the toolbox, a professional also has gloves to avoid poisoning himself because he handles the products repeatedly and multiplies the doses of toxic substances.

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    1. Cpassimple Posted messages 3987 Status Member 923
       

      I bought 1 liter of isopropyl alcohol

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      1. fabul Posted messages 42168 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   6 069 > Cpassimple Posted messages 3987 Status Member
         

        Last advice, keep that very far from the fire, don't smoke...

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      2. Cpassimple Posted messages 3987 Status Member 923 > fabul Posted messages 42168 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention  
         

        Ahah! Yes, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the advice about alcohol anyway.

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    2. epango Posted messages 37195 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 270
       

      They made you incur unnecessary expenses. You could also have used the ethyl alcohol sold in supermarkets.

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      1. Cpassimple Posted messages 3987 Status Member 923 > epango Posted messages 37195 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
         

        I don't know. It is recommended to use a modified alcohol rather than pure alcohol. At most, I could replace the thermal paste with pure alcohol (without spilling on the PCB) but I have also ordered some good paste in quantity.

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  4. epango Posted messages 37195 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   Ambassadeur 4 270
     

    If you have removed the heatsink for cleaning, you will indeed need a new thermal paste.

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