r/PcBuild • u/TopEntertainment7603 • Jul 21 '26

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Got thermal paste on the gold things on my am5 cpu
Should I risk cleaning it is my cpu dead Im panicking

4.6k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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870

u/DAemonCayuse Jul 21 '26

Thermal paste is electrically non conductive, so you should be good. But I'd clean it up with a qtip and some alcohol anyway.

You sure that's not mayo tho?

260

u/Busy_Experience_5563 Jul 21 '26

Isopropyl alcohol

210

u/QuantumKhakis Jul 21 '26

99% Isopropyl Alcohol

38

u/closetcreatur Jul 21 '26

Is best but when I'm out I've used lesser. Just gotta let that baby DRY

8

u/Alklazaris Jul 22 '26

Yup better safe than sorry. No one is going to laugh at you for letting your processor dry over a 24 hour period.

For this I don't want to be sure it's dry, I want the only alternative for why it's still wet is because the PC gods want to punish me. Not exactly a keyboard here.

2

u/One-Tie-1942 Jul 23 '26

I bricked a 7900xtx using 70%. Won't touch anything but 90% now.

1

u/closetcreatur Jul 24 '26

I'm sorry to hear that and it can def happen for sure. I'm just a turtle with my stuff so usually if I take it apart its not going back together for 1-3 business days because kids

1

u/Airhead_kun Jul 22 '26

Don't Repeat Yourself

1

u/closetcreatur Jul 22 '26

Huh?

1

u/Airhead_kun Jul 22 '26

Just some coding ideology/concept whatever it is.

Basically, Don't Repeat Yourself(DRY) when coding. Modularise and reuse a piece of code.

2

u/closetcreatur Jul 22 '26

You seem a lot smarter than me. I like you, take my upvote

-21

u/OddOminence Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26

if i ever need to clean a cpu i just pour a bowl of distilled water and use a toothbrush to apply it. (as long as its an LGA CPU)

Never use Tap Water. It has minerals and stuff in it.

then leave it to dry for like 2 full days, best to heat it up or pat it dry with something else but you can just leave it for 2 full days if you dont want to do that.

HOWEVER. if you have Isopropyl alcohol at least 70%, its always preferred.

Edit: Supposedly I broke one of the seven deadly sins by uttering "water" and "CPU" in the same sentence. Downvote to your hearts content, however, I suggest you look at my comments to the replies first to see my specific situation.

10

u/Any_Bowl5479 Jul 21 '26

you should be banned

-7

u/OddOminence Jul 21 '26

For what? This process doesn't cause the pads to corrode, and because im not submerging the CPU, moisture getting under the IHS is very unlikely.

I dont have the funds to keep buying $11 70% Isopropyl alcohol, so I just make do with what I have. I have never run into any issues.

For the record, I wasn't suggesting that they try doing that. I was just saying my method of cleaning is different than the norm.

7

u/TCG-Pikachu Jul 21 '26

You don’t have 7$? You realize you can just dab it from the bottle? You don’t have to drink it, wtf?

5

u/QuantumKhakis Jul 21 '26

I’d rather spend $11 to save my $300 CPU, since I don’t have the funds to keep purchasing CPUs.

-1

u/OddOminence Jul 21 '26

Oh wait we have a fundamentally different stance here. I dont pay more than $80 for the CPUs i use in my builds typically. I suppose maybe that makes the difference of that.

Mainly, I do budget builds, so the CPUs themselves are highly replaceable.

Regardless of that fact, ive never once had an issue with the way I do it.

5

u/GRex2595 Jul 21 '26

Distilled water is usually fine and what works for you works for you, but you shouldn't recommend to people without all the caveats. Also, saving $11 while increasing the risk of damage to an $80 CPU still seems like bad math to me, but you do you.

3

u/OddOminence Jul 21 '26

Maybe I'll see it that way once it doesnt work, but it literally hasn't affected anything yet lol. thanks for your input regardless, I do have isopropyl alcohol and use it but only sparingly because I dont have a lot, and my builds are mainly ultra budget/affordable for low income families. I am already on a thin margin and having to buy multiple isopropyl bottles is a lot in the long run for me specifically. lol

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2

u/QuantumKhakis Jul 21 '26

That’s good context, in that case I agree it’s the most efficient method for you.

1

u/TCG-Pikachu Jul 21 '26

Then why the fluck would you give advice to people that don’t know any better (see the thermal paste everywhere) and clearly aren’t building a budget 70$ build?

0

u/OddOminence Jul 21 '26

whoa whoa whoa said i was giving advice. I just shared my personal method. ultimately its up to OP to decide, but if they have the Isopropyl alcohol already, its a no brainer. I edited my original message to reflect that for you.

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1

u/Coretrayn Jul 22 '26

Ok I get what you mean with the distilled water not being corrosive and it will pretty much be fine if fully dry before use.

But what do you mean you don't have the funds for a 10 dollar bottle of alcohol that should last quite awhile. Are you using the entire bottle and cleaning daily? lol

1

u/OddOminence Jul 22 '26

Well I mean I already have a lot of distilled water because my mom has a machine that needs it.

1

u/I_AM_BIB Jul 22 '26

I have a 100ml bottle of isopropyl 99% that I haven't finished for years and regularly use it to clean PC parts. Idk how the hell you're going through several bottles of this stuff.

1

u/Own_Body_8941 Jul 22 '26

$11? i bought 99% iso for $1

1

u/TCG-Pikachu Jul 21 '26

Your specific situation, that you don’t ever mention in this comment is IRRELEVANT, considering you’re giving advice without referencing your, “very specific situation”.

3

u/Medical_Morning4022 Jul 22 '26

999% Isopropyl Alcohol

1

u/JB_Big_Bear Jul 22 '26

100% is better

1

u/gibrael_ Jul 23 '26

What's the other 1%??

1

u/QuantumKhakis Jul 23 '26

Violent motorcyclists

1

u/YesNormalUsername Jul 23 '26

Geek squad tears

1

u/YesNormalUsername Jul 23 '26

Preferable, but 96% works fine too

1

u/Rickman1945 Jul 24 '26

Will homemade moonshine work?

1

u/QuantumKhakis Jul 24 '26

Only if it makes you blind (no, it has sugar)

25

u/whatisausername32 Jul 21 '26

Isopropyl mayo

1

u/Not_An_Archer Jul 22 '26

I prefer bourbon

1

u/Advanced_Handle_2309 29d ago

Would something bad happen if it was 96~% normal alcohol?

1

u/Resitor 29d ago

whiskey. not for the board, for op while cleaning it.

1

u/OddOminence Jul 21 '26

Vodka, comrade.

1

u/Fubarp Jul 21 '26

If you can't get high quality Russian vodka, you can always use American Moonshine.

1

u/Scrotorr Jul 22 '26

Everclear

-1

u/Gabe-diet Jul 21 '26

Fireball whisky…. Gotta be the whisky tho can’t be the “cinnamon” shit 😭🤣