Arctic Silver Arcticlean Thermal Cooling Material Remover and Surface Purifier (ACN-60ML)

This stuff is awesome! I recently built a new PC, and it came with a bunch of headaches along the way. I don't want to bore you with all the details, so to make a long story short, I had to put on and take off my liquid CPU cooler several times, I'm talking like 4-6 times due to a number of manufacturers issues. A bad mobo, a stripped screw, bent CPU socket pins, the list just goes on and on. Anyways, these two little bottles were incredible. I ran the computer initially for a couple months before having to use them for the first time, and it did an EXCELLENT job cleaning both the CPU cooler, and the CPU itself. You use one bottle to get most of the gunk off *gunk is the technical term*, and then the second bottle to really sterilize it, and get it ready for the next application. I used just standard tissue paper, aka Kleenex, to wipe off the sealant. I'd probably go through 2-4 pieces before I was able to get it completely spotless, and that takes maybe 6 drops of the cleaner, and maybe 2 of the sanitizer.. So these two bottles alone will last me for a very long time. And again, I've had to already use it about 4-6 times. Anyway, to sum things up, do yourself a favor, get these bottles, and rest assured knowing that its going to do the job, and do it well!

The remover finally tan out so I reordered.

Any one who has built computers or upgraded them knows that having a CPU that is cleaned properly is very important.To keep the CPU clean is to allow the heat to flow from the processor to the heat sink and out the computer. This is basiccomputer stuff.These two step cleaning solutions get the job well done every time. It also keeps the CPU looking like it just cameout of the box. As you look at each of the bottles, it is carefully labeled as to which one you need to use first and last.The bottles also label directions on how to clean the CPU. In the end, it does a great job in doing what it is labeled to do and once i need to buy more i will do so with this CPU cleaning kit. Even though I give this 5 stars, here are the Pro's and Con's:Pro's= Bottles come well packaged to avoid any spilling.Bottles have been labeled to show instructions and what goes first.Both of the solutions clean and purify the CPU for good health.Con's= Squeezing the bottles to get the solution out is very hard.

I was able to find the MSDS on this product and would like to note that the composition of step 1 is primarily Limonene, which is non-electrically conductive. It works well to remove TIM, but has a rather high boiling point (176 C) so it will evaporate very slowly. Step 2 is >90% water which was really frustrating to find out. I will not be using step 2 ever again. I used 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes to clean up the left over limonene instead.Normally I would just use >90% isopropyl alcohol but it is out of stock everywhere due to COVID19. Step 1 definitely works better than isopropyl alcohol due to the fact that is takes longer to evaporate so it has more time to penetrate the TIM, especially if it is a bit dried out.

You can use alcohol to clean thermal paste but it doesn't do the job quite like artic clean. Give it a few drop to cover the entire surface and leave it on for a few minute, the old paste should loosening up and you can wipe it off like butter. You will probably have to do it a few time, then once there isn't anymore paste stain on the cloth or paper towel that you wipe with, time to give it a few drop of surface purifer and wipe it clean, then apply your new thermal paste and you know you will have nothing old but new paste for your chip.

Bought a used computer with liquid cooling and a year later upgraded the mobo, which required me to get a new processor. I was able to reuse the water block with the new chip. I'm not sure I really needed to use these fluids, but for such a small price it seemed like good insurance. Fluid #1 cleaned the thermal paste off the old chip and water block that has been there for at least 7 years. All I did was scrape off the bulk of it and then clean it. Fluid #2 removed any residue. Both fluids worked as designed on the chip and the water block, and now I have been inaugurated into the world of liquid cooling and DIY PC building. It wasn't nearly as scary as I had imagined.

Before using Arcticlean, I had never removed thermal paste, and I bought it so I could use it when I built my first computer.It is so easy to get thermal paste off of a heatsink, I just put a few drops of bottle one, gently wiped with a microfiber cloth, and most of the thermal compound was gone. Sometimes, I had to put another few drops on and wipe again, but most of the time once was enough. I would then put a few drops of the second bottle, and it would prepare the surface for applying thermal paste, leaving the copper base of my heatsink nice and shiny.Using Arcticlean helped shave nearly 10 degrees off of my CPU temperature, which is great. Plus, it has a nice lemony smell. 

You can use alcohol to clean thermal paste off your processor. I was skeptical of this at first, but after 5 seconds of letting a few drops soak onto my crusty, dry thermal paste, it worked like a charm and my CPU was clean as the day I got it. Do let it soak for a few seconds and reapply a drop where needed; it can run over the edges to get on the board and you want to avoid that. In all, I'm very happy with this product. I have no idea what the "surface preparer" blue thing is, but I used it as directed and nothing exploded, so no stars lost I guess.