Can i use cleaning alcohol 90% to remove thermal paste on the cpu?

Do i need to buy Arctic Silver cleaner to clean off the thermal paste of the cpu? Can i remove it with a cleaning alcohol or even antistatic cleaner?

2 Answers

Regular 'rubbing' alcohol, often shown as 71% or less, doesn't remove thermal paste very well, it also contains other items, such as water, which could cause corrosion if not completely cleaned up.

Rubbing alcohol designated 90% or higher can be used.

Like @cody-gray I use isopropanol, mine is 99%.

As long as there isn't a significant amount of water content in the alcohol, you can use it. Although, it is preferable to use the highest percentage that you can get your hands on.