Where do you buy 99% pure rubbing alcohol?

[zlooop]

I found one site online and im pretty sure my local CVS does not sell this stuff. Do hobby shops sell it ?
Would denatured alcohol work as well?


Thanks

I dont think I need this much.

lol

 

[Nebor]

It's really not that important. 91% or 60% alchohol will work just fine.

99% alchohol is for those people cleaning their CPUs before they "burn in." :roll: (Meaning that it's not necessary, it's just an eccentricity of the overclocking community.)

 

[Lonyo]

I bought mine (in the UK) at a chemists/pharmacy place, not sure what %, but probably 70% or more isopropyl alcohol, and it's worked fine for 3 CPU's so far.

 

[drag]

If your worried about it use something like everclear. Highest legal proof and is grain alchohol.

People use it for cleaning stuff like high quality optical glass lenses and such since it won't leave any residue. Usefull stuff to have around: mix drinks, paint thinner, anti-freeze, cleaner, sovlent. Whatever.

Never used it myself. Usually I just wipe with a dry soft cloth. Rubbing alchohol sometimes. But if it's purity you want you can't beat 190 proof. Nearly 100% alchohol (95% actually). Some states the highest legally is 151 proof though.

 

[Vagrant]

photo copier cleaning fluid! and you can drink the left overs mixed with orange juice at about 30/70 ratio. Works great.

Another useful skill learned while working in Saudi.

 

[CaptainFizz]

You can get Akasa TIM Cleaner which does a far better job of cleaning the old gunk off.

OcUK Sell it amongst others.

I've used it for... Um... Lots of CPU's and it's perfect.

 

[JBT]

You can get 91% stuff at Walmart I got mine there it works great.

 

[chocoruacal]

ROTFL...dude...good 'ole Wal Mart/Walgreens/Rite Aid/Whatever rubbing alcohol will do just fine. Better yet, just wipe it off with a napkin and don't put so much on next time. You just need a THIN layer, not enough that you're covering the entire chip edge to edge!

 

[Kenazo]

Originally posted by: drag
If your worried about it use something like everclear. Highest legal proof and is grain alchohol.

People use it for cleaning stuff like high quality optical glass lenses and such since it won't leave any residue. Usefull stuff to have around: mix drinks, paint thinner, anti-freeze, cleaner, sovlent. Whatever.

Never used it myself. Usually I just wipe with a dry soft cloth. Rubbing alchohol sometimes. But if it's purity you want you can't beat 190 proof. Nearly 100% alchohol (95% actually). Some states the highest legally is 151 proof though.

Keep in mind this is ethyl alcohol, while rubbing alcohol is Isopropyl, it's chemically completely different, though should work just as well for cleaning CPU's. DON'T TRY DRINKING RUBBING ALCOHOL!!

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: drag
If your worried about it use something like everclear. Highest legal proof and is grain alchohol.

People use it for cleaning stuff like high quality optical glass lenses and such since it won't leave any residue. Usefull stuff to have around: mix drinks, paint thinner, anti-freeze, cleaner, sovlent. Whatever.

Never used it myself. Usually I just wipe with a dry soft cloth. Rubbing alchohol sometimes. But if it's purity you want you can't beat 190 proof. Nearly 100% alchohol (95% actually). Some states the highest legally is 151 proof though.

They sell some Polish 192 proof stuff at the store I work at.

 

[Navid]

I get mine from Eckerd. It may be 90%. They also have 70%. I had to look for 90%.
Yes, 100% would be great. But, that is what you can find easily. As long as the remaining 10% is pure water, which I think is the case, there should be no problem. That is true with 70% also.
It will evaporate. What you don't want to have there is any kind of oil.

 

[PhoenixOrion]

Originally posted by: chocoruacal
ROTFL...dude...good 'ole Wal Mart/Walgreens/Rite Aid/Whatever rubbing alcohol will do just fine. Better yet, just wipe it off with a napkin and don't put so much on next time. You just need a THIN layer, not enough that you're covering the entire chip edge to edge!

And if you look at arctic silver site, they just recommend one drop on the center of the plate where the actual heat from the core propagates from.

 

[Pandamonium]

If you dig around the AS site, I think they say that 99% isn't necessary. (Actually, it might be a google link to someone testifying that an AS rep said this)

Anyway, it's generally best to get as pure a sample as possible to work with, but if you can't find 99%, it's not that big a deal. I've only ever used 91% myself. Most pharmacies will let you special order 99% isopropyl though.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: zlooop
I found one site online and im pretty sure my local CVS does not sell this stuff. Do hobby shops sell it ?
Would denatured alcohol work as well?


Thanks

I dont think I need this much.

lol

Ask behind the counter at the pharmacy. They don't put it out on the shelves for some reason.

 

[WobbleWobble]

The pharmacies I've seen only put 70% on the shelves. You'll have to ask the pharmacist for anything high like 99%. You don't need any special prescription or anything either

 

[JavaMomma]

I had no alcohol around the house, so i just used nail polish remover. Seemed to work fine, the old Artic Silver came off real easy.

 

[trexpesto]

Safeway.

 

[cw42]

i've been using 70% and everything is fine.

 

[splice]

At a consumer level it's not likely you'll get 99% since anything above ~97% will absorb water from the air.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Denatured is fine. I personally like to use acetone (pure, NOT nail polish remover) and follow with a denatured alcohol rinse.

 

[Pollock]

You probably shouldn't worry about it if you already have some ~70% around the house, as it will work just fine.

 

[McMadman]

As others have said 91% or 70% are fine - and you can pick either up from CVS without any issue (for me the bottles were right next to each other), around $2 for a 32oz bottle.

 

[SneakyStuff]

I use the 90% stuff, got it at Target for like 99 cents

 

[Cawchy87]

i use 70% and it gets it squeaky clean (literally)

 

[Krk3561]

get goof-off, you can find it at any hardware store, its really good