Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question
Solved

So I've made a mistake and now I'm not sure what to do

Tags:
  • Motherboards
  • Thermal Compound
  • newbie
  • first build
Last response: in Motherboards
Share
January 9, 2014 1:35:55 PM

I've read a series of posts regarding thermal paste but I had a question regarding the motherboard socket.

I made a real mess of my first installation of a Coolmaster 212 and put enough paste on my cpu that it oozed under the processor. I began the clean up procedures described in the various forum posts (rubbing alcohol, tissues, Q-tips, needles, paper towels, soft bristle toothbrush) and I got the processor completely clean (got it all off the pins). As I was cleaning the socket, I see that there was paste in a few of the holes. I slowly worked on removing as much as I could, but i clearly see residue in the holes no matter how i scrape with a needle or blot at it I can't seem to get it all out. So now I'm trying to decide if i should go forward with the reapplication of a pea size of paste and continue with my build or try and RMA the motherboard and processor and start from scratch (Im assuming NEWEGG will accept my return).

Any opinions?

Yes I know how many times people pose the questions regarding thermal paste, but I haven't seen any clear description of how dangerous it is to the system if there is any residue left behind (I couldn't find any product info that tells me if the paste is conductive).


More about : made mistake

a b V Motherboard
January 9, 2014 1:40:09 PM

As soon as you put thermal paste on the CPU you owned it 100%, if they see anything like that on it they will not return it.
m
0
l
a c 559 V Motherboard
January 9, 2014 1:43:21 PM

From http://www.arcticsilver.com/as5.htm
Not Electrically Conductive:
Arctic Silver 5 was formulated to conduct heat, not electricity.
(While much safer than electrically conductive silver and copper greases, Arctic Silver 5 should be kept away from electrical traces, pins, and leads. While it is not electrically conductive, the compound is very slightly capacitive and could potentially cause problems if it bridges two close-proximity electrical paths.)
So, it depends on what paste you've used, how well you've cleaned it a.s.o.
The system might or might not work.
You can assemble it and test or just RMA the board and CPU.
m
0
l
Related resources
a c 76 V Motherboard
January 9, 2014 1:43:40 PM

didn't the 212 come with stuff on it?........... when I put paste on I put a small dab or so and spread it extremely thin with my finger ( people will cringe... get over it) over the entire cpu. then I install my heat sink................ i only do this if the heat sink did NOT already come with goop on it or if i wanted to use my own and cleaned the pre applied off.

what kind of paste did you use?

when you cleaned it up............. are the sockets as clean as you can get them and are the sockets dry of any liquid you may have used?........

only other options are to rebuild and hope for the best or buy a new motherboard.
m
0
l

Best solution

a b V Motherboard
January 9, 2014 1:47:53 PM

Yeah, unfortunately you're going to be pretty much SOL. They will check the motherboard for things like that.

I suggest you just keep going forward and see if it works. It shouldn't damage the system unless you had that awful liquid metal that's horribly conductive AND corrosive... but it might cause some issues. If the system boots fine, you're golden, if it doesn't, you might need to figure out how to clean that better / get a new motherboard.
Share
a c 150 V Motherboard
January 9, 2014 1:54:30 PM

Pea-sized is way too much; you want not much more than a grain of rice, or round like half a lentil.
You could try irrigating the socket with the alcohol (I'm assuming you're using the 91% stuff; 70% has too much water in it). After you've done that, you'll still need to blot it well AND let it sit for a good half an hour to dry.
m
0
l
January 10, 2014 4:12:56 AM

Thank you so much for your patience and advice.

The paste was the little tube from cooler master that came with it (hyper 212 evo). Im still working the sockets as much as i can but I'm not sure ill be able to remove every trace from the sockets. Just wondering what I'm risking by putting the system together and if its worth the risk or should i shell out the money for a new motherboard and not risk it
m
0
l
a b V Motherboard
January 10, 2014 12:07:29 PM

You aren't risking anything - thermal paste isn't electrically conductive, so at the very worst, the computer wouldn't boot, and after making sure it wasn't from some other reason, you would have to take out the motherboard, remove the CPU, clean off its pins very carefully, and get a new motherboard.
m
0
l
a c 76 V Motherboard
January 10, 2014 2:21:25 PM

i'd like to know how you got paste in the socket holes and on the pins.............. you don't put paste on until you lock the cpu into place.
m
0
l
January 10, 2014 2:30:11 PM

when it oozed out it ran down the side of the processor and got under into the first row of pins.
m
0
l
January 10, 2014 11:48:08 PM

You need to try it. Only a small chance you will have any problem imo.
m
0
l
!