Elfunko

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If it gets in the cpu socket (the holes for CPU) is there a way to clean it? Am I screwed?

Also, same for the CPU legs (things that go in socket)?<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Elfunko on 03/19/03 06:16 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
 

marina07

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uh... never happened to me before, but I'm willing to bet you're screwed. It's proabably pretty impossible to completely clean out the socket holes without damaging the connections. Hope you bought a retail processor and can RMA your mobo.....

And if you decide to clean it make sure that you don't have any nice expensive periperal cards plugged in or a whole lot of expensive ram, in the worst case they might get fried if funny stuff starts happening with the CPU. Personally though, I wouldn't risk it.
 

LumberJack

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yeah that could be a problem but not necessarily... depends if any pins are shorted...

To err is human... to really screw things up you need a computer!
 

jam3

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Some of the liquid cooling systems actually require you to grease the pins to preven condensation. You're probably just fine if it boots:)
 

mjjohn

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If you are worried the pins are shorted from the paste clean the socket.

You could use a can of contact cleaner and spray it out good. This would not be my first choice though. I have found that contact cleaners will destroy some plastics. It seems to be mostly the molded termalpastic type stuff - it crumbles. Some other plastics get kind of gooey.

My first choice would be to remove everything from the MB, including the battery, spray it down with a good cleaner - 409, Fantastic, even a laundry pre-spray as in Shout. Let it soak a bit and then rinse in the sink. You can also wash the CPU if you feel the need.

Now, LET IT DRY WELL ! After it drip dries, face down or on edge, for several hours take some canned air to all the sockets and blow out well. Don't forget to blow out around the BIOS chip and battery socket. Don't use the canned air right away. It is cold out of the can and will freeze the water on the board not dry it. The canned air is used mostly to displace the water so it will air-dry better.

Put the board somewhere warm, go have a beer and something to eat. Get a good nights sleep. When you wake up your nice squeaky-clean motherboard should be ready to go back in.



For it is not what is seen, but what is not seen. :eek:
 

ZeuSueZ

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I know it's a little OT - but how the h*** did you get the coolingpaste there?

Real men don't do backup...
...real men cry ALOT!

Linux RoxX
 

LumberJack

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Whatever chemicals you use be very carefull, some stuff can remove the protective coating on the PCB... do your research on whatever you use.

To err is human... to really screw things up you need a computer!
 

Elfunko

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Too much paste to begin with. So when I take chip out it swing around like a gymnist onto CPU pins (like 10 pins) and a chumk flew off covering CPU Pin Holes....long story short I'm going to try and exchange this mobo. The CPU I'm cleaning with Q-tips and rubbing alchohol, gonna have to bens pins to clean then bend back to normal. God I hope those pins are really elastic (wont break off).
 

Crashman

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I hope the place you try to RMA it to charges you for returning it to you. People like you drive up prices.

Anyway you can clean it any number of ways, I'd probably use warm water and dishwashing detergent, it will be fine after drying for about a day. Use and old toothbrush to scrub the pins clean.

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>
 

mjjohn

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And, how do you RMA something like that ? I would like to be able to listen in on the phone call.

'Oh, well, someone must have packed the cpu socket full of paste before it was boxed at the factory'

But yes, a little soap and water won't hurt a thing - as long as it is left to dry.

And what is this about "bending the cpu pins over to clean them" ?????!!!!!!!!!!! (the other half of the RMA phone call) 'and when I tried to put the cpu in the socket the pins bent against some of the dried paste in there. I tried to bend them back but they broke off.'

I hope he was kidding.

Water, soap, and a soft toothbrush !!!

I think I might like to sit at a 'help desk' or 'RMA desk' for a day. Some of the calls must be fantastic.

Anyway, lets wish him luck.

For it is not what is seen, but what is not seen. :eek:
 

tombance

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As Jam3 already sead, it wont make any difference, why dont you try booting it? Even if it didnt work it wouldnt blow anything up, thermal paste wouldnt have the conductivity to carry enough current to do that. Dont RMA it, thats pointless.

<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=5467618 " target="_new">Almost Breaking 12k!!</A>
 

tombance

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Look at this:

<A HREF="http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20030224/asetek_vapochill-01.html" target="_new">http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20030224/asetek_vapochill-01.html</A>

As you can see even THG covered the underside of their processor (it clearly shorts several pins) without any damage at all.

<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=5467618 " target="_new">Almost Breaking 12k!!</A>
 

mjjohn

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You would think it would be ok but why take a chance. From the Arctic Silver site;

Arctic Silver 3 was formulated to conduct heat, not electricity. It is only electrically conductive in a thin layer under extreme compression.
(While much safer than electrically conductive silver and copper greases, Arctic Silver 3 should be kept away from electrical traces, pins, and leads. The compound is slightly capacitive and could potentially cause problems if it bridged two close-proximity electrical paths.)

If it is Artic Silver.

The white stuff - should be no problem at all.


For it is not what is seen, but what is not seen. :eek:
 

Elfunko

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I don't think its arctic silver, its teh default stuff that comes with the processor. Called "Shin-EtsuMicroSi" on the thing.

And there prolly are a ton of funny RMA requests from the first time builder like myself. As for allegations of the prices going up, I think that is just false. New stuff comes out every 6 months that better, and the old stuff's prices go down. Unless my RMA causes a global meltdown of telecomunications (a pretty big what-if scenario), I don't think my RMA will have much effect on prices. :)

I made the request before returning to this thread, so I might as well go through with it. Beats trying to be a "Do it yourselfer fixer of electronics for the first time" and missing out on the 30 day warantee. ;)

P.S. mjjohn: Your sig is perfect for this situation. I actually thought it was part of your post in your first response.

P.P.S. I'm not a crooked individual. I do not lie to peoples faces. I felt uneasy when my friends suggested RMA'ing the items. But looking at the $850 bill kinda tilted the scales.