CPU Q6600 has a dark patch on the bottom

[Xephyrex]

Hello,

On the bottom of my Q6600 processor there seems to be a patch of dark pin pads standing out from the rest when looking at it from an angle.

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Here are some Pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91653041@N03/8323187871/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91653041@N03/8323188093/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91653041@N03/8323188263/in/photostream
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At first I thought nothing of it and just started to get curious. Does this mean it has overheated/shorted/ or damaged in anyway?

I would check it if I could, however, I do not have thermal compound with me at the moment so if I put the processor into my computer and just place the fan on it without thermal compound wouldn't it overheat my CPU just to check and see if my Q6600 is actually fine?

 

[rds1220]

Hello,

On the bottom of my Q6600 processor there seems to be a patch of dark pin pads standing out from the rest when looking at it from an angle.

-----------------------------------------
Here are some Pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91653041@N03/8323187871/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91653041@N03/8323188093/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91653041@N03/8323188263/in/photostream
-----------------------------------------

At first I thought nothing of it and just started to get curious. Does this mean it has overheated/shorted/ or damaged in anyway?

I would check it if I could, however, I do not have thermal compound with me at the moment so if I put the processor into my computer and just place the fan on it without thermal compound wouldn't it overheat my CPU just to check and see if my Q6600 is actually fine?

I really don't see anything wrong from the pictures. Does the CPU work? If so I wouldn't worry about it if it was something serious it more than likely would notwork at all. Usually CPU's either work or they don't.

Also do not run the CPU without thermal paste and a properly mounted fan/heatsink.

 

[Xephyrex]

Are you sure because I have heard of things like this being related to overheating. I just want to confirm this because I don't want my new motherboard to be gone with it as well!

 

[rds1220]

What are your voltages and temps?

 

[Xephyrex]

I have not put it in a computer yet, just got it.

 

[Xephyrex]

If you look at the pictures you will see a darker patch of gold pin pads

 

[rds1220]

So you haven't even used it yet. If so than I really wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Xephyrex]

That's the problem I'm going to be getting a new arctic cooling freezer 7 pro fan but want to be sure whether my processor will work or not. I have seen other pictures showing the underside of the Q6600 processor and the gold pin pads all look the same, whereas with my Q6600 processor there seems to be a gold dark patch of pin pads (as seen in the pictures provided).

This could mean that the processor has overheated. Keep in mind this was not new when I got it.

 

[Xephyrex]

See I just won't risk losing my whole motherboard over this.

 

[tjs4ever]

It may just be dirty or have a smudge of thermal paste on it. I believe that alcohol and a very delicate touch can be used to clean a socket 775 cpu as there aren't pins, but rather recessions on the processor. The artic 7 pro installs so easily - put your machine together WITH some paste and the cpu fan and fire it up. If the cpu is in fact burnt out it will simply not work. I can't imagine that it is common for a modern processor to murder a motherboard in the manner you have described.

 

[rds1220]

There really is no way to say for certain. The only way to know is to test it and see. We can keep guessing and throwing stuff out there but that isn't going to solve anything. The only way to know for sure is to just test it once and for all.