Question Thermal Compound on CPU pins and on motherboard socket - Do anything about it, or let it stay?

[CharlesIngramWWTBM]

I have been having Thermal Compound on the CPU pins and on motherboard socket, don't ask me how it's possbile, I really don't know.

However, I have never had any tried starting it, or having other problems, and it's most likely been like this for months.

Is there any risk regarding other components in the computer, such as the Graphics Card, or would you suggest the best thing perhaps to do is just keep it as it is?
Or should I be worried about installing new Graphics Card to the motherboard, considering the situation with the CPU pins and motherboard socket?

I have been told by others that considering it's working fine, that it's a bigger risk something goes wrong if I try to clean it away now with alcohol or whatever, and that it shouldn't affect the graphics card on the motherboard anyways.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

As long as it's non-conductive for electricity (and if it's been there for a while, it probably is), you're OK.

That's why I love Arctic Silver Ceramique 2. Fewer chances to mess up than Arctic Silver 5, and just as thermally efficient.

 

[CharlesIngramWWTBM]

I don't know if it's non-conductive or not.
I am not even sure what thermal paste is on there.

The possibilites are as following:

i5 3600 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X stock cooler thermal paste

Arctic Cooling MX-4

Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut


If the above is "non conductive" then it should all be fine.
If not, then I might actually have my balls in a salad shooter.


Graphics card etc should be fine anyways right? Meaning; if any issues would occur with the CPU pins or the motherboard socket due to the thermal compound, can it affect other products on the motherboard as well?

 

[EliteRetard]

I don't know if it's non-conductive or not.
I am not even sure what thermal paste is on there.

The possibilites are as following:

i5 3600 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X stock cooler thermal paste

Arctic Cooling MX-4

Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut


If the above is "non conductive" then it should all be fine.
If not, then I might actually have my balls in a salad shooter.


Graphics card etc should be fine anyways right? Meaning; if any issues would occur with the CPU pins or the motherboard socket due to the thermal compound, can it affect other products on the motherboard as well?

Technically yes, you could fry the MOBO or other components if a conductive compound bridged data and power pins.

If you already powered it on this way and nothing broke, you're probably fine.

Unless there is so much paste that it could migrate over time to additional areas via gravity or thermal cycling.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

If it's neither electrically conductive nor capacitative, cleaning it up could be a risk unto itself.

Today's socket-fulls of gold contact pin-springs are delicate. Bend one, break one -- you're in for a s***pile of misery. Once, I merely dropped the CPU onto the socket pins, and a couple were damaged beyond repair.

 

[crashtech]

AM4 is amenable to cleaning, perhaps with compressed air and maybe some commonly available solvent sprays, with proper preparation and training. If the TIM is non-conductive though, it might be best to ignore it, although I can imagine not being able to do so.

 

[lenjack]

If it was going to be a problem, you would have found out immediately. Instant failure!

 

[igor_kavinski]

Don't try to fix something that's working fine but next PC build, try to be a little more careful

 

[A///]

2 years igor...

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Well, since the thread has been resurrected, I'm going to add some more information from my own experience.

Last year I bought a top-tier MSI B450 motherboard from the local marketplace for CAD20. It was sold because the seller (or someone else who tried to help him) had attempted to install a CPU and accidentally poured a nice quantity of thermal paste into the poor AM4 socket. About half of the pinouts were either clogged up or smeared. Challenge accepted!
I soaked the board in 99% isopropyl, after which I used an electric blower to force out the paste from the socket - the alcohol had dissolved the grease so the rest of the gunk was just blowing away, leaving no trace behind it. After four or five rinse/blow cycles, the CPU socket was pristine again. Added a 3600x to it, and gave it to my son as a secondary computer, so he could retire an i7-2600K

 

[aigomorla]

Four Scores and 2 yrs ago on this forum we talked about Thermal Paste on CPU socket.
Seeing how this is suposed to be my Section topic, i will tell you before asking Mark to lock this necro's thread.

Thermal paste on socket is OK, if its non conductive.
Most thermal paste is non conductive.
If its a reputable company, the thermal paste is usually non conductive.

If you get it in the socket, dont worry, but at the same time do not get a toothbrush and try to flake it off.
This is how 80% of first time builders ruin the socket and in most cases destroy a mother board.

You can use iso propyl 90% on a very soft tooth brush and DAB the socket.... not swipe... but DAB... and try to absorb as much as the time as possible once its been sort of dissolved from all your dabbing attempts with a wet toothbrush head.

But overall NEVER swipe.
One bent pin, and your entire night can be ruined.