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Thermal paste on CPU pins?

B

btcomm1

Senior member
I accidentally got some thermal past on a couple of the pins around the edge of the CPU, would that stop the chip and motherboard from working right? Or even possibly damage it? If so what should I use to remove it?
 
Well, it seems like Q tips are too large. I got 91 percent alcohol because they did not have 99 percent. I have tried pouring some of it on the CPU and the stuff does not seem like it's washing away. It seems like there really isn't too much left on the pins now but there is on the bottom right on the bass of the pins. I did not put the thermal compound on otherwise I would know what the stuff is. Whatever it was, there was way too much on there and the CPU was reaching temps of about 80 degrees C.
 
You can try dental floss dipped in alcohol.
Be patient and be very careful. Do not bend any pins.
 
arctic silver has a small capacitance under pressure. Not sure what it would amount to though.
 
meh, I've bent my pins a couple times. Once to the points the cpu wouldn't fit, u can bend em back and everything is fine 🙂

I think I used a q tip (the plastic ones that poke your innner ear sometimes) but cut off the cotton part. Then I think I used a folded up paper towel.

This may not seem like sounds advice but I've dealt with this problem twice, just use whatever you can find to get it off. Just don't break the pins.
 
So the compound was on the CPU pins and in the pin holes on the MB socket?
Or are you dealing with a 775 MB that's got "pins" on the MB?

I'd also suggest the 91% and an old soft, worn out toothbrush.
 
Good suggestion. The thermal paste is only on the pins. Basically I took the CPU out of the socket because the CPU temp was getting to 80 degress c and higher. When I took it out I noticed that there was wayyyyy too much thermal paste on it. So in removing the thermal paste I accidentally got some on the pins and on the bottom of the CPU. At this point most of it is gone but I can still see that there is a thin layer on the bottom of the CPU, it's about 2 lines of pins in from the edge. I read a couple of comments about soaking the pins in a couple of threads, I assume you could do that by filling a bowl up and putting the CPU in so that the alcohol reaches up to the bottom of the CPU. I don't know what this stuff is, but it is sure a pain to get rid of, does not seem to get too dissolved by the alcohol, how long would it take for alcohol to dissolve the left over paste?
 
ya! I used a toothbrush too! If there's still a thin layer of film of w/e left on it don't worry. I don't think the paste is conductive because I never soaked mine or did anything crazy like that when I got paste on it. Just get off all you can with the toothbrush and stick her in, you'll be ok. Just don't bend ur pins tryin to squeeze between em like I did, LOL
 
If the alcohol and a soft toothbrush doesn't get rid of it all, you might try acetone (nail polish remover), and then wash off the residue with the 91% alcohol.
 
I ahve done it a few years ago - and the toothbrush worked just fine. The dried paste just flaked off.
 
Originally posted by: Navid
What brand of thermal paste was it?

Q tips and Alcohol you can get from a pharmacy.
Click to expand...

It's highly probable the cotton from the Q-Tip will get caught in the sticky thermal paste and make a bigger mess. Also it depends on the type or brand of paste used. Arctic Silver is fairly easy to clean up while Shin Etsu and it's dozens of variants of the G749 are tough like glue and do not clean up however, G749 is the best performing paste available.


Your best bet is to try Arctic Clean. Or drop the whole processor in to a vat of warm denatured alcohol then allow it to dry for a few days at or slightly warmer than room temperature.
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arcticlean.htm
 
As a side comment, I have washed athlon's and durons without the integrated heat spreader with warm soapy water (dawn dish soap) ad a tooth brush before I put them into friends PC's. I have never had an issue and I have done it 5 or 6 times over the years. Not that I recommend it, I am just lazy.
 
Originally posted by: tigersty1e
What kind of thermal paste is it?

AS5 has silver bits in it that can short circuit any parts it touches.
Click to expand...


Originally posted by: Arctic Silver website
Not Electrically Conductive:
Arctic Silver 5 was formulated to conduct heat, not electricity.
Click to expand...
It is slightly capacitive but "short any part it touches" is a bit alarmist.
 
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