Question Cooling Paste All Over My CPU

[Gosunkgugi]

Hey, I just bought a Ryzen 7 2700X CPU, and I'm having some trouble with the cooling paste. First off, when I got the thing, there was an entire solid block of cooling paste on the heatsink - I don't really question these things, so I stuck it on the processor and wrestled with those weird loop things until it was stuck (what's wrong with just screwing on your heatsink?).

Thing is, there's cooling paste everywhere. It's on the sides of the CPU, and a tiny bit even got on the surface next to the pins. I managed to get it off the bottom of the CPU, but there are crevices in the sides of it where I just can't get it out. Does it actually need to be completely spotless, or will it be fine if I just clean off the top completely and put on some new cooling paste?

No need to worry about the motherboard. It's still fine.

 

[ElectrO_90]

The paste is not electrically conductive, so it won't short anything out.
I am a bit confused as to how this solid block of cooling paste got on the heatsink, if you didn't put it there, who did.
I would prefer to see a photo of this mess, before giving any advice about adding more paste.

 

[Gosunkgugi]

It came with cooling paste already applied. But if it's not conductive, then having a tiny bit on the side of the CPU should be fine, right? All the pins are pristine.

 

[ElectrO_90]

Yeah, it will be fine, and its quite impossible to get it under the chip.