Could I have damaged CPU / Biggest mistake

[dan123123]

I made a huge mistake when putting in my new CPU, I put it in the right way but I had to reposition it because it didn't go down and I was under pressure since it was a 4790K because I didn't want to do anything wrong. After that I applied thermal paste and spread it and it had managed to get stuck on the card I was spreading it with putting it out of place again and then realising I had forgotten to clamp it down with the CPU housing. Everything booted up fine and I had no crashes or anything.

 

[Dunlop0078]

I doubt you would have damaged anything, assuming none of the pins in the motherboard socket were damaged and if it works they likely were not damaged. I wouldn't worry about it, clamp it down properly and if it continues to work as it should I would say its okay.

 

[RunLuke]

CPU's are surprisingly resilient. Also, the pins are on the motherboard, as Dunlop says.

I've had thermal paste on the "connector"-side of an Xenon-CPU I found in a trash can. It worked.

 

[dan123123]

CPU's are surprisingly resilient. Also, the pins are on the motherboard, as Dunlop says.

I've had thermal paste on the "connector"-side of an Xenon-CPU I found in a trash can. It worked.

So everything is alright? Boots up everything fine and had no problems so far

 

[advancedmixedgaming]

You shouldn't be spreading the thermal paste on the CPU. Clean it off with isopropyl and a lint free rag (coffee filters work), and put a pea size dot on the middle of the CPU, and put the cooler on. It will spread itself out. For your pins, it wouldn't boot if it had a bent pin.

 

[Dunlop0078]

You shouldn't be spreading the thermal paste on the CPU. Clean it off with isopropyl and a lint free rag (coffee filters work), and put a pea size dot on the middle of the CPU, and put the cooler on. It will spread itself out. For your pins, it wouldn't boot if it had a bent pin.

I really dont think it matters, I prefer the pea method as well but it has been proved time and time again that it really doesn't make much of a difference if any. If the OPs temps are fine I would just leave it alone.