Do I have to buy a new CPU?

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drinu019

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Jun 30, 2015
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So i recently bought a new CPU liquid cooler because the old stock fan cooler was getting very noisy. So I installed everything put on thermal paste and everything. First boot up the PC completely froze. So I re applied the thermal paste and rebooted. It turned on and was working fine until it froze and crashed again. So I did the same because the whole CPU did not get covered enough. Now this keeps happening and I don't know what to do. I was trying to run GTA V and noticed that the rendering was very very slow. Then after a few seconds the pc froze again. Could it be the solvent I used to remove the old paste? Amount of paste?
Please help. Avg temps when idle are between 35-40 and the values are always going up and down. Don't know if that's normal or not. And on full load it goes up to a maximum of 55 degrees. Not higher. I used the intel processor diag tool and my PC passed the test. I have no idea what's going on. The pc was completely fine until the cooler change.

Specs: CPU: intel core i5 4670K 3.40 Ghz
CPU cooler: cooler master seidon 120v ver 2
GPU: GTX 760
Mobo: MSI z87 pc mate
Ram: Corsair Vengance 8gb 1600Mhz
PSU: Silverstone 600W

I could really use some help with this
Thanks.
 
Solution
MeanMachine41


Isopropyl alcohol is ok for cleaning and both surfaces need to be...
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Hi drinu019 :)

Tim (Thermal Interface Material) is applied with as little as possible as its only there to fill the tiniest of voids.
Did you check for any bent pins in the CPU socket.? Inspect with a magnifier.
What kind of solvent did you use.? Isopro is best.

You could run a stress test on your system to determine if any other hardware is not functioning correctly.
Ideal temps at idle are 15-20C above ambient room temp and 60-65C under full load.

Sometimes if you don't screw the hold down brackets evenly or too tight you can bend pins.
 
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Hello, thanks for the reply. I used the thermal paste the cooler came with. I also never took the cpu out besides when I took off the lever thing that holds the cpu to clean the edges a bit. I also screwed the bolts till I felt it's tight enough. so I'm hoping it's not any bent pins :S. I tried moving the block to see if it moves and it's as solid as a rock.

Thanks again.
 
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What is the problem though?...
 
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I guess the CPU is unstable. Ever since I started using the new cooler, the pc started randomly crashing. And when I booted up GTA V everything was rendering very slowly then the pc proceeded to crash again. And everything was completely fine until I put on the new cooler.
 
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As i said to the other guy, Random freezing/crashing when playing games and slow rendering.
 
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Again, lets start ignoring the cooler, because swapping it back isn't going to solve the problem, is it? So lets ignore it.

Crashes! there is an actual problem. What do you mean crashes? Like BSOD with an error?
What happens when it crashes? Just freezes up and recovers or what? Can you go into Event Viewer and tell me what errors you have?
 
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It might solve it but i'm not going to do that. By crashing I mean no video output just a single frame, sound stops and I have to hard reset. Turn it back on and it's completely fine again. Not on that pc at the moment but I could if you want me to take a look at the event viewer, though i doubt anything there's going to solve my issue.
 
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Exactly. The problem is I have no idea what I did wrong. Is this because I might have used too much thermal compound? I have no clue at this point. Maybe the solvent i'm using is bad for the cpu, which contains aqua alcohol and isopropyl alcohol. I've noticed that were the thermal compound was on the block it's kind of like more clean then the other part. I don't know i'm just throwing assumptions.
 
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Isopropyl alcohol is ok for cleaning and both surfaces need to be spotless. When I install a CPU I inspect the CPU surface and depending on the grind condition, I will lap the surface. But that's just me.
Excessive TIM will cause issue as air pockets can be created in the TIM and diminish thermal transfer efficiency.

If I ever have to replace a cooler or re-apply TIM, I always inspect the CPU socket especially on an Intel board as bent pins or contamination can cause issues as you have described.

If you do re-apply and inspect, use Arctic Silver5 for your TIM. Use the pea method to apply.

 
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Solution


Ok i'll try cleaning the whole cpu and check for bent pins tomorrow. Quite late and I don't have the motivation to do so 😛. Also some thermal paste went outside the cpu socket, like near the pins and around there. Could that also be the issue? And is it safe to use the same alcohol to clean it up?
Thanks again for taking your time to help :) and if the problem consists i'll end up taking my pc to the shop and let them deal with it.

 
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Bah, AS5 is junk. Average at best. It's whole claim to popularity was it's cheap pricing years ago. Noctua, mx4, phanteks, gelid extreme. All better for roughly same price.

Op. I can't help wonder just what you did when cleaning the cpu, not just the first time, but every subsequent time after. Of all the possible places to do much damage, all too easily, it's in the socket. I'd remove the cooler, again, clean it with 91% or better pure isopropyl alcohol and coffee filters. Pop the retaining leaver on the cpu, lift the lid and look for paste. If there's none, carefully remove the cpu from the socket, turn it over and inspect the cpu for discoloration. The backside should be all exactly the same color green with gold dots. If it is, then you didn't dribble solvent into the socket. If it's discolored, you have a problem. Get a decent magnifying glass and thoroughly inspect the socket. It should be pristine. While I don't believe you bent pins, I do think you dribbled and the solvent is not disipated and is shorting out the cpu. Don't use the solvent again, just regular isopropyl.
 
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I think you applied excessive thermal paste as it should not squeeze out the sides.
Always clean off excessive TIM as some can be a conductor and cause issue.
I have never had issue with using Arctic Silver5 and it is not Junk. Mx4 is however a good alternative.
Be very aware of who you take the system to, if that is your decision. And, that they don't try to sell you replacement parts.

 
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Alright, will do. I'll go buy the alcohol tomorrow. Is a cleaning cloth for glasses good to use? Anyways there was some paste like at the edge of the cpu where the lid is. I tried my best trying to clean it up without taking the cpu out. If there is paste there again should i be careful to not getting any alcohol near the pins or it doesn't make a difference? Also this was the first time I screwed around with cpu coolers and I know it was dumb to do that since processors and coolers are quite expensive. But you learn from your mistakes and i'm trying to learn. And if i did mess it up, I guess I gotta wait for my next paycheck and never try something dumb without guidance again. Also I did accidentally move the block away from the cpu after I pushed against it when the paste was on. Does that mess up the paste and make air bubbles? That's the only thing i know i might have done wrong besides mess up the application of the paste multiple times.
Thanks for helping in the aid of my very stupid problems 😛
 
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So I checked the CPU today, took it out and some of the pins on the CPU at the corner and on the mobo look grey, so i'm guessing that's thermal paste. I went out and bought some tuner cleaner, used to clean components without damaging. It's called Tuner 600 as I could not find any isopropyl alcohol. Can I use that to spray it at the pins and hopefully clean them or should I do something else. Also could this be the issue for the CPU acting up so weirdly as it is? Like on first boot up it crashes then when I hard reset and try again it works completely fine accept it feels like it's running weird? Please respond as soon as you can. Thanks.
 
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Tuner cleaner has an oily residue and I believe composed of Trichloroethylene? Carbon tetrachloride? as was the original formula. I have heard Tuner Cleaner600 by CRC is a revised formula but have never used it. I would still get some Isopro and clean after just incase.
I would not use it myself as it may leave lint or dust particles as little clumps and you don't want that.

To be safe Use Isopro and not the rubbing alcohol type which also contains oil.
There is another product that I have used and that's: 3 in one by WD-40 as a can spray.

So far as your observations are concerned, I do believe that excessive TIM has contaminated your socket and you must be very careful now to clean the socket without disturbing or bending pins. Do not attempt to wipe the pins with a cloth. Use a fine artist brush to dab the affected area until clean. Inspect the socket pins with a magnifier. If you suspect any variation in any of the pins and not sure, take a macro photo if you can and post here.
I cannot stress enough how careful you should be.
Your CPU is savable and any bent pins can be realigned or carefully bent back with a toothpick.
 
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You can find 91% or 93% isopropyl rubbing alcohol in any drug store like Walgreens or CVS, even the pharmacy dept in Walmart.

Most thermal paste is non electrical conductive, it's just a microfine layer of thermal conductive paste that fills any grooves, pits or irregularities between the cpu and the cpu cooler base. This is a blessing in your case, another reason AS5 sucks. AS5 is electrically conductive, and having contaminated the pins, chances are very good both the motherboard and the cpu would have been fried. As it is, you can salvage this with EXTREME care by using the isopropyl and a soft artist brush. Do not soak the brush! You do not want to drop liquid into the socket. You want the brush damp and with many repeated strokes gently brush the pins. The longer you take, the more careful you are, the better your chances. If any paste is on the cack of the cpu, remove that too, carefully. Don't soak anything, at all. Can't stress enough the care you need to show. If you can imagine trying to paint a butterfly's wing you'd be close.
 
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Thank you for concurring with most of what I said. however AS5 is a none conductive TIM. It is however very slightly capacitive as is other TIM if enough applied to bridge component parts.
Because of all the crap about it being conductive and spread about the net by individuals, I researched properly and conducted some tests myself and no way could I pass a current thru the paste showing 0 (zero) ohms on my digital meter. . Facts not fiction.
This debate has been had before : http://www.overclock.net/t/140813/artic-silver-5-is-not-electrically-conductive/20
Data sheet: http://www.arcticsilver.com/as5.htm

As one intelligent commentary stated :
It is electrically conductive if enough voltage applied.. but odds of it happening are infinitesimally small, so for all intent and purposes, it is not. (i.e. Physics allows a person to walk through a brick wall but the probability of that happening is nearly infinitesimally small). AS5 contains silver suspended in a non-conductive compound. This would explain why it is slightly capacitive. Conductor+Insulator+Conductor = Capacitor. If somehow many many of the conductive material separated from the grease or formed a wire inside the grease... it maybe conductive. Again... odds are not even close to likely.
The problem with capacitance is NOT that it will build up a charge. The main issue is that it may disrupt signaling voltages on traces/leads. It would smooth out the high/low signals and cause errors.

Why don't we let the OP decide and peace to you bro.
 
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I can't believe it, (for now) it's working!!!! I'm so happy. So I guess the issue was some thermal paste got underneath the cpu and got on the cpu pins and motherboard. Grabbed a brush and dabbed on the parts were it looked grey and viola I actually went into GTA and everything is rendering normally and the pc did not crash yet.
Altough I still feel like something is still going to happen, but this is a step in the right direction. If it happens again i'll give it another cleaning. Thank you guys so much for the help. You saved me a lot of money. Much love <3
If anything does happen again which it might i'll keep you posted.
Thanks again.
 
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Ok Mean. Since you've obviously put a lot more work and thought into it, I'll take your word for it that AS5 is non conductive, appreciate the insights and correction. I still don't really like it though lol, not fond of the way it spreads or cleans up. For Op, AS5 is right smack dab in the middle as far as pastes go, as much as @10°C difference on average between the best and worst. My personal favorite go-to paste is Noctua NT-H1. Easy application, easy clean up, no burn in time, doesn't dry out. Basically once applied it'll last longer than your cpu. And it's pretty cheap as well as almost top of the list in performance.

But that's my choice, as you say Mean, op can decide for himself. Take a peek at this, OP, it'll explain a few things you should know when it comes to cpus, pastes and coolers.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/thermal-paste-heat-sink-heat-spreader,review-32799.html
 
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Will do, thanks.
 
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