RAM heat spreader came off

[longsilver]

Hello.

So I was carefully pushing my RAM stick into a motherboard slot, and when I pushed a bit harder, the RAM heat spreader broke off the RAM stick.

I managed to put the heat spreader back on the RAM stick (the dried thermal paste / thermal pads make it stuck in its original position, so it holds well and won't fall off. It's just hanging on it...)

My question is, should I leave the heat spreader on that RAM stick, or should I remove it until i get some thermal pads?
Since there is no longer the thermal pad / paste connecting the RAM with the spreader, I'm worried the spreader will just isolate the RAM now and the RAM won't be able to lead the heat away.

Also, can the aluminium heat spreader short my mobo or GPU if it falls and touches it?

My RAMs are 2x4GB DDR3 Corsair Vengeance Blue 1600MHZ (running at 1333MHZ).

Or perhaps I can RMA it? It has a lifetime warranty, but I don't know if it applies to this, since It was me who broke it off the RAM, even though I was really careful, it came off so easily.

 

[jay32267]

"should I leave the heat spreader on that RAM stick, or should I remove it until i get some thermal pads?"

I would replace the thermal compound.

"Also, can the aluminium heat spreader short my mobo or GPU if it falls and touches it?"

Most definitely.

....and I think you may be able to RMA it.....it's worth a shot.

....but I don't think there's anything else wrong with it and if you replace the paste I think it should be as good as new.

 

[Solandri]

Or perhaps I can RMA it? It has a lifetime warranty, but I don't know if it applies to this, since It was me who broke it off the RAM, even though I was really careful, it came off so easily.

RMA the sucker. If it broke off while being inserted, then it was wasn't your fault, it was poorly attached.

That said, the heat spreaders attached to RAM sticks are mostly decorative. Something like 99% of RAM is manufactured by Samsung, SK Hyunix, and Micron (Crucial). All the other brands like Kingston, G.Skill, Corsair, etc. just buy RAM from these manufacturers and stick them on a PCB for resale. They add things like heat spreaders to make their product look fancier. The only RAM I've seen where it might have been necessary was server RAM, and it didn't have the huge vanes sticking up like yours. So if you don't want to RMA it, you can just remove it and any thermal pads/paste before you install it.

 

[longsilver]

OK, thank you for the anwers!

I took it out for now, I noticed there is a thermal tape, not thermal paste. So I will just buy a new thermal tape and replace the old one.