[SOLVED] Thermal Compound on CPU pins and on motherboard socket - Do anything about it, or let it stay?

[CharlesIngramWWTBM]

I have been having Thermal Compound on the CPU pins and on motherboard socket, don't ask me how it's possbile, I really don't know.

However, I have never had any tried starting it, or having other problems, and it's most likely been like this for months.

Is there any risk regarding other components in the computer, such as the Graphics Card, or would you suggest the best thing perhaps to do is just keep it as it is?
Or should I be worried about installing new Graphics Card to the motherboard, considering the situation with the CPU pins and motherboard socket?

I have been told by others that considering it's working fine, that it's a bigger risk something goes wrong if I try to clean it away now with alcohol or whatever, and that it shouldn't affect the graphics card on the motherboard anyways.

 

[Newtonius]

It's possible that paste landed on grounded pins; ones that don't really interfere with the transference of data. You might've gotten lucky but I'd still try cleaning it up if you can. You can use rubbing alcohol (make sure it's 70% or above alcohol) and a light non-abbrasive cloth to rub at it. Though be gentle as you can be, don't want to bend any pins.

 

[CharlesIngramWWTBM]

You suggest cleaning the motherboard socket as well? Because that's where it's actually is a decent amount, on the CPU it's very small on the pins.

 

[CharlesIngramWWTBM]

I don't know if it's non-conductive or not.
I am not even sure what thermal paste is on there.

The possibilites are as following:

i5 3600 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X stock cooler thermal paste

Arctic Cooling MX-4

Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut


If the above is "non conductive" then it should all be fine.
If not, then I might actually have my balls in a salad shooter.


Graphics card etc should be fine anyways right? Meaning; if any issues would occur with the CPU pins or the motherboard socket due to the thermal compound, can it affect other products on the motherboard as well?

 

[drea.drechsler]

...

i5 3600 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X stock cooler thermal paste

Arctic Cooling MX-4

Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
...

None of those are conductive and so really safe to leave alone if it's just light 'smears' of the stuff. I'd only be worried about cleaning if there are glops of it that might interfere with the fragle 'leafs' of the socket contacts.

If you really feel it needs to be cleaned, use a very soft bristle brush, like an artist's brush, dipped in isopropyl alcohol. Let it dry thoroughly before putting it back in the system.

 

[CharlesIngramWWTBM]

Thanks for the response!

Maybe I just keep it as it is then.

And if not;

Would you still perhaps clean the cpu, and get a new motherboard?
Or try to clean both cpu and the motherboard?

 

[drea.drechsler]

Thanks for the response!

Maybe I just keep it as it is then.

And if not;

Would you still perhaps clean the cpu, and get a new motherboard?
Or try to clean both cpu and the motherboard?

Way too many 'depends'....

If just light smears I'd leave it alone.

If thick glops on the pins and top of the CPU socket I'd try to clean the excess off leaving only smears.

But if it's a show-case system with tempered glass panels and sequenced aRGB themes I'd very carefully clean it off. Because it's all about the 'show' now, isn't it?

If it's just a beater I throw under my desk to keep my feet warm while I pick off NPC's in Ghost Recon...it's not worth the effort to even ask what to do. So I'd just put it together and throw it back where it belongs and use it like it's mine.

Under none of those conditions would I think of throwing away perfectly good hardware though.