Well, this seems odd.

_JP_ · Dec 7, 2013

I've recently bought an ASRock FM2A75 Pro4 motherboard, except I haven't found the time to assemble the parts yet. So I was checking the board out, when I noticed that there seems to be glue residue along the edges where the back-plate makes contact with the motherboard.
It has been a good while since I've last assembled an AMD system (in fact, this is my first FM2 assembly, even though I know that the system is the same since AM2) and the last few used the stock cooler, so I didn't even notice this sort of thing.
Now I'm reluctant to use my SD963 in this board...until the warranty period isn't over anyway. And even then. I don't want those SMDs on the back of the board to jump off...
My question is, is it glue, or some sort of replacement for dampening foam?

EDIT: Upon further inspection and better analysis, it seems to be a plastic-based residue that is there to make sure the metal back-plate doesn't come in contact with the board, avoiding shorts...meh. Got scared for a second there. Still, is it sticky (meaning I have to twitch it a bit to take it off), or does it lack adherence?

BiggieShady · Dec 7, 2013

Looking at this photo it seems it's used instead of stand-offs

_JP_ · Dec 7, 2013

Yup, that's more or less the amount of whatever that is mine has.

micropage7 · Dec 8, 2013

better test it first
i had the same thing when i bought 8600gt
if its clear and sticky it glue, i dunno where they came from

_JP_ · Dec 8, 2013

I guess I'll unscrew it and see if it falls-off.
If it doesn't, I will try to wiggle it a bit. If it still sticks, I'll need a new cooler.

de.das.dude · Dec 8, 2013

i was about to say its not glue, but some sort of plastic. mould burrs from the insulaton of the back plate. it was there on my board as well.
but it falls off with a bit of persuasion. nothing to worry.
grats on the purchase.

_JP_ · Dec 8, 2013

Wouldn't it make more sense for the back-plate to be made out of plastic then?
I mean, the brackets are made of plastic. And those get more use/heave to deal with more interventions than the back-plate...and stock coolers don't weigh that much.
But I digress. I'll update this when I have new intel on the matter. /badpun

de.das.dude · Dec 8, 2013

_JP_ said:
Wouldn't it make more sense for the back-plate to be made out of plastic then?
I mean, the brackets are made of plastic. And those get more use/heave to deal with more interventions than the back-plate...and stock coolers don't weigh that much.
But I digress. I'll update this when I have new intel on the matter. /badpun

the brackets are there for stock coolers, and the backplate is there for aftermarket coolers to prevent sagging.
even with the stock cooler the function of the back plate is to prevent the socket area from sagging/buckling.
the brackets can be plastic as they dont need to be that rigid, plus they can be thick, so stress is low. whereas there is no space at the back b/w the backplate and pcb, so they are forced to use metal.

itsakjt · Dec 8, 2013

You sure that is not soldering flux? Maybe the board was cleaned off flux after installing the backplate and so the flux remained in that portion.

_JP_ · Dec 8, 2013

itsakjt said:
You sure that is not soldering flux? Maybe the board was cleaned off flux after installing the backplate and so the flux remained in that portion.

Flux is is only present on solder joints/pads. The board itself is coated with a substance (which I don't remember the name) that repels solder/flux so that it only goes where it needs to.

de.das.dude said:
the brackets are there for stock coolers, and the backplate is there for aftermarket coolers to prevent sagging.

You're preaching to the choir.
After-market coolers (if different enough) come with their own back-plates. Simple ones, that use the bundled back-plate usually don't weigh enough to sag the board.
The system itself, as it is, look sturdy enough already. I'd say it's more than needed for stock cooling.

de.das.dude · Dec 8, 2013

its not just the weight, it puts a lot of tension and bending moments on the pcb like so.

and the newer AMD stock coolers are REALLY REALLY tight, which is why the back plate is needed.

red = cooler, black = socket and board.
black arrows show force on socket and board

itsakjt · Dec 8, 2013

Excellent presentation there @de.das.dude . I remember board bending when I had my LGA 775 system which didn't have a back plate. Board was badly bent and it was permanent due to long term pressure of the stock cooler of the Pentium 4. Even after removing, I noticed significant bending.

_JP_ · Jan 6, 2014

It DID look like glue residue, but it was just a plastic layer to prevent shorts. Just like any other AMD board. :\
Over-precaution and paranoia got over my judgement and common sense... -_-''
Should know better...

Jetster · Jan 6, 2014

ASRock has some great functioning boards but they do get sloppy sometimes. I wouldn't worry about it

System Name	LenovoⓇ ThinkPad™ T430
Processor	IntelⓇ Core™ i5-3210M processor (2 cores, 2.50GHz, 3MB cache), Intel Turbo Boost™ 2.0 (3.10GHz), HT™
Motherboard	Lenovo 2344 (Mobile Intel QM77 Express Chipset)
Cooling	Single-pipe heatsink + Delta fan
Memory	2x 8GB KingstonⓇ HyperX™ Impact 2133MHz DDR3L SO-DIMM
Video Card(s)	Intel HD Graphics™ 4000 (GPU clk: 1100MHz, vRAM clk: 1066MHz)
Storage	SamsungⓇ 860 EVO mSATA (250GB) + 850 EVO (500GB) SATA
Display(s)	14.0" (355mm) HD (1366x768) color, anti-glare, LED backlight, 200 nits, 16:9 aspect ratio, 300:1 co
Case	ThinkPad Roll Cage (one-piece magnesium frame)
Audio Device(s)	HD Audio, RealtekⓇ ALC3202 codec, DolbyⓇ Advanced Audio™ v2 / stereo speakers, 1W x 2
Power Supply	ThinkPad 65W AC Adapter + ThinkPad Battery 70++ (9-cell)
Mouse	TrackPointⓇ pointing device + UltraNav™, wide touchpad below keyboard + ThinkLight™
Keyboard	6-row, 84-key, ThinkVantage button, spill-resistant, multimedia Fn keys, LED backlight (PT Layout)
Software	MicrosoftⓇ WindowsⓇ 10 x86-64 (22H2)

System Name	Windows 10 64-bit Core i7 6700
Processor	Intel Core i7 6700
Motherboard	Asus Z170M-PLUS
Cooling	Corsair AIO
Memory	2 x 8 GB Kingston DDR4 2666
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
Storage	Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB, Seagate Baracuda 1 TB
Display(s)	Dell P2414H
Case	Corsair Carbide Air 540
Audio Device(s)	Realtek HD Audio
Power Supply	Corsair TX v2 650W
Mouse	Steelseries Sensei
Keyboard	CM Storm Quickfire Pro, Cherry MX Reds
Software	MS Windows 10 Pro 64-bit

System Name	LenovoⓇ ThinkPad™ T430
Processor	IntelⓇ Core™ i5-3210M processor (2 cores, 2.50GHz, 3MB cache), Intel Turbo Boost™ 2.0 (3.10GHz), HT™
Motherboard	Lenovo 2344 (Mobile Intel QM77 Express Chipset)
Cooling	Single-pipe heatsink + Delta fan
Memory	2x 8GB KingstonⓇ HyperX™ Impact 2133MHz DDR3L SO-DIMM
Video Card(s)	Intel HD Graphics™ 4000 (GPU clk: 1100MHz, vRAM clk: 1066MHz)
Storage	SamsungⓇ 860 EVO mSATA (250GB) + 850 EVO (500GB) SATA
Display(s)	14.0" (355mm) HD (1366x768) color, anti-glare, LED backlight, 200 nits, 16:9 aspect ratio, 300:1 co
Case	ThinkPad Roll Cage (one-piece magnesium frame)
Audio Device(s)	HD Audio, RealtekⓇ ALC3202 codec, DolbyⓇ Advanced Audio™ v2 / stereo speakers, 1W x 2
Power Supply	ThinkPad 65W AC Adapter + ThinkPad Battery 70++ (9-cell)
Mouse	TrackPointⓇ pointing device + UltraNav™, wide touchpad below keyboard + ThinkLight™
Keyboard	6-row, 84-key, ThinkVantage button, spill-resistant, multimedia Fn keys, LED backlight (PT Layout)
Software	MicrosoftⓇ WindowsⓇ 10 x86-64 (22H2)

System Name	micropage7
Processor	Intel Xeon X3470
Motherboard	Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. P55A-UD3R (Socket 1156)
Cooling	Enermax ETS-T40F
Memory	Samsung 8.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3
Video Card(s)	NVIDIA Quadro FX 1800
Storage	V-GEN03AS18EU120GB, Seagate 2 x 1TB and Seagate 4TB
Display(s)	Samsung 21 inch LCD Wide Screen
Case	Icute Super 18
Audio Device(s)	Auzentech X-Fi Forte
Power Supply	Silverstone 600 Watt
Mouse	Logitech G502
Keyboard	Sades Excalibur + Taihao keycaps
Software	Win 7 64-bit
Benchmark Scores	Classified

System Name	LenovoⓇ ThinkPad™ T430
Processor	IntelⓇ Core™ i5-3210M processor (2 cores, 2.50GHz, 3MB cache), Intel Turbo Boost™ 2.0 (3.10GHz), HT™
Motherboard	Lenovo 2344 (Mobile Intel QM77 Express Chipset)
Cooling	Single-pipe heatsink + Delta fan
Memory	2x 8GB KingstonⓇ HyperX™ Impact 2133MHz DDR3L SO-DIMM
Video Card(s)	Intel HD Graphics™ 4000 (GPU clk: 1100MHz, vRAM clk: 1066MHz)
Storage	SamsungⓇ 860 EVO mSATA (250GB) + 850 EVO (500GB) SATA
Display(s)	14.0" (355mm) HD (1366x768) color, anti-glare, LED backlight, 200 nits, 16:9 aspect ratio, 300:1 co
Case	ThinkPad Roll Cage (one-piece magnesium frame)
Audio Device(s)	HD Audio, RealtekⓇ ALC3202 codec, DolbyⓇ Advanced Audio™ v2 / stereo speakers, 1W x 2
Power Supply	ThinkPad 65W AC Adapter + ThinkPad Battery 70++ (9-cell)
Mouse	TrackPointⓇ pointing device + UltraNav™, wide touchpad below keyboard + ThinkLight™
Keyboard	6-row, 84-key, ThinkVantage button, spill-resistant, multimedia Fn keys, LED backlight (PT Layout)
Software	MicrosoftⓇ WindowsⓇ 10 x86-64 (22H2)

Well, this seems odd.

_JP_

BiggieShady

_JP_

micropage7

_JP_

de.das.dude

Pro Indian Modder

_JP_

de.das.dude

Pro Indian Modder

itsakjt

_JP_

de.das.dude

Pro Indian Modder

itsakjt

_JP_

Jetster

System Name	Monke \| Work Thinkpad\| Old Monke
Processor	Ryzen 5600X \| Ryzen 5500U \| FX8320
Motherboard	ASRock B550 Extreme4 \| ? \| Asrock 990FX Extreme 4
Cooling	240mm Rad \| Not needed \| hyper 212 EVO
Memory	2x16GB DDR4 3600 Corsair RGB \| 16 GB DDR4 3600 \| 16GB DDR3 1600
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Pulse RX6700XT 12GB \| Vega 8 \| Sapphire Pulse RX580 8GB
Storage	Samsung 980 nvme (Primary) \| some samsung SSD
Display(s)	Dell 2723DS \| Some 14" 1080p 98%sRGB IPS \| Dell 2240L
Case	Ant Esports Tempered case \| Thinkpad \| Antec
Audio Device(s)	Logitech Z333 \| Jabra corpo stuff
Power Supply	Corsair RM750e \| not needed \| Corsair GS 600
Mouse	Logitech G400 \| nipple
Keyboard	Logitech G213 \| stock kb is awesome \| Logitech K230
VR HMD	;_;
Software	Windows 10 Professional x3
Benchmark Scores	There are no marks on my bench

System Name	Coffee \| Maximus
Processor	Intel Core i7 9700K @ 5.2 GHz with AVX, 4.8 GHz cache clock \| i7 9700KF @ 5.0 GHz/4.7 GHz cache
Motherboard	ASUS Maximus X Formula \| ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger (modded BIOS for Coffee Lake)+TPM2.0 module
Cooling	Cooler Master ML240 Illusion \| Cooler Master ML120L RGB
Memory	216 GB (32 GB) Kingston Fury Beast @3600 MHz CL17 \| 48 GB (32 GB) HyperX Fury @3200 MHz CL14
Video Card(s)	Zotac RTX 3070 8 GB Twin Edge \| Galax RTX 2060 Super 8 GB
Storage	Samsung PM981a 1TB NVMe+480GB SATA SSD+2 TB HDD \| Crucial P5 1TB, Crucial P1 500GB+2.5TB HDDs
Display(s)	LG OLED 55 G3, 4K 120 Hz, VRR, ALLM, GSync, FreeSync \| Samsung 43AU9070 4K TV, VRR, ALLM
Case	Corsair Crystal 460X RGB \| Lianli Lancool 215
Audio Device(s)	Creative Sound Blaster Z SE \| Realtek ALC1150 (Supreme FX)
Power Supply	ASUS ROG Strix 750G (80+ Gold) \| Cooler Master MWE 650 V2 (80+ Bronze)
Mouse	Cooler Master MM731 19000 DPI gaming mouse
Keyboard	Cooler Master CK721 65% mechanical gaming keyboard (tactile)
Software	Windows 11 Pro x64 \|Windows 11 Pro x64
Benchmark Scores	Cinebench R20 MT 4200,ST 547 CPU-Z MT 4871, ST 620 \| R20 MT - 4158, ST - 534, CPU-Z MT 4798, ST 603

System Name	Juliette // HTPC
Processor	Intel i7 9700K // AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard	ASUS Prime Z390X-A // ASRock B550 ITX-AC
Cooling	Noctua NH-U12 Black // Stock
Memory	Corsair DDR4 3600 32gb //G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 3600
Video Card(s)	ASUS RTX4070 OC// GTX 1650
Storage	Samsung 970 EVO NVMe 1Tb, Intel 665p Series M.2 2280 1TB // Samsung 1Tb SSD
Display(s)	ASUS VP348QGL 34" Quad HD 3440 x 1440 // 55" LG 4K SK8000 Series
Case	Seasonic SYNCRO Q7// Silverstone Granada GD05
Audio Device(s)	Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 // HDMI to Samsung HW-R650 sound bar
Power Supply	Seasonic SYNCRO 750 W // CORSAIR Vengeance 650M
Mouse	Cooler Master MM710 53G
Keyboard	Logitech 920-009300 G512 SE
Software	Windows 10 Pro // Windows 10 Pro