PC hardware emergency! (unexpected!) (also unprecedented!)

[RJARRRPCGP]

Now the good news:
It's not with my ASRock B550 PG Velocita daily driver, whew!

Now, the bad news:

The MSI B450 Tomahawk, which had the Ryzen 7 3700X, became my Ubuntu Jammy system. I also popped the Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 6600 XT into it.

In later-August, I unexpectedly found the PC in my tiny room with no power, literally off like a light! There were no signs of life, even when I tried a GFCI or AFCI reset into the small room. I honestly was hoping that it was just a tripping GFCI or AFCI outlet! Note that the PSU, the Corsair TX850M, seems to be fine. With the same PSU that works fine with the lousy A320 system, it still was lifeless upstairs!

Then I decided hours later to take off the transistor/VRM heatsinks and unexpectedly found oil oozing! It looked like a mouse peed on it, FDS! Looks like it's the thermal pads!

There was no odor and totally lifeless when I hit the ATX power button. I get zero LEDs, IIRC! A new one for me!

 

[maxx2575]

may I ask what you're trying to do? like are you trying to fix the motherboard?

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

may I ask what you're trying to do? like are you trying to fix the motherboard?

Well, looks like all I can do, is autopsy it!

 

[tabascosauz]

Now the good news:
It's not with my ASRock B550 PG Velocita daily driver, whew!

Now, the bad news:

The MSI B450 Tomahawk, which had the Ryzen 7 3700X, became my Ubuntu Jammy system. I also popped the Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 6600 XT into it.

In later-August, I unexpectedly found the PC in my tiny room with no power, literally off like a light! There were no signs of life, even when I tried a GFCI or AFCI reset into the small room. I honestly was hoping that it was just a tripping GFCI or AFCI outlet! Note that the PSU, the Corsair TX850M, seems to be fine. With the same PSU that works fine with the lousy A320 system, it still was lifeless upstairs!

Then I decided hours later to take off the transistor/VRM heatsinks and unexpectedly found oil oozing! It looked like a mouse peed on it, FDS! Looks like it's the thermal pads!

There was no odor and totally lifeless when I hit the ATX power button. I get zero LEDs, IIRC! A new one for me!

VRM oily from the pads is normal and happens all the time. Not if it's literally dripping, sopping wet though, but I really don't see how that could be a result of thermal pads.

So you've paperclipped/24pin shorted both PSUs and they work fine?

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

VRM oily from the pads is normal and happens all the time. Not if it's literally dripping, sopping wet though, but I really don't see how that could be a result of thermal pads.

So you've paperclipped/24pin shorted both PSUs and they work fine?

It was dripping, soppy wet! Looked like it was indeed likely more than enough to cause very visible arcing!

 

[tabascosauz]

It was dripping, soppy wet! Looked like it was indeed likely more than enough to cause very visible arcing!

I hope that's an exaggeration, because I don't even think there's enough mass in those 2 small thermal pads to render the entire board drenched in liquid......have not ever seen that before even from GPU pads.

You say there was no odor, but are you 100% sure that it's oil? No pictures? Seems to be a lot of speculation going on

Double check all your connectors, try directly shorting the power button pins or hook up a spare button

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

I hope that's an exaggeration, because I don't even think there's enough mass in those 2 small thermal pads to render the entire board drenched in liquid......have not ever seen that before even from GPU pads.

Well, the entire VRM was soaked! It was feloniously bad! On the back, I can also see oil residue, too!

There's a YouTube video of an MSI X570 motherboard with this issue:

MSI X570 Motherboard Leaking ? - What Is Going On - YouTube

It looks like the dark spots, not the whitish stuff!

It possibly killed my Ryzen 7 3700X and my Radeon RX 6600 XT!

But, I already know that the AData SX 6000 Pro NVMe SSD wasn't killed by this.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Sounds like they used evga gpu thermal pads they're pretty nasty greasy crap or ar least my 1080ti were.

 

[maxx2575]

can we get pictures?

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

can we get pictures?

Yes, parts of the board, where I didn't get it all off with IPA. Most of the oil has been removed.

 

[ir_cow]

Yep that looks like thermal pad grease to me. I've seen one with a big puddle after removing the pads on high end motherboards. It just depends on what is brand these MB makers use.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

Yep that looks like thermal pad grease to me. I've seen one with a big puddle after removing the pads on high end motherboards. It just depends on what is brand these MB makers use.

It was drenched in it, before I rinsed it with isopropyl alcohol! The second photo really shows the thermal pad oil problem! Looks like it may have taken my Ryzen 7 3700X and Radeon RX 6600 XT with it!

That's what it looks like even after I sprayed a lot of isopropyl alcohol and had it next to a box fan for many hours!

 

[Mussels]

Now the good news:
It's not with my ASRock B550 PG Velocita daily driver, whew!

Now, the bad news:

The MSI B450 Tomahawk, which had the Ryzen 7 3700X, became my Ubuntu Jammy system. I also popped the Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 6600 XT into it.

In later-August, I unexpectedly found the PC in my tiny room with no power, literally off like a light! There were no signs of life, even when I tried a GFCI or AFCI reset into the small room. I honestly was hoping that it was just a tripping GFCI or AFCI outlet! Note that the PSU, the Corsair TX850M, seems to be fine. With the same PSU that works fine with the lousy A320 system, it still was lifeless upstairs!

Then I decided hours later to take off the transistor/VRM heatsinks and unexpectedly found oil oozing! It looked like a mouse peed on it, FDS! Looks like it's the thermal pads!

There was no odor and totally lifeless when I hit the ATX power button. I get zero LEDs, IIRC! A new one for me!

Thats normal residue from all thermal pads, they do this normally as part of how they cover air gaps. It's how they work.


cheaper pads can definitely seep out and therefore dry out faster - MSI had a really bad reputation for their VRM cooling prior to B550 and their later x570 releases, and this was part of it (the other part was outright lying about the specs)

It was drenched in it, before I rinsed it with isopropyl alcohol! The second photo really shows the thermal pad oil problem! Looks like it may have taken my Ryzen 7 3700X and Radeon RX 6600 XT with it!

That's what it looks like even after I sprayed a lot of isopropyl alcohol and had it next to a box fan for many hours!

Being an oil, it's not going to clean up easily - isopropyl and a lint free microfiber cloth are about the only way to clean it without making it worse, paper towel and tissues for example will stick to it

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

cheaper pads can definitely seep out and therefore dry out faster - MSI had a really bad reputation for their VRM cooling prior to B550 and their later x570 releases, and this was part of it (the other part was outright lying about the specs)

I hope that's not the case for Intel Z490!

 

[Assimilator]

I'm confused... how could this kill the board? I wouldn't expect thermal paste grease/oil to be electrically conductive.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Lots of better pads around
Thermal grizzly has some plus there's always fujipoly clay pads
Hell I just use inexpensive arctic pads they work just fine.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

I'm confused... how could this kill the board? I wouldn't expect thermal paste grease/oil to be electrically conductive.

+1.

Warranty return the board.

 

[ThrashZone]

+1.

Warranty return the board.

Hi,
You +1 then go 180 degrees and say rma the board

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

Hi,
You +1 then go 180 degrees and say rma the board

Not really, I doubt the grease killed it but not that it is KO'd.

I don't know why but sounds like board death, silicon grease shouldn't be conductive though and doesn't absorbe moisture well either.

 

[xtreemchaos]

silicon grease shouldn't be conductive

110% correct bud, is it just me but the mosfets look to of been overheating ?.

 

[ThrashZone]

110% correct bud, is it just me but the mosfets look to of been overheating ?.

Hi,
No question about that

 

[GreiverBlade]

110% correct bud, is it just me but the mosfets look to of been overheating ?.

yep i think i saw a few of them with the package cracked, and that's a sure 100% kill, i have a pair of oldies oem 9600GT (iirc DELL or Acer) with cracked mosfet package, dead as doornails

 

[xtreemchaos]

id check with the multi meter for shorts around the mosfets/chokes if i couldnt RMA first .

 

[Assimilator]

Yeah, I'm thinking that the FETs blew up due to too-high temperatures caused by the rubbish thermal pads drying out, and while inspecting the board OP noticed the oils from the pads and has incorrectly concluded that those oils are the cause, not a symptom. Doesn't really matter; if the board is in warranty get it replaced (and then sell the replacement to get something non-MSI), if it's not just make sure to avoid MSI in future.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

cheaper pads can definitely seep out and therefore dry out faster - MSI had a really bad reputation for their VRM cooling prior to B550 and their later x570 releases, and this was part of it (the other part was outright lying about the specs)

Really? Before B550?! Sounds like even during the B450 era, they didn't learn from the 970 era! (for the thermal pads)

I'm confused... how could this kill the board? I wouldn't expect thermal paste grease/oil to be electrically conductive.

It was running like something I never ever saw before!