thermal paste on cpu pins

[tommy_123]

i was putting in new thermal paste on my i5 2550k processor and i had some old thermal paste on fingers and i accidentaly touched the bottom
part of the CPU where the golden pins are and it left a little thermal paste stain, it is a very small amount and can barely be seen.
my PC seems to be working fine atm
Should i be worried?

https://eu.coolermaster.com/en/cooling/thermal-compound/mastergel/

this is the thermal paste i used

 

[Durvelle27]

If it’s conductive TIM than it could pose a threat to the CPU; if not it should be ok but I’d definitely clean it off.

 

[qubit]

+1 to cleaning it off and use isopropyl alcohol to do it.

 

[Durvelle27]

+1 to cleaning it off and use isopropyl alcohol to do it.

91% or higher

 

[tommy_123]

It's coolermaster master gel
https://eu.coolermaster.com/en/cooling/thermal-compound/mastergel/

 

[27MaD]

If it’s conductive TIM than it could pose a threat to the CPU; if not it should be ok but I’d definitely clean it off.

But if he tried to clean the pins he will damage them!?

 

[Frick]

But if he tried to clean the pins he will damage them!?

How? Alcohol and metal mix perfectly well.

 

[hat]

But if he tried to clean the pins he will damage them!?

These aren't "pins", I believe the OP is referencing the contact pads on the bottom of the CPU. As such they can easily be cleaned without risking damage.

 

[Sasqui]

bottom part of the CPU where the golden pins are

That CPU only has pads on the bottom. The CM spec sheet doesn't say anything about electrical conductivity. Like @qubit says, 90%+ alcohol. Take a Qtip or some cloth and gently clean, let dry.

 

[27MaD]

These aren't "pins", I believe the OP is referencing the contact pads on the bottom of the CPU. As such they can easily be cleaned without risking damage.

If he is talking about the CPU itself , than fine , but if he is talking about the CPU socket pins , i think he will bend the pins.

 

[tommy_123]

A very small amount, i tried to brush it off gently with my shirt, but there's still a little stain that can be seen, maybe someone with a worse eyesight wouldnt even notice,

Could this negatively affect overlocking? i installed a 212 cooler on top of it so it's kind of a hassle to clean it off now, but don't want a dead pc

 

[Bill_Bright]

my PC seems to be working fine atm

Then leave it.

 

[seagate_surfer]

Check this link. Someone else had the same problem.

 

[Bill_Bright]

But the OP here already mounted it and it works. There is a serious risk of damaging the CPU or socket from physical abuse/mishap or ESD whenever handling it. Plus, he said a small "stain", barely seen. It is not a big blob. So I say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

 

[qubit]

A very small amount, i tried to brush it off gently with my shirt, but there's still a little stain that can be seen, maybe someone with a worse eyesight wouldnt even notice,

It's hard to say whether to clean it or not. On the one hand I'm inclined to agree with @Bill_Bright and say leave it, but if you're overclocking, then it might make a difference. I'm thinking about the kinds of pins they are. If they're power or ground, then they'll be passing a lot of current, so any extra resistance will cause heat build-up and potential burnout, as well as instability.

If you're gonna clean it, then use that isopropyl alcohol I mentioned, but ensure it's with a clean lint free cloth, not your shirt or some other cloth lying around as that will leave debris and crap on the pins, even too small to see, but it will matter.

Clean it or not, it's your call on this one.

Finally, isopropyl alcohol is poisonous, so use it sensibly in a well ventilated environment and on no account ingest it.

 

[MrGenius]

...the contact pads on the bottom of the CPU.

The proper term for them is 'lands'. As in land grid array(LGA). And opposed to pin grid array(PGA) and ball grid array(BGA).

 

[Jetster]

If its working I wouldn't mess with it. If its on the pads its on the pins and you don't want to bend those
Also not good for your skin

 

[John Naylor]

It's not only conductivity that is of concern, the 2nd part is "is it capacitive"... AS5 for example is capacitive.

http://www.arcticsilver.com/as5.htm

Arctic Silver 5 was formulated to conduct heat, not electricity. (While much safer than electrically conductive silver and copper greases, Arctic Silver 5 should be kept away from electrical traces, pins, and leads. While it is not electrically conductive, the compound is very slightly capacitive and could potentially cause problems if it bridges two close-proximity electrical paths.)

 

[rednecked_crake]

For the benefit of others who stumble upon this via Google, I also did the same silly thing after I put too much by accident. I used Arcticlean remover by putting a drop on a cotton bud / q-tip and carefully dabbing the area in the corner with it a few times, in-between using a dust blower to dry it and blow any microscopic debris away. Did this for 5 minutes, then applied the Arcticlean purifier to remove everything afterwards, same method. Repeated the whole thing twice and crossed my fingers, luckily escaped with no issues. Temps are fine, Intel Diagnostic tool reports fine, used Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut instead of Arctic Silver this time, spreading method.

 

[Jetster]

Just wipe it off

 

[lexluthermiester]

View attachment 108848


A very small amount, i tried to brush it off gently with my shirt, but there's still a little stain that can be seen, maybe someone with a worse eyesight wouldnt even notice,

Could this negatively affect overlocking? i installed a 212 cooler on top of it so it's kind of a hassle to clean it off now, but don't want a dead pc

You're fine. It's clean enough that it will never be a problem. Carry on.

 

[AsRock]

But if he tried to clean the pins he will damage them!?

Use a tooth brush .

 

[lexluthermiester]

Use a tooth brush .

Gently!! Very gently! Use 91%+ IPA.

 

[biffzinker]

Gently!! Very gently! Use 91%+ IPA.

I've used a toothbrush to clean off the baked on TIM when I de-lidded. Farther back it was for a Athlon XP 2500+. Somehow I transferred TIM from my hand to a few pins, cleaned off with Dawn, and a toothbrush.

 

[HUSKIE]

Problem solved. Thread closed.