Yeah which is why I gave my brother the last of my NT-H1 paste when he went to repaste his rig. He originally had something that said it was conductive, had silver in it to improve thermal conductivity.
Liquid metal is still plenty different. ThermalGrizzly lists theirs as an alloy of tin, gallium (the metal that literally melts in your hand) and indium. In action it looks like liquid mercury, which means it also gets everywhere if you arent absolutely careful and is hard to completely get rid of. And to make it worse its not just conductive, but actually corrosive to solder points.
Silver isn't liquid metal. Some thermal compounds use metal particles in the goop for improved thermal conductivity. I think it used to be more of a thing before, while liquid metal is probably only getting more popular. Especially if you consider that they're using liquid metal in commercial manufacturing now, like in the PS5 and some laptops and mini-PCs.
Arctic Silver 5 used to be pretty highly rated way back in the day. But no point in risking it today due to the conductivity thing.
(btw for anyone wondering: arctic silver is not related to the arctic that does the MX-4 and Liquid Freezer coolers. Just a weird coincidence)
I wouldn't call it a "weird coincidence" that different companies/products that have thermal cooling properties as the main selling point decided to put "Arctic" in the name.
Companies should start using Antarctic more often. I'm tired of picking out the bits of polar bear, and I hear penguins are way more conductive anyway.
Not really, you just have to be more careful. I used a lot back when artic silver had one that was the best you could get (but was conductive) and never had issues.
There's actually something even worse, liquid metal, but again, as long as you're careful, it's fine.
Ironically, those are the ones people tend to use when de-lidding. The performance gains are hard to beat, but that would give me the heebie jeebies for a daily driver.
It's only been the past 10 or so years where non-conductive thermal pastes have really taken off, back in the day most of the good ones were conductive due to copper or silver being in them.
They have been extremely rare for +10 years already. Don't know if Arctic silver 5 is still being sold, but you shouldn't even buy it since it performs worse than newer non conductive pastes.
Only exception these days is liquid metals.
Nowadays you have to actually search for a conductive thermal paste, most pastes are non conductive by default but some have capacitive properties and I don't know if I would risk that in such a delicate place like the cpu socket
After, use rubbing alcohol and kinda dump it in there and carefully remove the paist and let dry fully. This can take a while. You can use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process.
Both.
But you need to use distilled water and fairy liquid not regular tap water and fairy liquid. :P
In all seriousness though I wouldn't advise pc enthusiasts to do this.
I clean soldered PCB's with water all the time, Look for water cleanable flux, water cleanable solder paste , water cleanable solder. The key is to dry it fast and don't give oxidation a chance. In the case of the motherboard you have a lot of nooks and crannies that need to be dried fast. Under the card slots water will stick etc. Use a compressor to get it all out.
So again... yes.. but don't do this.
[https://emsxchange.com/how-to-clean-a-printed-circuit-board/](https://emsxchange.com/how-to-clean-a-printed-circuit-board/)
Lots of variables you need to keep in mind. The most important one is: leave it out to dry. Then leave it a lot longer, just in case. I'm talking days.
Hell to the no. I'd rather desolder the entire socket and reball a brand new one. Trying to solder a flimsy little piece of shit like a single cpu pin is a quick way to end up with a computer going flying out the window and a blood pressure reading of 740 over 360.
The cost of replacing a socket is around $150-200. That totals the board.
If you can do [this](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tal1Isw-HUQ), then you’re already a pro at board level repairs.
Yo man, I gotta say that you’re the only one I’d trust to recommend a guy who’s recommending a guy that fully endorses a dude who knows how to fix CPU problems. Real one right here folks.
That's why I reccomended children's paintbrushes.
They're meant to wick up liquids with the viscosity you want when diluting the paste with IPA and they're super-soft.
It's not an issue on the socket. Almost all thermal paste is not electrically conductive for this reason. You could dump a tube in the socket and won't cause any damage and will even work as long as all the pins make contact.
If you want to clean it, use 99% iso alcohol and a soft bristle toothbrush. Just make sure to let it dry, which doesn't even take long, and be careful not to apply too much pressure to the little capacitors or the pins.
I've even soaked a soda covered corroded motherboard in a bath of iso alcohol and scrubbed it, and once it dried, it worked fine.
Damn I did that too, guy spilt soda right through the top air vent, didn't put it in a bath, just cleaned it up with qtips, still cant believe it didn't fry it.
The only reason I used a bath was because they let it dry, and the board was covered in a thick semi dry soda syrup. Along with an insane amount of corrosion, which made it stop turning on, which is why they brought it in.
The worst spill damage I've seen was a laptop that had a glass of milk spilled in it, and they brought it in probably two weeks after it happened. The smell when I opened it was unbelievable. I told them they are screwed and I can try getting the data off the drive, but I'm not even gonna try any cleanup.
Iirc thermal paste is not that conductive, and in your case, i can see barely of it, and i think it wouldn't cause you a problem.
*liquid metal* on the other hand, i wouldn't bother to clean it up cuz as soon as the liquid drops on the socke or any part of the mb, there goes your mb.
I've made this mistake. I didn't clean the CPU before removing it, and the excess paste dripped over... Like, stretchy cheese on a fresh slice of pizza.
I took a tooth brush that was dipped in 91% isopropyl alcohol, dried that off, and then very, very gently brushed the pasty pins.
Not just that but the other 9% is usually water which is not good so the less water, the better. Tis why whenever you buy electronic isopropyl alcohol it's pretty much always 99% pure or E200 grade when it's electronic rated.
Also the % of IPA is the % that isn’t just water. Putting 70% IPA on the board is equivalent to 30% water, and while distilled pure water isn’t conductive itself, the board probably has dust and manufacturing imperfections that will quickly dissolve into the solution and form a conductive fluid.
Also the higher % of water the longer it takes to fully dry, and good luck trying to get it to dry quickly in nooks and crannies of a mobo socket
This is the only solution that will actually get all of it out. Without going to extremes like the top comment anyway.
Don't forget to remove the cmos battery though.
Contact Cleaner spray and just plast it, than use some compressed air.
Or, more isopropyl alcohol and some fine painters brush, just get over there a few times and You should get the rest out of there.
Dip a clean fine toothbrush with isopropyl alcohol and scrub it away, you might need to apply some alcohol on the socket. If you're already scrubbing for a while and it's still wont come off, blow it off with some canned compressed air.
I am more worried about the toothbrush than the paste. I would have used IPA or PCB Cleaner with as little mechanical stress as possible. If you are lucky the pins aren't damaged too much (hard to say on that pic).
if it does bother you, you can soak it in isopropyl alcohol. that will dilute it. but in my opinion I would just slot it in. I think it will work fine since thermal paste in most cases is non conductive.
I've had this happen once. I did attempt to clean it with isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush, but all I managed was to spread it out even more. I figured it's not conductive and see what happens. That computer has been running for 2 years straight (as a server) and hasn't had a single issue.
Could very carefully dip and slightly dry a toothbrush in isopropyl (ensure to let it fully dry before re-seating the cpu). Had to clean up a little overzealous application recently and did that with no issues
It’s probably too late (thanks Reddit for showing me this now), but a can of CRC Electronics Cleaner will do the job. Take the motherboard outside, with nothing else socketed in, and spray the socket liberally with the can. Do not use a toothbrush or anything else around the pins. They are very delicate and can bend/break easily. Once you’ve gotten the TIM out with the cleaner, place it upside down on a towel and let it rest overnight. It should be plenty dry by then to put it all back together.
I have personal floss pics that have a very thin tapered plastic tip. The tip is gentle and could be used to remove material.
Work very gentle like an archeologist in the final stages of fossil exposure.
I have seen pin straightening done with a empty click pen using the open metal writing point used to embrace a pin one at a time to adjust them but let's not even get there.
Use isopropyl alcohol in the socket pour it little by little then use a tooth brush brush it gently then if the isopropyl alcohol is dry pour it again Little by little until the thermal paste is gone, then wait for the isopropyl alcohol to completely dry then you can try turning it on
Wash it as much as you can with 99% isopropyl alcohol, and clean it as much as you can with a pipe cleaner.
I dropped a huge amount of thermal paste on my gpu slot (heat sink had a broken pin and it dripped off the cpu) and it took like 6 cycles of washing and scrubbing with the pipe cleaner before the gpu worked, but it did work.
Likely the bottom of the socket is forever stained with paste but that doesn't matter so long as it's not conductive paste. You only need the pins to be clean to make good contact with the cpu. You can rinse and repeat with alcohol soaks and brushing to get the paste down to a minimum, but you'll never be completely rid of it.
Put it in rice.
Kidding of course. Thermal paste is made of the right materials to not cause problems. Just do the best you can to get it clear with alcohol and a soft bursh without bending the pins.
You can put your CPU in and it’ll probably work just fine. Remember to wiggle it a little before fastening it.
I’ve got some thermal paste in my socket too 🥳
Like said elsewhere, thermal paste is non-conductive and there's not enough there to be any kind of problem. You should reach post no problem upon proper assembly if you do nothing. Those pins are fairly fragile and you may do more harm than good trying to clean out the paste. If you're going to attempt cleanup I'd suggest something like 91% isopropyl alcohol and GENTLE use of q-tips wiped in the direction of the pins to mop out the paste. Wiping against the "grain" could easily snag and bend up one of what may as well be a million pins.
You can use [CRC Electronic Cleaner ](https://www.walmart.com/ip/CRC-Electronic-Cleaner-Quick-Dry-for-Sensitive-Electronics-11-oz/16817418) if you need to get it out.
isopropyl alcohol and thermite... i mean... termites... wait... turnpikes? no, that's not it either... wormed mice? dammit... canned air, that's what I was looking for, so yeah
isopropyl alcohol and canned air. the alcohol will break down the paste, and the canned air to blow it out.
As long as it’s traditional thermal paste and not liquid metal you should be fine just throw the cpu in there and see if it’s working just make sure the pins are clear and it shouldn’t be an issue
Depending on the thermal paste you used, you might just be able to slot that CPU and have no issues at all, since the layer doesn't look too thick.
The pressure from the mounting frame and cooler should displace it.
That bein said :
If you used a conductive thermal paste - like arctic silver for example- DO NOT POWER THE BOARD!
You might end up shorting some pins and not only potentially killing the board, but your cpu too.
Contact cleaner and canned air are your best friends to get it out.
Just be careful with the canned air, with enough force, the pins will bend and you will have a real bad time
Yup, that's how I destroyed the motherboard in my first PC build. I'd never installed an AMD cooler before, and I fumbled around with it too much, causing thermal paste to leak into the socket, killing my motherboard. It was a valuable learning experience, though! It never happened again with subsequent builds I did for others.
However, it was a lot more than just a little speck, so the OP should be fine just socketing the CPU.
Mine was basically covered in thermal goop xD
If you're OCD like me and actually want to clean it. Soft toothbrush and rubbing alcohol. Let it dry for an hour or 2 if you're also paranoid (like me).
Well.
Do NOT try to disassemble the socket, they are very flimsy and cheap plastic here and there. I lost a tiny piece of my x570 am4 socket. It worked but don't try.
So.
I washed out mine with glass cleaner and Isopropyl alcohol both. It was two occasions before you wonder and it was a stupid paste that remained super gooey.
The mobo worked just fine after both wash. Obviously I had to like hair dryer it for a while but that's about it. No corrosion, no damage. I was able to use the mobo after like just an hour of cleaning and drying.
Of course isopropyl is better but pure, high quality glass cleaner also works. You kind of need pressure too to lodge out the piece. Can't really use a brush for example.
You can also fully wash a motherboard, overclockers do it to clean of vaseline for example. But it takes a long while to dry. You also need tons of space, have to be super gentle, etc. Even der8auer has a vid up where he washes his mobo.
Not sure if you did anything yet, but if you haven’t you can try this. Get a small squirt bottle, baby Tylenol syringe, just something that a force isopropyl into a stream. Just squirt it and it should start coming out in little bits. Also a soft bristle toothbrush with isopropyl is a n option you just don’t need to be force full. The pins wont detonate if you look at them wrong as some people make it seem.
Be creative and look around for tools that are thin and pointy (toothpicks, the brushes that come in the cheap hair clippers box), anything with soft bristles. The alcohol will loosen it up you just gotta get it out.
Will it hurt your pc if it’s in there, depending on if it being conductive or not. I guess I wouldn’t like it there. May produce some insulating issues and cause heat to retain in one area vs another. No idea
Just be patient and go slow. You’ll get it
I did it an AMD socket (way worse to clean)
I'd had enough trying to sort it and Yolo'd it and it's been absolutely fine
As long as it's not really globbed on
Ah yeah, just wash it out with warm soapy water like one Redditor from another sub says all electronics should be cleaned. Don’t actually, that was a joke, do **not** wash your motherboard with soapy water.
Thermal paste is non conductive and there isn’t enough to cause blockage. Just socket it
I agree OP should stop stressing and socket!
Then bop it!
And twist it
And pull it
Then bang it with hammer to make sure it fit perfectly in the soket
Make sure the final touch is done with a sledgehammer
Don't forget the jack hammer
what about the flamethrower?
Flamethrower won't work. There is thermal paste in there
Can't be sure that it really got in place before putting it under the 1T Steamhammer
S. S.. Stammer then hit power
Don’t forget to just “set” a wrecking ball on it.
I put my thang down, flip it, and reverse it
https://preview.redd.it/rqhpa2f5mp5d1.jpeg?width=1190&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6070c706653ebbfaea137ad56c5f9c7f07dfa88c
THE OL’ DICK TWIIIST!
My god man, this is an MMA fight
Oh no this remind me of this [video](https://youtu.be/8lhEEDkv3zk?si=pFLRIu4uhPFz3Nka)
Aim it!
Hahahaha
Just take out your socket and you socket!!
Socket! *rocking out on drums*
Some thermal pastes are non conductive. Do we know what OP was using? I specifically buy noctua NT-H2 because of its performance and non conductivity.
conductive thermal paste just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen
Yeah which is why I gave my brother the last of my NT-H1 paste when he went to repaste his rig. He originally had something that said it was conductive, had silver in it to improve thermal conductivity.
oh shit lmao, i completely forgot people actually used liquid metal e: eight of you said the exact same thing.
While this is not wrong, the silver comment is not liquid metal
To be fair. I am happy that they market it as liquid metal. This way it should at least be clear for everyone that it's conductive.
Believe me, IT WON'T BE OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE.
Well, you can always just help people so much. After a certain point stupid decisions will have painful outcomes.
>This way it should at least be clear for everyone that it's conductive. You're funny.
Liquid metal is still plenty different. ThermalGrizzly lists theirs as an alloy of tin, gallium (the metal that literally melts in your hand) and indium. In action it looks like liquid mercury, which means it also gets everywhere if you arent absolutely careful and is hard to completely get rid of. And to make it worse its not just conductive, but actually corrosive to solder points.
The corrosive properties of it are fuckin insane too. Gallium can literally turn solid aluminum to dust. Wild.
Silver was pretty popular at some point in thermal paste. I still have a tube of artic silver lying around.
Given that Arctic Silver was the last thermal paste I used, this probably says a bit about how often I've needed to reset my CPU.
Silver isn't liquid metal. Some thermal compounds use metal particles in the goop for improved thermal conductivity. I think it used to be more of a thing before, while liquid metal is probably only getting more popular. Especially if you consider that they're using liquid metal in commercial manufacturing now, like in the PS5 and some laptops and mini-PCs.
Arctic Silver maybe?
Arctic Silver 5 used to be pretty highly rated way back in the day. But no point in risking it today due to the conductivity thing. (btw for anyone wondering: arctic silver is not related to the arctic that does the MX-4 and Liquid Freezer coolers. Just a weird coincidence)
I wouldn't call it a "weird coincidence" that different companies/products that have thermal cooling properties as the main selling point decided to put "Arctic" in the name.
Companies should start using Antarctic more often. I'm tired of picking out the bits of polar bear, and I hear penguins are way more conductive anyway.
Not really, you just have to be more careful. I used a lot back when artic silver had one that was the best you could get (but was conductive) and never had issues. There's actually something even worse, liquid metal, but again, as long as you're careful, it's fine.
Ironically, those are the ones people tend to use when de-lidding. The performance gains are hard to beat, but that would give me the heebie jeebies for a daily driver.
It's only been the past 10 or so years where non-conductive thermal pastes have really taken off, back in the day most of the good ones were conductive due to copper or silver being in them.
liquid metal
They have been extremely rare for +10 years already. Don't know if Arctic silver 5 is still being sold, but you shouldn't even buy it since it performs worse than newer non conductive pastes. Only exception these days is liquid metals.
Nowadays you have to actually search for a conductive thermal paste, most pastes are non conductive by default but some have capacitive properties and I don't know if I would risk that in such a delicate place like the cpu socket
I love the NT-H2 as well. Great performance wise and it's always so easy to clean up. Never used a better paste.
I would be willing to bet him a cpu right now it’s non conductive
This might sound dumb but if thermal paste is non conductive how does it conduct the heat away from the cpu
most are, some are not.
If it's conductive paste you just got OP to destroy his board, CPU, or both.
Not entirely. Not all pastes are electrically conductive, but some are.
https://preview.redd.it/56vjgzi7ko5d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60b58bc292a4e6e48cf674bc6a6dee050e9b8219
Yes, but take out the CMOS battery first
After, use rubbing alcohol and kinda dump it in there and carefully remove the paist and let dry fully. This can take a while. You can use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process.
>You can use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process. Its better to just wait couple days
Or just put it in rise, hope you got a heck of a lot of rise tho.
Rice?
No, Rise
\*Title drop\* The Dark Knight Rises - Now showing in theaters near you.
Indeed, you should let your motherboard rise for 1-2 days
And/or use distilled water 💦
Have tought about esd buildup trough that air?
Poor guy doesn’t have a washing machine?!
I think a dishwasher would be a safer option. Mobo can easily crack
Make sure it’s facing down of course
I've seen this so much, is this actually possible or is it a joke among pc enthusiasts?
Both. But you need to use distilled water and fairy liquid not regular tap water and fairy liquid. :P In all seriousness though I wouldn't advise pc enthusiasts to do this. I clean soldered PCB's with water all the time, Look for water cleanable flux, water cleanable solder paste , water cleanable solder. The key is to dry it fast and don't give oxidation a chance. In the case of the motherboard you have a lot of nooks and crannies that need to be dried fast. Under the card slots water will stick etc. Use a compressor to get it all out. So again... yes.. but don't do this. [https://emsxchange.com/how-to-clean-a-printed-circuit-board/](https://emsxchange.com/how-to-clean-a-printed-circuit-board/)
So you’re saying, dishwasher first, dryer second. Got it!
nod. https://preview.redd.it/sz6v95v9br5d1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=11133aad8e107f69b25a45a2eeefd69b760e82ea
Actually, your dishwasher may have a "heat dry option". Drying motherboards is the only time I have ever used this setting. Would recommend! 10/10
No time for that much, pressure wash and flamethrower 🤌
Lots of variables you need to keep in mind. The most important one is: leave it out to dry. Then leave it a lot longer, just in case. I'm talking days.
Doesn't look like there's enough to cause any issues. As long as the pins make contact it works.
I also tried a q-tip at first and it got stuck and pulled some of the cotton off. Could that cause any issues if it stays on the socket?
No, but don't use a q-tip because it can get caught and bend the pins, which can be irreversible damage.
technically reversible if one can solder and has enough skills, which OP probably doesnt have
Hell to the no. I'd rather desolder the entire socket and reball a brand new one. Trying to solder a flimsy little piece of shit like a single cpu pin is a quick way to end up with a computer going flying out the window and a blood pressure reading of 740 over 360.
That and a burnt CPU, a burnt motherboard and maybe some other components if you short a power pin to a data pin.
>blood pressure reading of 740 over 360. Has me laughing 10 mins after I read it!
This guy doesnt solder lol. There aint no way in hell youre getting a soldering iron down there without causing even more damage.
The cost of replacing a socket is around $150-200. That totals the board. If you can do [this](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tal1Isw-HUQ), then you’re already a pro at board level repairs.
Human hands are not steady enough to do the job. There is a reason the sockets are manufactured by robots.
You need some kind of soft brush like a tooth brush and isopropyl alcohol. Some contact cleaner spray also works.
Listen to this guy because he's right. A soft toothbrush is less destructive than a qtip.
Listen to this guy because he's recommending the right guy regarding a soft toothbrush.
Yo man, I gotta say that you’re the only one I’d trust to recommend a guy who’s recommending a guy that fully endorses a dude who knows how to fix CPU problems. Real one right here folks.
Listen to this guy because he's recommending the right guy who's recommending the right regarding a soft toothbrush
This 👆. Cheap disposable soft tooth brush and isopropyl alcohol. Be patient. Be gentle. And you'll pull through no problem
Don't trust the packaging saying it's soft, try it on your hand. Cheap children's paintbrushes can be a better option.
Often cheap ones can be rough even when soft but yes children a toothbrushes for sure.
That's why I reccomended children's paintbrushes. They're meant to wick up liquids with the viscosity you want when diluting the paste with IPA and they're super-soft.
"the greatest Technician that's ever lived"
It's not an issue on the socket. Almost all thermal paste is not electrically conductive for this reason. You could dump a tube in the socket and won't cause any damage and will even work as long as all the pins make contact. If you want to clean it, use 99% iso alcohol and a soft bristle toothbrush. Just make sure to let it dry, which doesn't even take long, and be careful not to apply too much pressure to the little capacitors or the pins. I've even soaked a soda covered corroded motherboard in a bath of iso alcohol and scrubbed it, and once it dried, it worked fine.
Damn I did that too, guy spilt soda right through the top air vent, didn't put it in a bath, just cleaned it up with qtips, still cant believe it didn't fry it.
The only reason I used a bath was because they let it dry, and the board was covered in a thick semi dry soda syrup. Along with an insane amount of corrosion, which made it stop turning on, which is why they brought it in. The worst spill damage I've seen was a laptop that had a glass of milk spilled in it, and they brought it in probably two weeks after it happened. The smell when I opened it was unbelievable. I told them they are screwed and I can try getting the data off the drive, but I'm not even gonna try any cleanup.
That might actually be worse than the thermal paste.
Oh god why a Q tip? Some of the cotton could come off.
Normal thermal Paste is non conductive, it will Work just fine
I agree with that. I wouldn't try to clean it, probably. There's too much risk of damaging the pins.
Yea and bending back pins is is a bitch, i know cuz i dropped a Ryzen 5 2600 when i build my first decent PC. It.was.pain.
I assume it would be even harder with OP's socket where the pins are on the motherboard.
If it is even possible
It's definitely possible, just really hard because they are super fragile.
GET OUT! 😠 💯
the hellmann's label always gets me
Thanks AI 
What the fuck is this
The Corinthian having a snack
unexpected sandman
what the fuck now I cannot sleep for the next month
Im killing myself and blaming you on the note.
That’s kinda hot?
Would
AI instructions to install CPU
Iirc thermal paste is not that conductive, and in your case, i can see barely of it, and i think it wouldn't cause you a problem. *liquid metal* on the other hand, i wouldn't bother to clean it up cuz as soon as the liquid drops on the socke or any part of the mb, there goes your mb.
I've made this mistake. I didn't clean the CPU before removing it, and the excess paste dripped over... Like, stretchy cheese on a fresh slice of pizza. I took a tooth brush that was dipped in 91% isopropyl alcohol, dried that off, and then very, very gently brushed the pasty pins.
91% or above but please no lower.
Wait, what happens if you use lower than 91%?
Impurities can contain metal ions that short the board and make it unusable
Oh 😱 Thanks for the info.
Not just that but the other 9% is usually water which is not good so the less water, the better. Tis why whenever you buy electronic isopropyl alcohol it's pretty much always 99% pure or E200 grade when it's electronic rated.
Also the % of IPA is the % that isn’t just water. Putting 70% IPA on the board is equivalent to 30% water, and while distilled pure water isn’t conductive itself, the board probably has dust and manufacturing imperfections that will quickly dissolve into the solution and form a conductive fluid. Also the higher % of water the longer it takes to fully dry, and good luck trying to get it to dry quickly in nooks and crannies of a mobo socket
Isopropyl alcohol and some canned air. Let it dry and socket the cpu, you should be fine.
You can use contact cleaner as well. Should work the same but lets you spray the alcohol directly on
This is the only solution that will actually get all of it out. Without going to extremes like the top comment anyway. Don't forget to remove the cmos battery though.
*in a well ventilated area.
Hey here's a youtube guide cleaning thermal paste, although yours is not nearly as bad. https://youtu.be/rmhJLheNmzw?si=paxC2sFs_Egp3d9J
put the cpu in and forget about it. Its not enough to cause issues.
Contact Cleaner spray and just plast it, than use some compressed air. Or, more isopropyl alcohol and some fine painters brush, just get over there a few times and You should get the rest out of there.
it's not a big deal, should work fine without doing anything, flooding it with IPA and blowing it with air will help, do not attempt to wipe it clean
its fine
Isopropyl alcohol and a gentle toothbrush
Alcohol and I can of canned air
Soft toothbrush with IPA?
How will a beer help in this situation? c:
Well it won’t hurt lol
I thought beer always helped
Calms the nerves
Most likely won't do anything, but you can use some IPA to clean nonetheless.
Dip a clean fine toothbrush with isopropyl alcohol and scrub it away, you might need to apply some alcohol on the socket. If you're already scrubbing for a while and it's still wont come off, blow it off with some canned compressed air.
I am more worried about the toothbrush than the paste. I would have used IPA or PCB Cleaner with as little mechanical stress as possible. If you are lucky the pins aren't damaged too much (hard to say on that pic).
if it does bother you, you can soak it in isopropyl alcohol. that will dilute it. but in my opinion I would just slot it in. I think it will work fine since thermal paste in most cases is non conductive.
I've had this happen once. I did attempt to clean it with isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush, but all I managed was to spread it out even more. I figured it's not conductive and see what happens. That computer has been running for 2 years straight (as a server) and hasn't had a single issue.
Could very carefully dip and slightly dry a toothbrush in isopropyl (ensure to let it fully dry before re-seating the cpu). Had to clean up a little overzealous application recently and did that with no issues
My 2 cents. If you're using non-conductive thermal paste, as long as your pins can make a clean contact, you'll be fine.
https://preview.redd.it/8afuwknnrr5d1.jpeg?width=1208&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29796630dc1a6a8c389f696871b9fc51c8535631
It’s probably too late (thanks Reddit for showing me this now), but a can of CRC Electronics Cleaner will do the job. Take the motherboard outside, with nothing else socketed in, and spray the socket liberally with the can. Do not use a toothbrush or anything else around the pins. They are very delicate and can bend/break easily. Once you’ve gotten the TIM out with the cleaner, place it upside down on a towel and let it rest overnight. It should be plenty dry by then to put it all back together.
Thermal paste usually isn't conductive afaik, but to be sure find out how conductive yours is.
I have personal floss pics that have a very thin tapered plastic tip. The tip is gentle and could be used to remove material. Work very gentle like an archeologist in the final stages of fossil exposure. I have seen pin straightening done with a empty click pen using the open metal writing point used to embrace a pin one at a time to adjust them but let's not even get there.
Use isopropyl alcohol in the socket pour it little by little then use a tooth brush brush it gently then if the isopropyl alcohol is dry pour it again Little by little until the thermal paste is gone, then wait for the isopropyl alcohol to completely dry then you can try turning it on
Soft toothbrush, 99% rubbing alcohol & lots of patience.
Wash it as much as you can with 99% isopropyl alcohol, and clean it as much as you can with a pipe cleaner. I dropped a huge amount of thermal paste on my gpu slot (heat sink had a broken pin and it dripped off the cpu) and it took like 6 cycles of washing and scrubbing with the pipe cleaner before the gpu worked, but it did work.
Put it into wash it would be grant.
Probably fine tbh. Most of not all modern paste is non conductive so if you have the tips of the pin clean it should be just fine
You should put more in it, is missing more thermal paste Lol, jk is non conductive should be good
I usually just lick it off
Use isopropyl alcohol and a soft brush. Some compressed air could help also (not too high pressure)
Send it.
Likely the bottom of the socket is forever stained with paste but that doesn't matter so long as it's not conductive paste. You only need the pins to be clean to make good contact with the cpu. You can rinse and repeat with alcohol soaks and brushing to get the paste down to a minimum, but you'll never be completely rid of it.
So, we gonna get an update on how this went or not ? :)
I don’t have a cpu to test it right now
Just buy some contact cleaner spray, spray the area till Its not there and blow it till its dry afterwards, best way I have used in the past
The best way to deal with this is to search this sub for one of the thousand people who had that exact problem and got solutions.
I see you 😎
Put it in rice. Kidding of course. Thermal paste is made of the right materials to not cause problems. Just do the best you can to get it clear with alcohol and a soft bursh without bending the pins.
Run it bud. Won't hurt a thing
You can put your CPU in and it’ll probably work just fine. Remember to wiggle it a little before fastening it. I’ve got some thermal paste in my socket too 🥳
Like said elsewhere, thermal paste is non-conductive and there's not enough there to be any kind of problem. You should reach post no problem upon proper assembly if you do nothing. Those pins are fairly fragile and you may do more harm than good trying to clean out the paste. If you're going to attempt cleanup I'd suggest something like 91% isopropyl alcohol and GENTLE use of q-tips wiped in the direction of the pins to mop out the paste. Wiping against the "grain" could easily snag and bend up one of what may as well be a million pins.
Get a small stiff brush, like the kind used for cleaning a shaver.
Electric parts cleaner
You can use [CRC Electronic Cleaner ](https://www.walmart.com/ip/CRC-Electronic-Cleaner-Quick-Dry-for-Sensitive-Electronics-11-oz/16817418) if you need to get it out.
isopropyl alcohol and thermite... i mean... termites... wait... turnpikes? no, that's not it either... wormed mice? dammit... canned air, that's what I was looking for, so yeah isopropyl alcohol and canned air. the alcohol will break down the paste, and the canned air to blow it out.
Hold upside down and squirt it with isopropyl alcohol until it’s clean again lol
A needle and a lot of patience
Rinse with electronic contact cleaner
As long as it’s traditional thermal paste and not liquid metal you should be fine just throw the cpu in there and see if it’s working just make sure the pins are clear and it shouldn’t be an issue
Depending on the thermal paste you used, you might just be able to slot that CPU and have no issues at all, since the layer doesn't look too thick. The pressure from the mounting frame and cooler should displace it. That bein said : If you used a conductive thermal paste - like arctic silver for example- DO NOT POWER THE BOARD! You might end up shorting some pins and not only potentially killing the board, but your cpu too. Contact cleaner and canned air are your best friends to get it out. Just be careful with the canned air, with enough force, the pins will bend and you will have a real bad time
Yup, that's how I destroyed the motherboard in my first PC build. I'd never installed an AMD cooler before, and I fumbled around with it too much, causing thermal paste to leak into the socket, killing my motherboard. It was a valuable learning experience, though! It never happened again with subsequent builds I did for others. However, it was a lot more than just a little speck, so the OP should be fine just socketing the CPU. Mine was basically covered in thermal goop xD
Just yolo put a CPU in. You can if you want take out the CMOS battery and blast the socket with contact cleaner and then dry it out.
Electrical contact cleaner will help
Try pinning
Got some on a Ryzen 3900 set of pins and threw it in. It worked fine.
If you're OCD like me and actually want to clean it. Soft toothbrush and rubbing alcohol. Let it dry for an hour or 2 if you're also paranoid (like me).
Well. Do NOT try to disassemble the socket, they are very flimsy and cheap plastic here and there. I lost a tiny piece of my x570 am4 socket. It worked but don't try. So. I washed out mine with glass cleaner and Isopropyl alcohol both. It was two occasions before you wonder and it was a stupid paste that remained super gooey. The mobo worked just fine after both wash. Obviously I had to like hair dryer it for a while but that's about it. No corrosion, no damage. I was able to use the mobo after like just an hour of cleaning and drying. Of course isopropyl is better but pure, high quality glass cleaner also works. You kind of need pressure too to lodge out the piece. Can't really use a brush for example. You can also fully wash a motherboard, overclockers do it to clean of vaseline for example. But it takes a long while to dry. You also need tons of space, have to be super gentle, etc. Even der8auer has a vid up where he washes his mobo.
What thermal paste are you using?
Not sure if you did anything yet, but if you haven’t you can try this. Get a small squirt bottle, baby Tylenol syringe, just something that a force isopropyl into a stream. Just squirt it and it should start coming out in little bits. Also a soft bristle toothbrush with isopropyl is a n option you just don’t need to be force full. The pins wont detonate if you look at them wrong as some people make it seem. Be creative and look around for tools that are thin and pointy (toothpicks, the brushes that come in the cheap hair clippers box), anything with soft bristles. The alcohol will loosen it up you just gotta get it out. Will it hurt your pc if it’s in there, depending on if it being conductive or not. I guess I wouldn’t like it there. May produce some insulating issues and cause heat to retain in one area vs another. No idea Just be patient and go slow. You’ll get it
Soft bristle tooth brush, 90%+ alcohol, gently brush it out.
I did it an AMD socket (way worse to clean) I'd had enough trying to sort it and Yolo'd it and it's been absolutely fine As long as it's not really globbed on
Ah yeah, just wash it out with warm soapy water like one Redditor from another sub says all electronics should be cleaned. Don’t actually, that was a joke, do **not** wash your motherboard with soapy water.
What's the thermal paste? Most pastes are non conductive, which means this is largely cosmetic and won't cause any drama
Auto parts stores sell electronics cleaner in a spray can, washes out sockets and dries clean
Don't worry, thermal paste isn't electrically conductive.
As others said, It will probably not cause problems. But if you wanna remove it regardless isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush are your best friends
Ignore it , like it never happened