Processors

[michaelx]

Hi,

AMD Ryzen 5 2600X - Is the Thermal Compound conductive? Because i got something on my CPU Pins

Do i have to clean it or is it no problem if i leave it like this?

[misterj]

michaelx, I do not know if it is conductive,  but I strongly advise you to get some 99% isopropyl alcohol and thoroughly clean it off.  Enjoy, John.

[misterj]

michaelx, the pins are very small diameter and very fragile.  I would not use a screwdriver on them.  Enjoy, John.

[dacq]

No. It sounds as if too much paste was used but it's not a disaster. Just something unwanted.

You can use a small screwdriver to put one rice-grain-size blob of thermal paste on the CPU near the center and it will cover the two or three areas where the processor dies are as the paste will spread out when the cooler is placed on it. Thermal paste was designed to fill in the tiny cracks between the heatspreader (CPU casing) and the cooler, not as a primary heat-transfer compound. Too much paste does more harm than good so it's not needed in the corners. Use the small screwdriver to straighten any bent pins too. Renew the paste every 12–18 months.

Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut is a very good paste.

[elstaci]

Depends on the type of Thermal paste you use. Most are Non-Conductive and states it on the tube or website. Some are conductive called Liquid Metal type like Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut.

But is best to clean the processor's pins, if affected, with 90%+ Isopropyl Alcohol using a soft brush like a soft toothbrush to remove all non-conductive paste from the pins. Otherwise it make get inside the Motherboard's socket preventing the processor's pin from working correctly.

Need to just put a very slim layer of paste on the processors IHS. I put a dab on my processor and used a Credit Card to evenly and thinly spread the paste on the processor.