I'm building my first PC and accidentally got some Arctic MX-6 thermal paste on the motherboard below the third and fourth RAM slots. The board is an MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk MAX WiFi. The paste appears to be on the exposed board area and near a small component/contact, but not inside the RAM slots. Should I clean it before finishing the build, or is it safe to power on? I want to be certain it won't damage the motherboard now or cause problems later.
2 Answers
Arctic MX-6 is non-conductive, so a small amount on the motherboard surface shouldn’t short anything. It’s mainly a cosmetic mess unless it got inside a RAM slot or onto a connector. You can finish the build and test it, but let the paste dry and avoid pressing or scraping components.
If you want to remove it, use a lint-free swab lightly dampened with 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol. Don’t soak the board, scrub hard, or try to pry around the tiny component or gold contact. Let the alcohol completely evaporate before powering on. Paste sitting on the board surface or over a small fixed component is very unlikely to damage it; paste inside the RAM slot is the part worth checking carefully.
Yes, assuming it’s only on the surface and not between slot contacts or inside a connector. The component and exposed contact won’t normally be damaged by non-conductive MX-6. Cleaning is optional, but use minimal pressure if you decide to do it.
It isn’t inside the RAM slots. It’s only on the square component and nearby gold-colored contact visible in the photo. Is leaving it there still safe?