This is my first PC build, and I was installing an Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro cooler. Only one mounting screw would catch at first, so I repeatedly loosened it and tried to realign the mount. During that process, a small amount of thermal paste spread onto the tiny components or diodes beside the CPU socket. I can't attach a photo, but the paste isn't visibly covering the socket pins. Is the system still safe, and should I try to clean it off?
1 Answer
On AM5 systems, some paste around the CPU’s exposed substrate can be fairly normal because of the shape of the heat spreader. The important thing is that there isn’t a large amount inside the socket or coating the pins and preventing contact. If the paste is only on the nearby components, the computer should be fine.
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