Computer won’t boot after applying thermal paste

bootcpu

I don't know what's wrong. My computer was on a bench and I used thermal paste (probably too much of it at first) and my computer still worked. But after I put everything back in the tower it didn't boot up.

I took the CPU out and noticed that some bits of it got on the chip but not the side that touches the pins. Did this damage the CPU? And I also didn't wear any grounding gear, did I static shock it? I held it by its sides with my bare hands (though it was still working after I held it for paste the first time).

I put the CPU and fan on another motherboard and still it doesn't boot. And it worked fine before and after putting thermal paste on. I tried as suggested by some to lessen some of the paste and clean some of it off the CPU's top metal plate, but still nothing. Is it ok to clean the chip part of the CPU with rubbing alcohol? What about the side that touches the pins?

Another question: Putting the CPU fan back on feels like I'm putting a lot of pressure on the board, does this damage it?

Any ideas? Did I kill my CPU?

Best Answer

If you follow the above mentioned criteria;

  • Always use anti-static wrist bands
  • Use very little thermal paste
  • Be careful of cleaning, this can cause static energy too.
  • Whats "alot of pressure". Yes, you need some pressure, but not alot.

You should be fine. However, I'd like to touch on a few things, beginning with the anti-static wrist bands and overwhelming amount of blame a static discharge gets. I've been working in the electronics industry for well over 15 years, in all my years, I might have come across 10 instances where static electricity could have been the cause. Am I saying you shouldn't invest in wrist bands? No. What I am saying is, its good to be aware of the potential threat a static discharge can have on motherboard components, but I wouldn't wrap yourself in static bags and anti-static boots, and clamp yourself to an anti static wrist band.

When he/she said "Use very little thermal paste" it's no joke. Believe it or not, if you coat the cpu chip just enough to where you can see the information on the chip through the thermal paste, you got it on just about right. Less than paper thin, almost a hazing, is good for most CPU thermal paste applications. Typically, if I'm going to clean and apply new thermal, I first unseat the CPU, clean it thoroughly with alcohol or other non-aggressive cleaners, get everything shiny and new (including around the edges). Then, I reseat the processor chip, apply my paste, and put it all back together for a test run.

The majority of the time its a success and your off to the races. Sometimes though, things go wrong, when that happens, remember a little less thermal is never a bad thing.

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