BleepingComputer.com: Thermal Grease

I've been building my computer for about a month (hard to get cash). Ill be finishing this week and i have one question about my processor. I bought a Core 2 Duo 2.4 MHz processor. When i was putting taking the fan out of the box i got thermal grease on my finger. I picked up my processor and i got barely any on about 3 pins. i wiped it off with a clean shirt i found and i'm worried its not going to work. I have most of the computer built now (motherboard, processor, power supply, processor fan). I burned out the processor in my dell 4600 and whne itryed to start it wouldnt so i tested my theory on my half build. I put the processor in connected power supply and everything, and it turned on and everything whereas my dell didn't when the processor was fried. So basically what i'm asking is if my processor is ok? if it isint is there a solution to get the thermal grease off?

Thanks,
n0data

An old toothbrush and some rubbing alcohol should ease your worries. Careful not to bend any pins.
Mark

I think i didn't word myself correctly. The actual processor bottom got thermal grease on it (those flat, gold circles), not the mother board. And it's a 775. Can i use rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush on the gold circley flat things?

Thanks,
n0data

small wooden toothpicks, pieces of kleenex, maybe small q tip, and a little patience and very steady hands and good light

a small residue probably won't hurt but if the grease is conductive like artic silver get every bit off

I heard about arctic silver and it definatly isnt that. Its the stock stuff that comes with the fan. It's creamy and white , and a pain in the but to get off. I counted its beside me it has it on likeat least 10. and some half ones. but the computer still starts so it isnt fried right?

kay well i dont know what ineed toothpicks for but the cutips havent done anything. but the kleenex has cleaned about 2 and a half pins now im not sure if it really did or its my eyes but can i use anything else?

OK i called Intel's tech support line and the guy on there told me it's nothing to worry about and if the computer starts it should be fine. To be honest I trust you guys more than them =P

I'd still try a toothbrush. Maybe some contact cleaner spray from an electronics store
Mark

A soft toothbrush with rubbing alcohol (lot's of it!) and very gentle pressure (don't want to bend the pins). It'll come off - it just takes forever!

Is that ok for the pins? I heard they're really delicate on the processor and i dont wanna completely ruin it i payed 200 bucks and they dont give refunds where i got it. And its not the motherboard pins it's the ones on the bottom of the Core 2 Duo. Its a 775 if that means anything to help?

You should be alright. I had thermal grease rubbed all over many pins on my old pentium 4. I can't believe it still works! You should still clean it off

Alcohol won't hurt the processor (as long as you let it evaporate before putting it back in).
A soft toothbrush won't hurt as long as you're gentle!!! The point here is you don't want to bend the pins. If you use enough force to bend the pins - then you're using too much!!!

im trying right now with a toothbrush, some Q-Tips, and a paper towel. I think its gone but i dont know. I hope I'm ok. Thanks for the responses !

n0data

if its stock it should be fine but i would clean it. my friends exs installed her cpu and got the thermal compound all over the place and i mean everwere. over the gold fingers and inside the sockit holes it worked fine for years that way. im not saying its ok to keep it like that hehe do clean it but you shouldnt worry to mu8ch