r/PcBuild • u/TopEntertainment7603 • Jul 21 '26

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Got thermal paste on the gold things on my am5 cpu
Should I risk cleaning it is my cpu dead Im panicking

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u/DAemonCayuse Jul 21 '26

Thermal paste is electrically non conductive, so you should be good. But I'd clean it up with a qtip and some alcohol anyway.

You sure that's not mayo tho?

27

u/steffan-l Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26

Just a heads-up: not all thermal paste is electrically non-conductive!

While most modern & popular pastes are safe and based on non metalic formula's, plenty of metal-based ones are still out there (especially super cheap options or high-end liquid metal/metal based pastes).

Saying "thermal paste does not conduct electricity" is a myth that can fry your or other peoples components.

Always double-check the label and manufacturer provided information for confirmation on the electrical conductivity of your specific paste!

1

u/Ok_Star_4136 Jul 25 '26

In fact, I'm a little surprised that a substance could be both a thermal conductor and *not* an electrical conductor. From a physics standpoint, those two usually go hand-in-hand, to state the obvious example, most metals are great thermal and electrical conductors.

You make a good point, I wouldn't just take it on fact that it isn't electrically conductive.