School boy error

AfrogoatST · 25 Aug 2016 at 12:56

Hello I was building my new Pc last night and made the error when installing my Antec Kuhler 1200 Pro AIO CPU cooler of applying the paste and seating it on the processor and tightening the bolts to realise I'd left the plastic strip on the copper face.

I quickly took it off and removed the plastic strip added a bit more thermal paste and re fastened.

Did I do the right thing or am I going to encounter future problems now?

Thanks in advance!

Tealc · 25 Aug 2016 at 12:58

Leaving it on would have been the bad thing to do. If all traces of the plastic are gone then you'll be fine. I'd have removed all existing paste from both surfaces.

Did you switch the computer on?

Heisenberg · 25 Aug 2016 at 12:59

Why would you encounter future problems after reapplying the cooler correctly?

Jony27 · 25 Aug 2016 at 13:09

Unless you switched the PC on, applied extra voltage to the CPU and overclocked it, I don't see any future problems apart from temperature due to too much paste now since you added extra to the pre applied one.

AfrogoatST · 25 Aug 2016 at 13:14

No the computer didn't get switched on, the paste was still wet when I took the plastic off and I only reapplied a small amount of paste. I guess I'm just going to have to monitor the temperature when I finally finish building it tonight. Thanks for putting my mind at ease.

Hagar · 25 Aug 2016 at 16:36

I did this with an AMD K5 processor many years back, took me a while to realize. The next day in fact when it was running very hot.

Chances are nowadays it would just throttle and then turn off. Most processors have auto protection against overheating.