Leaking VRM Pads? Help

[Apollyon2020]

Not sure what's going on, I've been noticing this a few months now. Been cleaning the surrounding VRM heatsinks with isopropyl alcohol. It looks good for a month or 2 and then it comes back. What's going on any ideas? I hope it's not time for a new motherboard... This board is I believe 2 years old now. Thanks in advance.

[Apollyon2020]

This is after cleaning the surrounding area of the VRMs. There was other tiny spots but I wasn't able to get in there. The back is clean too, just didn't take a photo to show.

[RobFRaschke]

I would presume it's just flux from the surface mount soldering working out with heat cycles, but I'd be surprised if it's still leaching after 2 years.

[Apollyon2020]

Yeah I'm confused on what it is too. I've been reading around, others have said it might be a leaky thermal pad... Or maybe the thermal paste on the thermal pad coming out? Not sure how MSI does it, but maybe that's how they did it? I've seen this sort of weird wet residue, or oil, whatever it is on EVGA video cards. Other's have said it's the thermal pads EVGA uses on their cards doing that. Maybe same thing on the MSI boards? It's just frustrating... I clean the residue around the VRMs and behind the board twice now, and it just keeps coming back. Did a stress test after cleaning the surrounding area just now with Prime95 and wait 10 minutes. MOS temp reached 84 degree's celsius. After stopping the stress test, the temp did come down rather quickly. Now the MOS is sitting at 48 degree's.

 

[RobFRaschke]

Is that an overclocked 9900K stressing the vrm that hard? 84 under load is pretty warm!

[Apollyon2020]

18 minutes ago, RobFRaschke said:

Is that an overclocked 9900K stressing the vrm that hard? 84 under load is pretty warm!

Nope stock lol. Well to be fair... My AC broke yesterday and getting a new one today. So the MOS temp is with no AC in the house lol. Even then, stress testing brings the MOS temp I think to 60ish. 84 is high I agree, but even 60ish shouldn't be a problem. I hear these VRM's can run at 100 degree's with no ill signs. So what type of cheap thermal pads did MSI put on this $400 board If that's the issue, which seems like it is.

[Apollyon2020]

Unless it's flux like what you said? Why 2 years later and now it shows itself? It beats me lol...

[RobFRaschke]

If it hasn't been happening since day 1, it's not flux. That would have started from the first heat cycle. And yeah, 84 is completely safe, just higher than usual. 60s with a normal room temp for ambient is more what I would except to see from a MEG ACE grade board. And leaching from thermal pads isn't unheard of at all, it's actually more likely in a higher performance thermal pad than from a cheap one. As I recall, especially Philips.

[Apollyon2020]

5 minutes ago, RobFRaschke said:

If it hasn't been happening since day 1, it's not flux. That would have started from the first heat cycle. And yeah, 84 is completely safe, just higher than usual. 60s with a normal room temp for ambient is more what I would except to see from a MEG ACE grade board. And leaching from thermal pads isn't unheard of at all, it's actually more likely in a higher performance thermal pad than from a cheap one. As I recall, especially Philips.

Yeah my board is a MSI MEG Z390 ACE. Cleaning around the tiny heatsinks for the VRMs shouldn't ruin the thermal pads right? I'm at the point of giving up to clean it to be honest lol. Cleaned it last time, and it just came back anyway lol. I know isoproply alcohol cleans off thermal paste, just not sure on how thermal pads behave. Would it be an issue if some of that alcohol found it's way under the vrm heatsinks or thermal pad? Considering how quick alcohol dries lol.

[WereCatf]

13 minutes ago, Apollyon2020 said:

OP losing their shit over a minor thing

You know, you could've just googled this. Some thermal pads leak, it's nothing to worry about. Obsessing about it and constantly cleaning your mobo and stuff like that is just silly when spending 30 seconds googling would've cleared the situation up.

[Apollyon2020]

2 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

You know, you could've just googled this. Some thermal pads leak, it's nothing to worry about. Obsessing about it and constantly cleaning your mobo and stuff like that is just silly when spending 30 seconds googling would've cleared the situation up.

I have googled it, and nothing really comes up. Clearly why I came here to ask. Considering someone on here must of seen this issue, or have experienced it themselves. Maybe it's minor to you, but not for me. I don't understand why you had the need to post a comment if your intent wasn't a positive one. Anyways, thanks.

[WereCatf]

3 minutes ago, Apollyon2020 said:

I don't understand why you had the need to post a comment if your intent wasn't a positive one.

I apologize, my intention wasn't to sound like an asshole. My intention was to inform you that such a leakage is a minor thing, only cosmetic, and you have nothing to worry about it.

[Apollyon2020]

Just now, WereCatf said:

I apologize, my intention wasn't to sound like an asshole. My intention was to inform you that such a leakage is a minor thing, only cosmetic, and you have nothing to worry about it.

If it's normal, then I'm cool with it. Just never had this before and thought it was some 'MSI' thing. Same way how EVGA's thermal pads leak. Wasn't sure about VRMs doing this. Anyhow, no worries and thanks for clearing it up.

[Haro]

7 minutes ago, Apollyon2020 said:

Same way how EVGA's thermal pads leak

Yes just thermal paste from the thermal pads, doesn't mean it's cheap, it happens with most if not all boards, it's not conductive so it won't hurt anything. 

[Apollyon2020]

Just now, TofuHaroto said:

Yes just thermal paste from the thermal pads, doesn't mean it's cheap, it happens with most if not all boards, it's not conductive so it won't hurt anything. 

Good to know. Well I guess cleaning the surrounding area with isopropyl alcohol is pretty much useless lol. If any of the isopropyl got under the thermal pads, it shouldn't effect it right? Considering how quick the alcohol dries.

[Haro]

3 minutes ago, Apollyon2020 said:

If any of the isopropyl got under the thermal pads, it shouldn't effect it right? Considering how quick the alcohol dries.

I mean probably won't, you can check the vrm temps afterwards and see if it did or not. 

[RobFRaschke]

12 hours ago, Apollyon2020 said:

Good to know. Well I guess cleaning the surrounding area with isopropyl alcohol is pretty much useless lol. If any of the isopropyl got under the thermal pads, it shouldn't effect it right? Considering how quick the alcohol dries.

You won't degrade the pads from a little alcohol hitting the sides.