Urgent! Cotton wool in cpu socket

[Kyle]

Hi I'm trying to to freak out but I did something stupid. I tried to clean my cpu socket with cotton wool and this happened (see attached pic)

 

[tinytomlogan]

No photo attached.

 

[Kyle]

There got link

 

[tinytomlogan]

You need to use the img link next time.


WTF were you doing cleaning the pins!?

 

[Kyle]

I know I'm kicking myself but will it still boot? I'm too scared to try

 

[dalewakelin]

As long as its non conductive it should boot, try using compressed air to get it out.

 

[Kyle]

Okay I don't have compressed air at the moment. Do you think it will get damaged until i get some?

 

[dalewakelin]

I wouldnt risk turning it on with that inside the pins, it could possibly catch fire if it got hot enough. It wont get any worse or better with time so dont worry. It should just blow out with compressed air.

 

[tinytomlogan]

Just try it. It wont work thats about all that will happen.

Youll need to pick it all out manually imho. Youd have to get in there with a needle or something and make sure you dont bend the pins.

 

[FTR.4500MHz]

Try with a very very soft toothbrush to comb it out. The ones children or people with sensitive gums use. But you need to be very very careful. (softest model avilible)
Compressed air could also work or make it worse if you blow the cotton in even deeper.
Also stop using the intel stock cpu cooler, which will avoid this kind of dust build-up, which will keep you from wanting to clean around the socket.

Cheers mate and good luck.

 

[KING_OF_SAND]

This may be a totally bad idea BUT couldn't you just take a lighter to it and burn out the cotton? Of course you will have to make sure it is not creating a significant flame and is not getting in the center but the pins are metal and the PCB is designed to take some heat. as long as you use little sprits of flame I cant see any downside.

But maybe I am out to lunch.

 

[FTR.4500MHz]

Wouldnt burning it leave some sort of gunk or residue ?

 

[UkGouki]

Wouldnt burning it leave some sort of gunk or residue ?

yup cotton wool when burnt leaves like a plastic ish residue.. i wouldnt risk it just get some compressed air.. i never seen anyone do this but i dont think the op is the 1st..

 

[SeekaX]

oh that made me chuckle, reminds me of the thermal paste on the socket stuff. meh we all do stupid stuff sometimes, try to pull it out, i doubt it's a good idea to try to run the CPU with the wool in the socket since the CPU gets hot and that could cause the wool to swelter. wouldn't even be sure if it would boot because the pins probably don't contact the socket.

 

[SeekaX]

This may be a totally bad idea BUT couldn't you just take a lighter to it and burn out the cotton? Of course you will have to make sure it is not creating a significant flame and is not getting in the center but the pins are metal and the PCB is designed to take some heat. as long as you use little sprits of flame I cant see any downside.

But maybe I am out to lunch.

mate that stuff would melt and stick to the socket. when you burn something there is always something left and you don't want that burned stuff in your socket.

 

[allen]

if it was me i would use a hoover and a tooth brush tbh a word of warning though DO NOT PUT TOOTH PASTE ON THE TOOTH BRUSH !!!!! this will only make things much MUCH worse

ooooooooooooo ive just thought VELCRO the sticky bit though !!!!

 

[FTR.4500MHz]

if it was me i would use a hoover and a tooth brush tbh a word of warning though DO NOT PUT TOOTH PASTE ON THE TOOTH BRUSH !!!!! this will only make things much MUCH worse

LoOoOoOoOoOoOoL !!! :lol:

 

[yassarikhan786]

Use a wooden tooth pick to carefully pry it out

 

[allen]

*coughs VELCRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dalewakelin]

Have you tried licking it? Nah im just joking, velcro might work