Found an unusual mark on the motherboard's backside.
Found an unusual mark on the motherboard's backside.
Hi there, sorry about the confusion. I noticed something unusual on my motherboard while installing a new hard drive. There seemed to be a "wet spot" near the backplate cutout, which made me wonder if the VRM was on the front. I also spotted another smaller area but didn’t capture a photo. Could this be normal or should I be worried? Thanks for checking.
It seems there might be some confusion about the condition of your VRM thermal pad. The issue could stem from oil spreading across components, which was a known problem on older MSI motherboards during the AMD FX era. Some users experienced damage, while others didn’t. Eventually, if the heat becomes too intense, replacing the thermal pad becomes necessary.
The material comes from the thermal pads in a thermal grease form. It isn't conductive and won't damage anything.
You shouldn't need to swap it out entirely. The thermal pads will eventually wear out, which is quite straightforward to handle. Purchase one from Thermal Grizzly, trim it to fit, and make sure to clean the area with isopropyl alcohol first. Unless you prefer to return the board, you might still encounter the same problem if they use identical pads. The situation depends on the material and composition of the pads. As mentioned earlier, some users have experienced complete board failures, but this newer model's pads could be different and non-conductive. We're still unsure about that.
It appears on the rear side because the design shows it there, but the image lacks detailed views. It might not be visible clearly, and since it’s not exposed, there’s no chance it could pass through the board.
The image shows my MSI 990FXa Gaming motherboard, one with a folded design. It looks like the solder joints aren't leaking through the PCB but instead through the mounting holes. There are small solder tabs holding components in place and allowing liquids to pass. The same issue seems to be affecting the other person.