Please let me know: black material found on the back of the motherboard
Please let me know: black material found on the back of the motherboard
I'm working on upgrading my PSU and thought about deep cleaning my system. After removing my motherboard (MSI x470 gaming plus), I found this black material on the back (refer to the picture). I don't know what it is, but I'm sure the board is working properly and I haven't had any issues before. Have anyone encountered this before? Should I be concerned? Thanks in advance.
how it got there? you install mobo on the case standoffs. There's nothing behind it but space. could be leaking capacitors from the audio codec
at which point we're in at the deep end. needs one of those electronics peeps like Northridge fix or Tronixfix.
It sort of looks like surface goop can see if it can be wiped off with q tips and iso alcohol or acetone. But it also looks like something could be wicking under the surface coating of the board.
The electrolyte from capacitors I believe is potassium hydroxide which is corrosive but I don't see any green oxidation or moisture dmg maybe it's just a case of 'yet'.
Are there any bulging capacitors on the other side of the board? Photo of board:
Msi x470 gaming plus
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The region on the topside looks a lot like the audio codec, populated by capacitors hence, suspicions.
Normal people who have never touched a soldering iron in their life, or read the value of a capacitor are usually stuck at sutch a juncture.
Could it be related to the VRMs? Might it simply be thermal paste oil.
If you haven't spilled anything on it, then it's likely just residual flux from when the board was manufactured. They typically run all components through a cleaner before shipping from the factory, though sometimes the cleaning isn't as thorough as needed. You can usually remove some of it with alcohol and a cloth if it bothers you. If not, don't be concerned. I've noticed this on several boards in the past; I clean it just to avoid seeing it, but it shouldn't be a problem.
It wasn't there before during installation because it leaked from the capacitors. It's unclear if we inspect the boards thoroughly before putting them in. Usually I don't spin things first; just check the front and back.
If it can be wiped off using IsoAlcohol and Q tips (which aren't always available) or possibly acetone (more likely to be present), then for surface coating leaks you'd need electronics expertise to renew the caps and clean the traces.
A nearby shop might have a queue of devices. You could test if it's removable with a Q tip; if not, join the line.
In any case, if the caps are slightly bulging, it likely started leaking recently. I don't know how old the board is, but it seems to have happened before in our range. It hasn't worsened much and might be fixable by someone with experience. If it costs around $20 or $30 for a quick repair by a quick fit fitter, that would be ideal. Not sure if this is typical.
Enough said. Already suited for a quick fit fitter style. A new or recent tech generation means we're dealing with quirks.
For those who haven't seen the search light yet, keep looking—you'll find it.
They might not have realized it, many people rarely inspect the backside of a board before installing parts or testing it. It could also be more obvious now due to dust accumulation. You could try using vodka or another good quality liquor, though I’d recommend following up with some window cleaner if you go that way.
it seems like flux. On Reddit people mention flux. Maybe the small bump in the audio capacitors is a sign of another issue because some use cheaper parts. If that’s the case, recap with better ones. That’s the electronic side. At least if your audio acts odd, you’ll know what to check.