Have you guys seen this? (white residue on video card; motherboard slot)

[Paradox]

So here i went and got a new, "cheap" gaming comp. Having learned my lesson at buying premade ones for quite a bit of money i thought i was having a deal of a lifetime when i got one for as cheap as a laptop and then good guy nvidia makes a gtx 1050ti.

It was all fun AND games quite literally, till the card stopped working... and it's not even a MONTH old. So i've got 2 questions.

What the F is this?

And how do i prevent it from happening...? cuz the thing keeps me from my fun and games! xD

Trash it or is there a way to fix with "rubbing alcohol"?

ew[imgur.com]

I forgot to take pics of the motherboard... but pretty much the same stuff is IN the slot... so... even if i could somehow clean the card, how do i clean the mobo part?! ...

[upcoast]

Haven't seen any of that on mine but if I had to guess I'd say it's some type of corrosion or someone had really dirty fingers touching it while they put it in but I guess that would be corrosion too.

http://www.overclock.net/t/759934/whats-the-best-way-to-clean-gpu-contacts

[Paradox]

Originally posted by upcoast:

Haven't seen any of that on mine but if I had to guess I'd say it's some type of corrosion or someone had really dirty fingers touching it while they put it in but I guess that would be corrosion too.

http://www.overclock.net/t/759934/whats-the-best-way-to-clean-gpu-contacts

Oh, i think this is gonna help, however, i did forget to mention... ah, but i'll edit the post for that. thank for link!

[rookie]

Try some 70% Isopropyl rubbing alcohol applied with a Q-tip. Use a coffee filter to wipe the area dry and remove the substance. The coffee filter wont leave any fibers behind like a cloth or cotten swab.

If that fails try a pencil eraser to rub that subtance off the copper contacts. Rub in the direction of the contacts.

For the motherboard slot the only thing I can think of is electric motor cleaner. Spray into the slot while holding the motherboard almost upside down. Do this in a well ventilated area (outside) and away from any open flames.

[Paradox]

Originally posted by rookie:

Try some 70% Isopropyl rubbing alcohol applied with a Q-tip. Use a coffee filter to wipe the area dry and remove the substance. The coffee filter wont leave any fibers behind like a cloth or cotten swab.

If that fails try a pencil eraser to rub that subtance off the copper contacts. Rub in the direction of the contacts.

For the motherboard slot the only thing I can think of is electric motor cleaner. Spray into the slot while holding the motherboard almost upside down. Do this in a well ventilated area (outside) and away from any open flames.

Sweet! thank you much sir! Will try asap.

[Fluffy]

Originally posted by upcoast:

Haven't seen any of that on mine but if I had to guess I'd say it's some type of corrosion or someone had really dirty fingers touching it while they put it in but I guess that would be corrosion too.

http://www.overclock.net/t/759934/whats-the-best-way-to-clean-gpu-contacts

+1 any time you have electrical connectors they are prone to corrosion example the connectors on the post of a car battery not acid but corrosion from 2 diff. charged metals touching.. the card or the slot is using a cheaper metal most likely

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Must be either cheap quality Motherboard or GPU; to which I must say I have not seen this occur in all the systems I've had come through my hands in recent years (which would be many thousands) I think the last time I saw this kind of issue, the Motherboard had an AGP slot on it (that should give you an idea)

Unless perhaps its the contacts on that GPU that is the problem. But generally, both GPU contacts and the pinned contacts inside a PCIE-Slot should both be Gold; so this doesn't occur.

[Paradox]

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

Must be either cheap quality Motherboard or GPU; to which I must say I have not seen this occur in all the systems I've had come through my hands in recent years (which would be many thousands) I think the last time I saw this kind of issue, the Motherboard had an AGP slot on it (that should give you an idea)

Unless perhaps its the contacts on that GPU that is the problem. But generally, both GPU contacts and the pinned contacts inside a PCIE-Slot should both be Gold; so this doesn't occur.

well, ♥♥♥♥. i will take this to heart, since i guess in a way, i get what i pay for. HOWEVER. last card i saw this happen to, to the point where the white thingy spread to the mobo AND the power supply, was a really nice motherboard... and card.

maybe (back then) it was the oc bs. or bios settings. i'd imagine...

[Arya]

What's the humidity like where you're at?

Because that looks a lot like Bathroom Mould to me.

[Paradox]

Originally posted by 狼 Wolfey:

What's the humidity like where you're at?

Because that looks a lot like Bathroom Mould to me.

lmao. gross. we like to keep the temp in the house in the 70s... but idk about humidity...imma have to keep an eye on that too. till. a month was how long it took to get this way so... yeah, whatever it is, it gets to this point, fast.

[Arya]

Sounds about right for bathroom mould.

I would clean it off with Isopropyl as Badmother suggested, and then see if it reappeared. Or if the card even works.

Also, see if you can find a cheap Alarm Clock with a humidity metre. You should be able to get one for <$10 and it'll help confirm or deny my suspicions about mould.

[Paradox]

Originally posted by 狼 Wolfey:

Sounds about right for bathroom mould.

I would clean it off with Isopropyl as Badmother suggested, and then see if it reappeared. Or if the card even works.

Also, see if you can find a cheap Alarm Clock with a humidity metre. You should be able to get one for <$10 and it'll help confirm or deny my suspicions about mould.

well, i kinda just went and exchanged the card... but i did use the alcohol to clean the mobo slot. and ♥♥♥♥ yeah mang, i might also have to look into that humidity thing. but for now... i think problem is solved. xD

[Arya]

I hope so. Good luck.

I wish I could be more help, but this is the strangest PC problem I've ever had. And I say that as somebody who had to use an Angle-Grinder to fix their PC only last night.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Originally posted by 狼 Wolfey:

What's the humidity like where you're at?

Because that looks a lot like Bathroom Mould to me.

No, it's white and chalky build-up. I've seen it quite it bit with electronics and car battery and such over the years. But I really have to say it's been long time since I've seen someone have this issue with PC hardware.

I never suggested Isopropyl in here.

I wouldn't really suggest rubbing alcohol for this issue; you need a decent contact cleaner.
Contact cleaner is better and once it's been used on gold or copper, can help prevent this from occurring again, at least in the short-term. The reason behind using an eraser to clean off metal contacts, is due to the fact doing so actually breaks the oxidation. Eraser can be used to clean up a contact and then act as a oxidation seal/coating. You do that after a "wet" cleaner type. If the issue is not too bad (like say just on the GPU-side contacts) you could use just an eraser alone to clean that up. An eraser like this > http://www.bloomize.com/img/eraser-papermate.jpg

If you have to spray contact cleaner in the PCI/PCIE slot; ensure that gets dried properly; like with an air blower.

While it is usually not a big deal using such products (Rubbing Alcohol / Contact Cleaner) on say a GPU or Motherboard; it is always a good idea to ensure they are fully dry before ever re-applied power to them again.

[Paradox]

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

Originally posted by 狼 Wolfey:

What's the humidity like where you're at?

Because that looks a lot like Bathroom Mould to me.

No, it's white and chalky build-up. I've seen it quite it bit with electronics and car battery and such over the years. But I really have to say it's been long time since I've seen someone have this issue with PC hardware.

I never suggested Isopropyl in here.

I wouldn't really suggest rubbing alcohol for this issue; you need a decent contact cleaner.
Contact cleaner is better and once it's been used on gold or copper, can help prevent this from occurring again, at least in the short-term. The reason behind using an eraser to clean off metal contacts, is due to the fact doing so actually breaks the oxidation. Eraser can be used to clean up a contact and then act as a oxidation seal/coating. You do that after a "wet" cleaner type. If the issue is not too bad (like say just on the GPU-side contacts) you could use just an eraser alone to clean that up. An eraser like this > http://www.bloomize.com/img/eraser-papermate.jpg

If you have to spray contact cleaner in the PCI/PCIE slot; ensure that gets dried properly; like with an air blower.

While it is usually not a big deal using such products (Rubbing Alcohol / Contact Cleaner) on say a GPU or Motherboard; it is always a good idea to ensure they are fully dry before ever re-applied power to them again.

i thank you for the input sir. i have a feeling that yeah, the alcohol didn't quite clean the slot, so the rust or corrosion or "mould" is gonna spread again. Nevertheless, with even more info like this, i feel utterly prepared for the inevitable ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ i will have to do later. xD

thanks again! i do appreciate the info.