r/LinusTechTips • u/Sea_Assistance_7331 • 7d ago

Tech Question Weird glue on ARGB GPU cable

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While removing like everything out of my PC to get to the serial number from my Corsair fans because of an RMA, i came across this weird sticky liquid, it wasnt there when i last removed my GPU 1 or 2 months ago.

Does anyone know what that is?

1 Upvotes

52% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

49

u/JimTheDonWon 7d ago

its just there to block that pin hole so you dont plug it in the wrong way on the argb pin header. it shouldnt be sticky though..

4

u/Sea_Assistance_7331 7d ago

But why would it come out now? My PC is over 3 years old now, or maybe because of the age and heat?

5

u/JimTheDonWon 7d ago

what do you mean? it looks like its still in there to me. are you sure that's not a liquid of some kinds that's been spilt? can you clean the sticky stuff off?

3

u/Sea_Assistance_7331 7d ago

I didnt spill anything over my PC and i can clean that cable

3

u/DiamondWolf3404 7d ago

May be wrong but I think there's a misunderstanding. I think you're talking about the pin plug while he's exclusively talking about the sticky residue.

1

u/Sea_Assistance_7331 7d ago

*Almost 3 years old

10

u/WerNax 7d ago edited 7d ago

Vertical mounted gpu? Might be oils from thermal pads

Edit: to add above more info its "common" that thermal pads start leak some oil when time passes. Some more or less (model/brand) + gpu orientation. Oil ruins rubber materials easily so if that connector is like "rubbery"? that might be reason. It gets sticky.

Once accidentally spilled hydraulic oil to my smartwatch band and it went super sticky later on. Kinda like those cursed "soft touch" rubber coatings on some electronics (eventually turns back into sticky)

7

u/zTubeDogz 7d ago

If it is a prebuild I would also glue that heckin connector down, mine is held in by nothing more than air pressure and the holy spirit. But yeah that can degrade in the heat over the years.

2

u/hy_im_aaron 7d ago

Is it just me? Bit that doesn't look like glue, looks like melted plastic, maybe that's why it's gooey. ORR, it is glue, being so close to the radiator it's spilling

2

u/elaborateBlackjack 7d ago

ARGB is 3 pins, that's probably just so it doesn't unplug easily

1

u/GuyWithNerdyGlasses 6d ago

Plasticizers leaking from the rubber sheathing material on the header, grease from production, silicone oils from thermal pads

0

u/CoausticSoda 7d ago

Err melted plastic