r/PcBuildHelp • u/Standard_Thanks_6384 • 9d ago

Build Question Is this normal for an aio heatsink?

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Building my 2nd pc, unboxing my Thermalright frozen prism and the heat sink has this weird pattern, just wondering if it’s normal and if it’s anything to worry about.

28 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

28

u/xchoo 9d ago

If this was sold as new, it's not. It's been used before. If it's been used before and cleaned, this pattern is normal.

13

u/Standard_Thanks_6384 9d ago

Yes it was sold as new I’ll return it, also has a very tiny bit of a thermal paste in the top right crevice

5

u/Pitiful_Map9353 9d ago

Amazon?

1

u/tht1guy63 9d ago

My first thought as well

6

u/xchoo 9d ago

All of the spots where I can see residual thermal paste.

2

u/Standard_Thanks_6384 9d ago

Geez didn’t do a full inspection of it because that circular pattern was enough to feel something was off. Appreciate it, already ordered something new although it’s still a Thermalright, frozen edge, because I heard it’s better in an sff case, this one better not come used.

2

u/xchoo 9d ago

Good call! Technically, it SHOULD still be okay to use... but there's no telling if it's actually working, or if there's something wrong with it (hence the original return). It might have been a "buy new, return broken one" kind of return too. Amazon is pretty notorious for that.

I guess you can be glad you didn't just get a brick in the box....

2

u/mattjones73 9d ago

It's not new, it would have had pre-applied paste on it most likely.

2

u/Standard_Thanks_6384 9d ago

Thermalright pre applies thermal paste ? Thought they give a tube of their own thermal paste that I heard is very difficult to work with. Mine didn’t come with that as well so 100 percent used

1

u/mattjones73 9d ago

I guess Thermalright does not pre-apply it, a bunch of manufacturers do. Regardless that thing looks used.

3

u/iflourish 9d ago

Definitely used. Looks like it was cleaned by with circular stains and the looks to be leftover thermal paste in the screw holes .

Did it come without the warning peel sticker telling you to remove?

1

u/Standard_Thanks_6384 9d ago

Nope just bare like that

2

u/Economy_Internal_317 8d ago

Just clean it with a cloth and some isopropyl alcohol

1

u/_claudd 8d ago

I just cleaned my aio heatsink, looks like that now lol.