Fire Ant Infestation on Gamer's PC: Devouring Thermal Paste & Wasteland - Shocking Photo Evidence
Gaming Disaster Alert! Fire Ants Consume Thermal Components in GPU Chaos - Stunning Images Inside
Many readers will have battled ant infestations in their yard or home – but these tiny insects can take over our PCs, too. Redditor Thejus Parol recently noticed that his graphics card temperatures had been rising inexplicably, and it didn’t take long to find alikely culprit – ants (h/tPCGamesN ). According to Parol’s initial investigations, the ants had been “eating the thermal pads and thermal paste” in his GTX 1060 GPU inside his PC. This would account for degraded thermal performance if done to a drastic extent, but even though the visual evidence does suggest some damage to the thermal pads, it doesn’t sound entirely plausible that the ants had that much of an impact. Let’s take a closer look.
Some blame climate change, but whatever the cause, destructive and stinging fire ants aremoving north . The worker ants of this invasive species are quite tiny, and like other ants, they appear to beattracted to electric fields . Thus, a warm humming PC with its nooks and crannies and multiple powered components might prove to be an irresistible target for investigation, or even colonizing.
Though his system and GPU fans were still running as expected, Parol’s eye was caught by ants marching across the top of the PC case and inside, over thegraphics card . Determined to see what was attracting the ants, the Redditor partially disassembled the PC and GPU and found that the suspected Solenopsis invicta were consuming thermal pads and thermal paste. You can see damage to the pads clearly in the second image in the above album.
A thorough system cleanup with IPA (ethyl alcohol) and a fresh thermal paste application seemed to get things back to normal for Parol. Further precautions were taken by spraying the desk and surrounding area with insect repellant. However, “another set of ants appeared in the exact same place, doing the exact same thing, eating my GPU alive,” noted the anguished PC enthusiast. Other Redditors have been quick to help identify the issue, highlight possible solutions, and share their own stories of PC ant attacks.
LATEST VIDEOS FROM tomshardware Tom’s Hardware
I have also experienced fire ants in alaptop , which took quite some time to clear. As well as the potential for these insects to sting and infest places like food cupboards (especially where sweets are stored), ants can damage electronics – causing short circuits and even starting fires.
Moving on to whether the ants are “eating” things likethermal pads or paste – this appears to be highly unlikely, but there have been scattered results of this occurring in the past. Nevertheless, in a PC full of hard metal, plastic, and other inedible components, the ants could also be pulling the relatively soft thermal pad and paste material to pieces as they scout the area.
Searching the depths of the internet reveals that this isfar from the first time that ants have invaded PCs or Macs. Moreover, similar suspicions regardingants eating thermal pads or paste have been raised previously. Below you can see another example, this one from a video posted three years ago about a similar problem.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom’s Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors
By submitting your information you agree to theTerms & Conditions andPrivacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
As is often the case for PC ownership, doing some research, being determined, and being vigilant is the best course of action when facing an issue, and this applies to those who think ants might be looking to make a home in their machines. If ants affect other things in and around your home, it might be best to call a professional exterminator. Others might prevail against the army of ants by targeting suspected nests with over-the-counter ant poison, traps, and other domesticanti-ant tactics .
Also read:
- [New] 2024 Approved Becoming a Podcast Writer Pro Strategies & Comprehensible Script Samples
- [New] In 2024, Best YouTube Names Generators [+ How to Brainstorm]
- [New] In 2024, Elevate Conference Calls A Guide to 10 Cost-Free Apps
- [New] Instantly Examine Windows Documents Efficiently
- [New] Old Tech, New Memories Portraits From iPhone X
- [New] Unleash Creativity Premium Editors for Mobile & Desktop OSes for 2024
- [New] Unveiling Hidden Techniques for Clear PPT Transcriptions
- [Updated] 2024 Approved Godly Onslaught Ragnarok’s Day
- [Updated] 2024 Approved Unveiling the Secrets of Ken Burns Motion in Camtasa
- [Updated] In 2024, Cut to a New Beginning Four Fade Techniques
- 2024 Approved Adeptly Archive Your Fb Friends' Lives in Seconds
- 2024 Approved HP Notebook Efficient Screen Capture Strategies
- Advanced Performance Computing Tips From Tom's Hardware Specialists
- Best Economical 4K Screen Picks for Enhanced Viewing
- Budget Buyers Alert! Navigate the Latest CPU Pricing Trends for Top Savings
- Budget-Friendly Premium 3D Printer Sales : Get the Best Value!
- Dive Into Computer Components at Tom’s Hardware Hub
- Easy Steps: Removing Nvidia GeForce Experience with Simple Methods
- Exploring Gadgets with Tom: Comprehensive Technology Evaluations
- How to Exit Android Factory Mode On Oppo A56s 5G? | Dr.fone
- How to Turn Off Find My iPhone XS when Phone is Broken? | Dr.fone
- How to Unlock Nokia C02 Phone without PIN
- In 2024, Best Oppo Find X7 Pattern Lock Removal Tools Remove Android Pattern Lock Without Losing Data
- In 2024, How To Change Vivo X90S Lock Screen Clock in Seconds
- In 2024, Why Your WhatsApp Live Location is Not Updating and How to Fix on your Realme GT 5 | Dr.fone
- In-Depth Analysis of the Creality K1 Pro X Carbon Printer
- In-Depth Analysis of the DeepCool Assassin 4S - The Stealthy Heat Dissipator Review
- Innovative Solutions for Gamers and Professionals at Tom's Tech Reviews
- Micronics Aims to Mainstream Additive Manufacturing with a Desktop-Sized, Affordable SLS 3D Printer at $2,99E+06
- Navigating New Tech Trends Handled by Tom's Expertise
- Navigating the World of Technology with Tom's Hardware Insights
- Navigating Through New Hardware Trends - Tips From Tom
- New In 2024, Do You Want to Make Video Metadata on Mac? Here You Will Know 8 Best Video Metadata Editors for Mac. They Are Easy to Use for Beginners. Check It Out
- Resolution Imminent: Intel Confirms Overvolting as Key Culprit of Processor Crashes, Mid-August Fix Promised
- Speed Demos: Winning Keyboard Cars for Windows PC
- Stop Game Crashes: Optimize Minecraft Performance with Proper Windows Graphics Driver Configuration
- The Ultimate Guide to Next-Gen Devices Curated by Tom's Specialists
- The Ultimate Guide to Tom's Hardware Insights and Reviews
- Tom's Tech Insights: Dive Into the World of Cutting-Edge Hardware
- Tom's Tech Reviews: A Comprehensive Guide to Computer Equipment
- Tom's Tech Reviews: The Ultimate Guide to the Latest in Gadgets and Hardware
- Top 30 M.2 SSD Heatsink Review: Ranking the Performance, Features of ID-Cooling Zero Series
- Trending Raspberry Pi Shells & Boxes - Top Picks
- Ultimate Comparison of Best Cooling Solutions for M.2 SSDs - Exploring 30 Contenders Including ID-Cooling's M05 & M1nus
- Unlock Your Infinix Smart 8 Phone with Ease The 3 Best Lock Screen Removal Tools
- Unlocking Gadgets: The Ultimate Guide by Tom's Expertise
- Your Ultimate Source for Tech Evaluation: Tom's Authority
- Title: Fire Ant Infestation on Gamer's PC: Devouring Thermal Paste & Wasteland - Shocking Photo Evidence
- Author: George
- Created at : 2024-08-23 13:03:07
- Updated at : 2024-08-24 13:03:07
- Link: https://hardware-tips.techidaily.com/fire-ant-infestation-on-gamers-pc-devouring-thermal-paste-and-wasteland-shocking-photo-evidence/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.