What is this white stuff?

[Platypus]

Today, I was upgrading the memory on my computer from 512 MB to 2 GB because it was really slow, and I got "application not responding" errors pretty frequently.

So I removed the old RAM modules, and I saw this white residue. Does anyone know what this stuff is? Does this affect the performance of the memory?

Link to image:
http://tinyurl.com/2jmlew

[Kasakato]

Those are minerals. As in minerals from water. Was the laptop ever wet?

[crazdefool]

looks like it got wet to me as well.

the best way to clean it up is with Isopropyl alcohol (90% or higher strength). does the inside of the laptop look like that too? there could be a much bigger problem lurking inside

[Platypus]

Thanks for the quick identification.

I don't know about the inside of the computer, I can only see the slots. Can humid weather contribute to this? That's the only reason I can think of. I haven't dropped it in the bathtub or anything.

[Mistersprinkles]

Ya humid weather could definitely be to blame.

Also a problem that is frequently encountered by mobile devices is rapid temperature change. You're inside, you go outside. Its cold. You have your lap top. You sit in a park. It gets hot. Its cold outside. Condensation occurs.

Just be really really careful when you remove that. Its just calcium and magnesium and a little sodium basically that has been left behind when some water evaporated.

[woof]

Condensation doesn't contain minerals. The only way for residue to appear is if some tap water or maybe bottled mineral water got spilled into it and then evaporated.

A more likely explanation is corrosion if the white powder was on the bottom electrical contacts or metal component leads on the main body.

Take a closer look at where the residue is located to see if it could be corrosion.

[CameraBill]

clean it off with a dry toothbrush

[JLee]

Condensation doesn't contain minerals. The only way for residue to appear is if some tap water or maybe bottled mineral water got spilled into it and then evaporated.

A more likely explanation is corrosion if the white powder was on the bottom electrical contacts or metal component leads on the main body.

Take a closer look at where the residue is located to see if it could be corrosion.

qft!