[Solved] - New Framework 16, strip of heavy pink paste under mid plate

[Paul_d_Aoust]

Hello, I’m just assembling my DIY Framework 16 (Ryzen 7040 series), and I discovered this strip of pink something on the underside of the mid plate. It’s pink, it’s surprisingly heavy, and it appears to be some sort of paste because I can leave fingernail marks in it. It was above the empty spot for the NVMe drives.

Is it spare thermal paste? Is it there for acoustic damping? Or is it just a factory accident?

[jared_kidd]

It’s there to interface heat from your nvme to the midplate, to help better cool it.

[Paul_d_Aoust]

Ah whoops, time to pull the thing apart again I’m guessing it shouldn’t have that blue backing tape on it then?

[jared_kidd]

Correct, take off the protective tape.

[Paul_d_Aoust]

Thanks kindly! Will do.