4770k has a grayish vertical line on it?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hqefyvan9bgsqoc/IMG_0977.jpg

I know it's hard to see the line in that picture but, there is a grayish vertical line crossing in the k on the 4770k engraving on the processor.

I just got it today in mail and I saw it through the plastic, so it's definitely not skin oil.

is this normal? should I be concerned?

 

NO. I would be more concerned that you bought a 4770k... XD

Just kidding... More than likely it's just a variation in the metal of the IHS. I'm not a Intel expert though... Ummmmm, anyone else?

looks like just a small defect in the metal grain, lap it if you want otherwise just let the thermal paste take care of it

As long as the gold contacts on the opposite side are ok, you should have nothing to worry about. Ought to be a perfectly functioning CPU.

The least you can do is try it. And if anything fries, you just RMA it.

someone bumped coke off of it and it left a stain.

Wouldn't worry about it buddy, as long a. It's working! 

 

Do you think it will effect my achievable over clock?

Nah. Thermal paste is supposed to deal with any imperfections of the surface of the CPU. As Nick pointed out, you should be fine.

Its just a milling mark in the metal its nuthing to worry about its fairly common to see marks like that it will not effect the cpu >this is what thermal paste is for<

Thanks everyone! :D this is the 2nd computer i've built except the first one was for my brother and not for me, sooo now my ocd gets to kick in xD. I guess i'm lucky i got a Costa Rica chip instead of a Malaysian one.

You should have told us that you had OCD much sooner. That would have made for a fun thread.

^^^  0_0  my god....