Does my current motherboard heatsink situation warrant "DANGER!"?

[Sheepathon]

It's been a few months since I've taken my tower outside and dusted off the insides with a can of compressed air, so I went and did it. I then noticed that the heatsink on my motherboard was no longer sitting on it, but rather at a tilt. I don't know if it has been like that for a while or if it just happened. After I finished dusting the case, I reconnected everything, etc, and set it back on the ground next to my desk. However, it now is in this position (with the heatsink looking rather useless, yea?).

The heatsink is normally held in place by four clips (locations indicated by the red circles), but apparently the two on the top have somehow fallen off. I am currently posting from the computer that is host to the motherboard shown in the above pictures.

My question is: how worried should I be about this? Do you guys think I should keep the case door open in fear of heat, or leave the computer off at all times possible, etc? Would it be safe to put the case door back on? (it's a bit loud with all the fans inside, so I'd prefer it be closed). Should I go shop for a replacement motherboard? Basically, I'm seeking advice regarding how to best deal with the situation, I suppose.

I'm running a P4 2.4ghz cpu (with its own fat heatsink above the one pictured above) with an Asus P4PE mainboard that I built in Dec 02.

Thanks for your input, fellows.

edit: one more picture

 

[TitanDiddly]

Get a new NB fan.

 

[Sheepathon]

Originally posted by: TitanDiddly
Get a new NB fan.

Do you mean remove the heatsink and replace it with an NB fan?

 

[TitanDiddly]

Originally posted by: Sheepathon

Originally posted by: TitanDiddly
Get a new NB fan.

Do you mean remove the heatsink and replace it with an NB fan?

That's what I'd do- a whole new unit, like a blue orb or similar. Not just a fan, I mean- but a new NB heatsink/fan unit. Use thermal epoxy to put it on.

You could also just use thermal epoxy and put that one back on.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Arctic silver makes a thermal adhesive you could use to attach it, but it would be permanant. Not like that matters on a nb hs

 

[Sheepathon]

Hmm I have no experience with thermal epoxy, but I'll read up on it.
Any ideas on how safe it is to just leave it running the way it is for the time being?

 

[TitanDiddly]

Originally posted by: Sheepathon
Hmm I have no experience with thermal epoxy, but I'll read up on it.
Any ideas on how safe it is to just leave it running the way it is for the time being?

Try to find out how hot it is, does your MB have a PC Health status or something?

 

[DaRkLoRd666]

Originally posted by: Sheepathon
It's been a few months since I've taken my tower outside and dusted off the insides with a can of compressed air, so I went and did it. I then noticed that the heatsink on my motherboard was no longer sitting on it, but rather at a tilt. I don't know if it has been like that for a while or if it just happened. After I finished dusting the case, I reconnected everything, etc, and set it back on the ground next to my desk. However, it now is in this position (with the heatsink looking rather useless, yea?).

The heatsink is normally held in place by four clips (locations indicated by the red circles), but apparently the two on the top have somehow fallen off. I am currently posting from the computer that is host to the motherboard shown in the above pictures.

My question is: how worried should I be about this? Do you guys think I should keep the case door open in fear of heat, or leave the computer off at all times possible, etc? Would it be safe to put the case door back on? (it's a bit loud with all the fans inside, so I'd prefer it be closed). Should I go shop for a replacement motherboard? Basically, I'm seeking advice regarding how to best deal with the situation, I suppose.

I'm running a P4 2.4ghz cpu (with its own fat heatsink above the one pictured above) with an Asus P4PE mainboard that I built in Dec 02.

Thanks for your input, fellows.

That is the chip set heatsink and yes you should be worried and put the heatsink backon the chipset with thermal gause before any (more) damage is causeed.

You should put that as your first priority and unless you NEED to us your comp u should leave it off untill repaired.

 

[Rubycon]

Haha it was running like that?

Gotta love the margin built into those chipsets. No wonder some o/c so well.

Don't play with fire - get a new chipset cooler OR just clean up both surfaces and apply some AS epoxy. Yeah it's permanent but no big deal. What's scary is those anchors pulled out. They should be soldered through the motherboard. Looks like cold solder failure or even no solder at all and they were just clipped in place?

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Generally those clips are soldered inplace. It would be a good thing if you could find the original clips in the case. I hope they were not blown away or lodged somewhere and cause a short circuit. I would just epoxy them inplace. Just make sure the surface is oil free. If you can't find the originals, use a bit of paperclip and make two.

After market NB HSs generally use screws or plastic pins. That board doesn't have the holes requiored for that type of mounting.

Thermal tape could be used but won't offer the heat transfer of good paste.


...Galvanized

 

[Sheepathon]

Just to clarify, that's not my cpu in the picture (the green square with the little blue square). It's...something that came with the motherboard, I don't know what it is...

 

[Sheepathon]

The clip that came out won't stay back in. Do you guys think it's fine if I just get some epoxy and reattach it to the chipset without using those four clips/anchors?
Oh, and by the way, there is foam on the back of the heatsink. Should I scrape it off and then apply epoxy there?