return at microcenter

[sailink]

So I went to micro center and bought a new moretherboard. After I got home I put on the computer. it wouldn't even turn on so I took the motherboard back out and noticed that 3 cpu pins were bent. I don't know If I did this or if the motherboard came like this. can I still return it? Does microcenter check to see if the things we return still works?. This sucks cuase I spent 100 on it.

 

[BoomerD]

You fucked it up...and expect to get your money back? :rofl:

 

[SketchMaster]

Was this an intel board (LGA)? It's VERY rare to get a board with bent pins right out of the box since they have that cover on them to prevent it.

I'm assuming you're just getting into building PCs and had a learning opportunity given to you. We all mess up, some less than others. That being said, you can be ethical and just tell them you bent the pins and hope they take some pity on you; it is Christmas.

If you decide to play dumb and tell them it won't boot they may take a look at the pins. It's also possible they may be so burnt out they just want to get done with their holiday shift with as little work as possible.

Whichever you choose, don't be a dick. That poor person behind the counter has been taking shit all day long from angry customers. After standing on your feet for 8 hours for the fifth day in a row, you'd be burnt out yourself. Be as nice as possible and they may decide to reward you for not being a bile spewing cock monger. (Sorry, worked many holidays seasons in retail.)

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

MC and Fry's are fairly fastidious in checking for bent pins during returns.

If you bought an open-box mobo, you'll probably be able to return it (ie. "it was like this when I got it").
If you bought a brand new mobo, then things get dicier...

 

[bbhaag]

Is it even possible for modern chips and motherboards to get bent pins? I get bent pins on my vintage 486 cpus but I thought pins went the way of the dinosaur with LGA. Either way op just box it up nice and tidy just like it came and if the sales clerk asks you if you opened it SAY NO!

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Doesn't work since mobos aren't sealed in the first place.
And it is completely possible to bend pins in a LGA socket

 

[Capt Caveman]

MC and Fry's are fairly fastidious in checking for bent pins during returns.

If you bought an open-box mobo, you'll probably be able to return it (ie. "it was like this when I got it").
If you bought a brand new mobo, then things get dicier...

I don't know about that at Microcenter. Someone else could have easily damaged the mobo, returned it and MC put it back on the shelf.

 

[bbhaag]

Doesn't work since mobos aren't sealed in the first place.
And it is completely possible to bend pins in a LGA socket

Dang I guess I was wrong. You can bend pins on an LGA platform. haha It doesn't matter though. Pack it up nice and tidy ask for a refund and if the sales clerk asks if you opened say no.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

I don't know about that at Microcenter. Someone else could have easily damaged the mobo, returned it and MC put it back on the shelf.

Of course YMMV, but the clerk at the return counter has always checked the pins when I return mobos at the Dallas MC.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

It's extremely rare to find a board with bent pins from the factory. If there's only three bent pins then you can probably find someone to fix it. Good luck.

 

[AgentUnknown]

Just go to MC and see for yourself? Yeah, why are mobos not sealed?

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Just go to MC and see for yourself? Yeah, why are mobos not sealed?

Just because? I don't think I've ever received a mobo from any retailer (maybe with the exception of higher-end stuff like the Rampage, Extreme11, etc.) that was sealed (or if it was, trivially easy to tamper with, so by definition = not sealed either).

 

[Tweak155]

They have been pretty relaxed in checking my returns at my MC. I've only had to do 2 or 3 but never had a problem. None of them were motherboards, and only one was a video card that quit working. I don't think they even cared that everything was in the box.

The video card legitimately just quit without any mods / overclocking and within the return period so I would have been real pissed had they not taken it back. But, they just grabbed another off the shelf and exchanged it for me.

 

[PottedMeat]

I don't know If I did this or if the motherboard came like this.

so you have nothing to lose by bending them back and seeing if that works

 

[Tweak155]

so you have nothing to lose by bending them back and seeing if that works

I was going to suggest this but didn't know how feasible it was since the pins are so small. I had this happen to me on an AMD proc way back in the day when they had fairly long pins on the processor itself. I bent them back into position and never had a problem.

 

[Insomniator]

Try bending back, then try returning.

Also, I've never heard of bent pins on LGA... if you got the CPU in smoothly/correctly it seems unlikely you could have bent pins.

 

[momeNt]

From the few times I have returned things, they do not do a close physical inspection. The only thing I have returned to them that I said was defective was something I actually bought the replacement policy for, so that was a little more no questions asked. Everything else was basically no longer needed or I changed my mind.

Microcenter sells returns in the clearance section as open box - I'm not aware of them reselling returns as new.

 

[local]

I've bent pins back into place with no issues before, try that first. Not a fan of people breaking stuff then trying to return it either. If you think you broke it then use it as a $100 lesson.

 

[jlee]

Try bending back, then try returning.

Also, I've never heard of bent pins on LGA... if you got the CPU in smoothly/correctly it seems unlikely you could have bent pins.

We've had Cisco techs bend motherboard pins during CPU installs. It happens.

 

[BoomerD]

We've had Cisco techs bend motherboard pins during CPU installs. It happens.

Yeah...it happens pretty frequently...but it's USUALLY avoidable by taking care during the installation

I always hate the "crunch" sound when installing a cpu into a motherboard.

 

[Imp]

Isn't the whole point of having the pins on the mobo to make repair/replacement easier and cheaper?

Could probably RMA it. They couldn't charge more than the cost of a new one -- if they do, buy a new one. Obviously, this would require waiting.

 

[lxskllr]

Isn't the whole point of having the pins on the mobo to make repair/replacement easier and cheaper?

A cynic might say it's to offset responsibility to the mb manufactures. Or it might be cause there's 20 zillion tiny pins now, and it would be harder putting them on the cpu. It's harder to damage, but also harder to repair. I screwed some up somehow(can't remember what I did), but I fixed it with some tedious work.

 

[Insomniator]

We've had Cisco techs bend motherboard pins during CPU installs. It happens.

I know it happens but... there is never any pressure needed to install the cpu, if it doesn't fall in from gravity you know its not on right. Its either resting incorrectly on top of pins, or falls into place.

 

[Imp]

A cynic might say it's to offset responsibility to the mb manufactures. Or it might be cause there's 20 zillion tiny pins now, and it would be harder putting them on the cpu. It's harder to damage, but also harder to repair. I screwed some up somehow(can't remember what I did), but I fixed it with some tedious work.

Not cynical at all. Probably true. I haven't bothered to look, but is the socket mount with the pins soldered down?

And I remember guides on how to straighten bent pins way back in the day.

Kind of wish they brought back that Pentium 2 box. Think it was like a regular card, but then you can't custom cool, overclock as well -- I don't do it, but others do.

 

[lxskllr]

Not cynical at all. Probably true. I haven't bothered to look, but is the socket mount with the pins soldered down?

I'm pretty sure the whole thing's soldered in. Swapping sockets isn't a task I'd enjoy :^D

The pins are less ductile than the old cpu pins. It takes careful work plucking with a needle to get them to stand up again, and they're so small, the array is dazzling, and it all sort of blends together when you're trying to deal with a single pin.