Ripped CPU out

[Kevin]

This is my first build that I actually used the stock AMD heatsink. Because its a little too loud for my taste, I replaced it this morning with a ZEROtherm BTF-90 . I went to remove the heatsink and the CPU came along for the ride. <expletives removed>. I cleaned up the CPU and reinstalled it with the new heatsink. It didn't go in that easy so I assumed I killed the socket but wanted to isolate what I'd need to be replacing. Figured if its posts, its the CPU, if not, maybe the mobo.

I put everything together and couldn't get it to post. Also, I was able to turn the computer one by touching the case. <expletive removed>. Grounding issue was my first reaction. Took everything apart, removed the CPU and found I bent a pin. <expletive removed>. I straighted the pin the best I could using a pin needle and jewelers pliers. I then carefully installed the CPU into the socket and reinstalled the heatsink.

I stripped the computer down to solely the mobo, CPU, ram, HDD, keyboard and monitor that currently sits on my bench outside of the case. I turned it on and was able to not only post, but load into XP.

My question is, should I treat the problem as resolved or will I run into trouble in the near future?

 

[CptCrunch]

First thing to do is to remove the heat sink again, CAREFULLY. If it is stuck, you can turn on the computer for a few minutes, then turn it off and quickly remove the heatsink. This will cause the thermal paste to be more friendly to separation.

Second, take out the cpu and examine it. See if any pins are, heaven forbid, missing, and if some are just bent. You will need to take your time, and carefully bend the pins back to be as straight as possible. I use a box cutter to straighten pins out, and it seems to be ok. The CPU should NEVER be difficulty to put into the socket. If it is difficult, try and straighten the pins again. Try these steps and report back.

Take your time, do it right, and hope to god you didn't break/lose/damage any pins beyond repair

 

[bryanW1995]

problem solved, clearly the bent pin wasn't making contact before and now is. just be careful when moving the case, however...

btw, I've done that twice on amd cpus, but both times I got lucky and had no bent pins or other issues.

@captcrunch: why mess with it if it's working now? If he just leaves it and later finds out that he has a bent pin then he hasn't lost anything. however, if he takes it back out and has a loose pin that now falls off, he's toast. I vote to just let it ride and be more careful in the future.

 

[Jax Omen]

I vote to just let it ride and be more careful in the future.

Seconded

 

[Kevin]

I feel the lesson learned here is to never use the stock heatsink or at the very least use your own thermal paste...

 

[Jax Omen]

I actually did the same thing a couple days ago, with a third-party heatsink. Socket 754 Athlon 64 3200+

I inspected the CPU really closely, as far as I can tell, every pin is there and unbent. I was so relieved. I haven't tried it yet to see if it works, though (removed it to swap the mobos, Kitty has an E2180 now instead ).

 

[myocardia]

Kevin, you always <expltive removed > press down slightly, while twisting, to remove a heatsink. It works every time, no matter what heatsink was used, or what TIM was used.

 

[bryanW1995]

thank god!!! I got my quickcrete and as5 tubes mixed up the other day, with potentially disatrous results...

 

[Jax Omen]

LOL!

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Kevin
My question is, should I treat the problem as resolved or will I run into trouble in the near future?

Resolved. I've straightened many pins on many CPUs. I've even had CPUs with broken off pins that still worked (one needed a wire in the socket).

Originally posted by: myocardia
Kevin, you always <expltive removed > press down slightly, while twisting, to remove a heatsink. It works every time, no matter what heatsink was used, or what TIM was used.

Just don't do it on a CPU with a bare core, like an Athlon XP.

 

[SorryImLate]

That happened a lot with my old P4. It never had any bent pins so i would just put it back in and it would always work fine.

 

[Kevin]

Well, to my defense, I've never used a stock heatsink before with its own thermal paste. I've always used a third-party heatsink and some form of Arctic Silver (3 until 5 was released) and never, ever had the problem of the CPU fusing itself to the heatsink. I remember back in the day if you wanted to install a north bridge heatsink and didn't have screw holes, you had to use a thermal glue that was pretty much permanent. But I had no idea whatever AMD is using on their heatsinks would be strong enough to rip the CPU out of the socket. Craziness...

 

[Syzygies]

Originally posted by: Zap
Resolved. I've straightened many pins on many CPUs.

I'd been working without a grounding strap for twenty years, before my first build from scratch. I work barefoot in natural fiber clothes, ground myself at a sink, yada yada and never had a problem. But I figured cpus were more sensitive, and something possessed me to grab a $5 pair of anti-static gloves at Fry's.

(I'm sure everyone here can tell a story of being a complete freakin' idiot. I just wish I didn't have so many...)

The gloves grabbed the copper bed of grass that is an Intel 775 socket, and it was something of a mess. My dog learned some new words. I wanted to continue, and this was the last "bad axe II" board at Fry's, so I spent over an hour with a magnifying glass and a very tiny screwdriver, grooming the copper grass so it looks normal from every angle. Dropped in my $300 B6 Q6600, and immediately broke my stock cooler push-pins. I was so poorly read that I had no idea other people detested them as much as I did after a moment's reflection. Back to Fry's for their best aftermarket cooler (no less than a Zalman 9700, gotta love Fry's). :roll:

It posted. These sockets are what, twelfth generation, they're actually pretty robust. But I'm never taking that rig apart. There isnt a single component I'd do again, but it works fine as a file and basic compute server.

 

[lenjack]

When you are trying to straighten pins, if the cpu doesn't flat out DROP into the socket, quit and straighten them some more.

 

[tomt4535]

Originally posted by: lenjack
When you are trying to straighten pins, if the cpu doesn't flat out DROP into the socket, quit and straighten them some more.

Yeah, If you have to even give it a gentle nudge into place, take it out and straighten them more.

 

[Richenbals]

I have done the same exact thing, (pulling the cpu out while trying to get the stock cooler off) but I had some serious TIM issues afterward.

I was parting out an old prebuilt system and wasn't aware of the glue-like TIM the manufacturer had used. I ended up using a hair dryer to warm the front of the heatsink and loosen the thermal paste holding the cpu. Unfortunately the cpu was stuck on so tightly that even after I could get it to wiggle a bit, it wouldn't come completely off. I had the corners of the cpu between my forefinger and thumb desperately trying not to bump the very pliable pins while I wiggled. After making tiny moves back and forth for a good ten minutes, I decided to apply a little more pressure and heat. The combo worked. But, when it finally broke free, the added wiggle pressure sent my cpu shooting from my finger tips like a $200 throwing star. It went clear across the room until it crashed into the wall and plopped on the floor. I had bent nearly half of the pins and scuffed the edge of the processor.

I couldn't believe how stupid I had just been but didn't want to toss the cpu out without at least giving it the 'ol college try. It took me an entire hour to straighten the pins back with a needle and a magnifying glass. I figured I'd throw the processor back in the old motherboard and see if I couldn't get the thing to boot up. The AMD engineers truly designed a sturdy product. It worked as good as new.

Long story short, it's okay to throw your AMD processor across the room, just be sure to straighten the pins afterward.

 

[revolutn]

LoL

This reminds me of the time I was building a rig and droped the Athlon X64 3200+ 939 cpu.

I bent an entire ROW of <explicative removed> pins and then some.
Talk about sweating bullets.
Those pins......they were so SMALL and THIN
i was used to ya know BIG serious 486 or like P3 style Pins.
Now I had a few dozen pins bent every which way and they were like eyelash thin and soft/mailable.

The good news is with much care, an exacto knife and trying to seat the cpu inserting the bent are first to bring them into alignment......all was well and it still runs though it was recently usurped by a new Q6600 box as my main rig after like 3 years.

Still got life in her though not sure what I'll do with it, maybe run it as a full fledged server of some kind.

Congrats on surviving your dance with death.

 

[wwswimming]

Originally posted by: Jax Omen

I vote to just let it ride and be more careful in the future.

Seconded

that one pin has experienced as much metal fatigue as it can probably
take. it can take current and will probably not fail.

the CPU is fragile, at this point. i wouldn't subject it to more remove/insert cycles.