i7 920 - UD5 installation: loading plate/socket lever issue

[speedalini]

I have purchased a gigabyte UD5 mobo and a core i7 920.

I have looked over the diagram several times and believe I have
the processor installed in the socket correctly (it seems to slide in comfortably).

My problem is when I go to lay the loading plate back down, the loading plate doesn't lay flush. And if I try to use the socket lever to clamp the loading plate down into position, it seems like I'd have to use too much force.
However, I'm new to building a computer so I don't have experience with this. I could definitely clamp the plate down, but I don't want to destroy the pins in the socket because I pressed too hard.

Should the plate and lever go into place easily, or do you sort of have to apply a bit of force?

[kalniel]

You need quite a bit of force with LGA sockets, yes. They sort of crimp the pins against the pads on the chip.

[DDY]

The loading plate is "V" shaped, when it's locked in to position the bottom of the V makes contact and holds the CPU down.

When you push the locking lever down it's flattening the V against the CPU hence why it takes a bit of force, like compressing a spring.

[watercooled]

Even LGA 775 chips requre some force to secure the load plate - a certain amount of pressure needs to be applied to each pin to assure a good electrical contact and when there are hundreds of pins a surprising amount of total pressure is needed. Say each pin needs 10g (no idea of the actual amount), and there are 775 pins, a total of 7.75KG of pressure would be needed in total...