Scary Experience!

[r1zeek]

Today I decided I need todo some work on my case, just fit a new fan, tidy up a bit and I also needed to restick a thermal probe to my heatsink.
So I then set about taking my Zalman heatsink off. When I pulled it off, to my dismay I saw the heatsink had taken the CPU with it, which has happened before. So I now need to get it off and as I am sliding it across the base of the sink (i have kinda stubby fingers so I can't pull it straight off) it reached the edge and slipped off, well kinda jerked as I was sliding it. To my horror the CPU slipped out of my hand that was waiting to catch it and fell about 2 foot onto my motherboard.

After a quick pause, I picked up the CPU to see what damage had been done (whilst hoping I hadn't bend any pins) and again to my horror I saw a single pin had been bent at a 45 degree angle. After much cursing I managed to bend the pin back and it slotted perfectly into the ZIF.
I'm going to be very careful with my CPU from now on, no, extremely careful.
Lesson learned

[Stoo]

*phew*

That's lucky chap, cpu's don't like being thrown around

[LouG]

Very lucky mate, what tim were you using between the heatsink and cpu?

[r1zeek]

*phew*

That's lucky chap, cpu's don't like being thrown around

Yeah, I learnt that one, the hard way!
yeah, i was wondering about the TIM. I'm using some old Artic Silver 3 i got about 4 months ago. Should I get some AS 5 or stick with what I got?

[Firelord]

I got that with my AS5 and my 2.4c and waterblock

best thing to do is wiggle it a little before removal and should release the stangle hold!

[Shogun]

As i said, dont do it again

[unrealrocks]

Yeah - I get that with an Aero4, what is happening as it really damages the pins pulling them out from a closed socket. I use cheapo thermalpaste.

[streetster]

to my dismay I saw the heatsink had taken the CPU with it,

im confused.. surely the cpu is held into the motherboard with the little socket-retention arm thing? hmmm

[Shogun]

Yea but the suction created by the thermal paste + the force of you pulling at the heatsink pulls the chip out the socket. They arent that strong .

[streetster]

ah right.. doesnt sound too helpful then, never had that problem.. i guess the p4 has a much larger surface area to 'stick' to the heatsink (cos of the headspreader) than the small unprotected amd core... just dont go doing it again

[Steve]

For your next motherboard you'll be wanting LGA775 then?

It happens to us all, fortunately most of us manage to bend them back and get away with it!

[SilentDeath]

When I bought some cpus 4 of them arrived with 50% of the pins bent. It took a while, but after straightening them the cpus worked fine. Also one of the pins snappede off but made no difference.

[Spud1]

best way to get the compound off is to heat it up a bit, then it will easily separate from the cpu (my sisters hairdryer worked a treat for this =) )

[SmileyUK]

the p4'a are a nightmare for doing that. the heatspreader does, as you say, quite often stick to the heatsink leaving you to slide it off the edge and your hands covered in gloop!

[Lee H]

For your next motherboard you'll be wanting LGA775 then?

It happens to us all, fortunately most of us manage to bend them back and get away with it!

Believe me Kez when I say that this move is going to be more hassle than ever. Intel have done this so they don't get processors RMA'ed due to bent pins and they've passed the onus over to the motherboard manufacturers. The sockets on the motherboard on the boards we've seen and played with look fragile at best and I think this will cause a few issues with people building their new systems, just as long as they take their time and install the CPU correctly then the pins are going to be fine.

[Rave]

I read about a guy who ran a 2500 over with his chair- it took him a while to straighten all the pins again but it still worked afterwards!

Rich :¬)