$30 Upgrade just cost me hundreds. Help me troubleshoot how much damage I did please.

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drwhykk

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Well, I feel like an idiot. Ive been building gaming pcs since High school and today a $30 heatsink upgrade is probably going to cost me hundreds.

i5 2500k
Asrock z68 extreme4
8GB Ram

Despite watching many youtube videos on the installation of the CM Hyper 212 I was struggling so I said screw it, im taking it all apart. Well, in process I unscrewed the CPU holder and the cpu fell out onto floor. Then I put everything back together and it wont boot. I take it apart and check CPU thinking its damaged. Apparently when I picked it up I got thermal paste from my hands onto the chip side of it. I tried to clean it. Now my PC wont boot and Im afraid I damaged everything.

RAM seemed intact and clean, Not sure if theres mobo damage but all fans and GPU work. So after youre done cringing and/or laughing help me determine if my CPU is a goner, if troubleshooting the non reboot is an option and/or how to test other components to know what I need to buy.

Thanks.. im am idiot.
 
Solution
Chayan4400
This is a normal LGA 1155 socket:

Intel_Socket_1155.jpeg


Watch this video on how to bend back CPU socket pins:

[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsgodSeRdWA"][/video]

Seems like you also got some thermal paste in the socket; can't say for sure though as the photo is too blurry, Is it possible to get a more focused picture?

Take it slow, double check your work and you should be fine.
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Ryan_78

Ryan_78

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1. CPUs can survive drops of up to 3 meters.
2. You should use a alchahol wipe to wipe off the thermal paste
3. Try reseating everything. Also remember to plug everything in correctly and everything is turned on.
4. You said you unscrewed the CPU holder right? Then that means you didn't secure the CPU in the first place?
5. You don't be too harsh is th components.
6. Take another system or borrow a friends or by used off eBay and test if ram, and other surf are working. Might want another mobo to test CPU
7. Might want to double check your testing process.
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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Was that conductive(metal based) thermal paste?
 
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drwhykk

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Its the one that came with product
 
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drwhykk

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Thank you for your answers. It dropped a lot less then 3 feet. I did use alcohol to wipe it down even on the pin side.

Im going to take it all apart right now and put it back together maybe I missed something.

Also I tried putting the old fan back in to test but that didnt work either.
 
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maddogfargo

maddogfargo

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Also check the socket for paste. If you got some on the pins they may also need to be cleaned.

This is a little tricky though because you can't just wipe them. You run the risk of flattening some pins out. Be very careful.

Maybe try buying the softest toothbrush you can find with the raised bristles on the tip. Cut some of the main bristles off with an exacto knife so you have only a small tuft on the end of the toothbrush. This will give you a better view of what you're working on and better control over what you are touching with the bristles.

Also note the directions the pins are facing. You want to go with the grain when cleaning the socket, and use VERY LIGHT pressure.

For a dropped CPU to stop working, either the PCB or core needs to be cracked or broken. This is possible but rare. Odds are you just have issue with the CPU and socket contacting each other properly.
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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Try that. But if that was conductive paste and you tried to turn it on with shorted pins.. you're probably in for a bad day.
The drop itself shouldn't have affected it.
 
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drwhykk

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Ok so after taking it apart and back together the only thing I noticed was that on the motherboards side of the CPU connector a few pins were bent somehow. Im going to assume at some point they got damaged during this process.

That leads to the next question. In addition to needing a new motherboard, will I also require a new CPU or is it safe to assume that as of right now theres no indicators that its damaged?

I found no paste anywhere all connectors are properly secured, all fans and leds turn on you can hear the Hard Drive boot up the only thing is the PC wont start. Black screen.
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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Try to bend the pins back into shape. Maybe you'll get it. Otherwise, you should test the CPU in a different MB before buying anything, as clearly if they are both gone you should get something newer.
 
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drwhykk

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Ill try that now, unfortunately I dont have another mobo to test with but I figure if I need a new CPU ill need a new mobo since this one doesnt support skylake. And if I dont need CPU at least I have a new mobo. Had this one in mind should it come down to that.

 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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It's a good board, but it'll be overkill if you don't plan to overclock and/or use SLI.
 
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Chayan4400

Chayan4400

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That motherboard won't work with the 2500K you have. It only supports 6th Generation Intel Skylake processors.
 
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drwhykk

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Heres a picture of the pin situation http://i.imgur.com/9qOiQJR.jpg

As you may be able to see there's quite a few pins bent and when you look at it from far away you can clearly see a patch of out place pins.

Thanks @chayan4400 what would my next steps be then? I dont want to purchase a new mobo for the 2500k then find out the CPU is also damaged and need a Skylake upgrade but I have no way of testing. Is there a safer mobo that would still allow me to OC to 4.5 on the 2500k but offer the blanket security of also working with the newer cpus in case I need to replace that too?
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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There is no such thing. So don't get a sandy MB until you test that CPU!
 
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drwhykk

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This might be a dumb question but do I need to put thermal paste ans fan everytime I want to test CPU? Right now im just bending pins to test but its time consuming to apply the paste and fan with every test then have to clean it off.
 
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drwhykk

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How can I test it? I really dont want to take it in to geeksquad and be without my PC for days.

I have no other mobos,is there a cheap one I could buy for testing purposes? Or should I gamble and get a new one and hope it was the mobo only?
 
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Ryan_78

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Yes it is best to. Every time you take it off, contaminants and air bubbles enter the paste, seeing it useless. Buy a stick of Arctic MX-4 or Gelid GC-Extreme or noctua nt-h1 paste. You want non conductive diamond or carbon based pastes. Bend pins back anD see what happens. Make sure you don't accidentally break the pins off.
 
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drwhykk

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Thanks. I've been doing it just to be safe. I can't bend the pins they are tiny, I've tried a credit card, tweezers, folded paper, they are just either too bent or when I bend one back I end up bending 4 back.

I haven't broken any but I think I'm making it worse, at this point im considering buying an old LGA 1155 MOBO for under $100 and hoping that the CPU is not damaged because my overclocked 2500K is still comparable to the 6600.
 
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Hlsgsz

Hlsgsz

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I hate to break it to you, but i don't think it's a good investment to buy a replacement motherboard.
Look, if your system worked, nobody would tell you that you should upgrade, but considering your situation, it's kind of time to get a newer platform.
You will not be able t find a new MB that can overclock your CPU, and buying a SH overclocking motherboard that's 5-6 years old.. well, not such a great idea.

Also, the newer platform would come with other stuff except increased CPU performance.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/288?vs=1646
 
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Chayan4400

Chayan4400

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This is a normal LGA 1155 socket:

Intel_Socket_1155.jpeg


Watch this video on how to bend back CPU socket pins:

[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsgodSeRdWA"][/video]

Seems like you also got some thermal paste in the socket; can't say for sure though as the photo is too blurry, Is it possible to get a more focused picture?

Take it slow, double check your work and you should be fine.
 
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Solution
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drwhykk

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Hello all thanks for staying with me and helping. Im here with an update.

Chayan heres an album with better pics:

http://imgur.com/a/Y8Qfj

The first image you can clearly see all the grouped up and bent pins on the middle right and lower left. If you look at the third picture the CPU had thermal paste.

I went ahead and did the pin trick you mentioned as well as cleaned up CPU. The middle picture is how pins look right now after the work.

Unfortunatelt it still did not boot up. Im going to try and adjust pins a second time...
 
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drwhykk

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Test number 2 failed.

Attached is picture of pins it looked almost perfect im not sure I could adjust them much better then this.

http://imgur.com/a/oEK7g

This time there was a burning smell when I turned it on. No smoke or anything and I turned it off right away, not sure if it was thermal paste of worse. I really hope that wasnt the smell of the CPU frying.

 
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