Heat sink not properly seated

My computer was turned on the other day, and halfway through logging into a website, it shuts down. Tried to restart a few more times, and it shuts down mid-load or when I reach the desktop.

Figured it wasn't the ram, making it seem like the power supply was the problem, but didn't seem all too probable.

Opened the case to find that the entire side of the mounting bracket, the small black clips, or fingers, were broken off. Standing up, this would be the bottom of the heatsink. Could this potentially be the cause of the random shut-offs, within a matter of 10-15 seconds of being on?

I did some intense searching. My only way of obtaining a retention bracket for a socket 939 is online, about $9. Does anyone have a spare laying around? Sounds like a few people have had to replace theirs and a lot of people have some spares. That, and I need to order some Thermal Compound. Not too difficult to do that right?

Simple cotton-swab + rubbing alcohol the old stuff off the CPU and bottom of the heatsink...then put about a grain of rice worth of compound on the CPU and use a razorblade to smooth out...then attach the heatsink?

Thanks in advance!

Well, the first time, I got on Myspace, and was typing up a message. After that it shut down within 5 seconds. Again just after POST, then again once it loaded the OS.

Well, I'm glad to have found the issue. I may order AS5, but I would rather not wait a week to order that and the bracket online if I MAY be able to get this stuff from a local shop tomorrow. I hope they have some spare parts around, and I'm sure he's got some compound. I just hope the booger doesn't overcharge me for it. >


EDIT- Any advice for installing the new bracket? Do I need to completely remove the motherboard?

So, I went to the local shop and got one. It had plastic pieces to hold it in, and that is what I am assuming people meant by accessing to bottom of the mobo, to squeeze them together. I'm a bit mad because I took everything out before I had left...only to put everything back in.


Then, I go to take the plastic tabs out, and they are glued in. After 20 minutes of struggling with them, I finally get them out. What a hassle. I screwed it in, and had a difficult time mounting the heatsink, after smoothing out the thermal compound several times. I finally got it, and It's been running for a few hours now.



I downloaded Speedfan, here's what I got;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/ [...] esults.jpg