Processor fused to heatsink

[ilikepotatoes]

After my phenom II 1090t started up with the stock heatsink, i saw nothing on my monitor which was connected to the standard motherboard (MSI nf-980-g65) VGA out. i saw that the lights on for the CPU power stage was stuck on phase two so i cut power and tried removing my processor. After i pulled a bit the processor came right off the socket with the heatsink, but the socket was still locked.

How do i separate my processor from the heatsink and would the processor be damaged in any way?

 

[WR2]

The socket was locked - but the CPU left the socket? That's not good.
I'd be worried about damage to your motherboard socket, in addition to damage to the CPU.

The CPU cannot be fused to the heatsink. No way it got hot enough to do that. Would have needed to be hot enough to melt the metal for that to happen.

 

[mosox]

Your CPU should be fine.

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-a-Processor-Fused-to-a-Heatsink

You can use sanitary alcohol too.

Next time rotate the heatsink a little when you want to remove it.

 

[WR2]

Did you use anything besides the stock thermal compound already on the heatsink?
Usually, you only need to run the CPU for a couple minutes and the thermal compound will heat up and a slight twist of the heatsink will break the seal of the thermal compound the heat sink base.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

no, there was nothing else but the stock thermal paste
it was actually rather easy to remove the processor

 

[Timop]

Check the pins on the CPU, are any missing or bent? If not, you'll probably be fine.

 

[rededed1976]

Happens to me all the time.
Be very carefully seperating them as it's sooooo easy to bend the pins.
Couple of months ago i spent 6 hours straightening pins out.
d'oh...

 

[ilikepotatoes]

so if there's a bent pin and i bend it back and lock it in the socket with heatsink i should be fine?

 

[rededed1976]

When straightening a bent pin use something made of plastic that is the same wide of the gap between the pins and gently slide it through.
Unlock the socket before refit and remember not to force the CPU into place.
If it's difficult to refit it means the pin still isn't straight enough. Never, ever force it.
Unbending pins sucks.
G'luck

 

[caamsa]

It is best to allow the processor to warm up a bit before trying to remove the heat sink. Just undo the heat sink and give it a slight twist to break the hold of the paste instead of pulling it straight up.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

removed heatsink after blowing hot air from a hair dryer onto the paste and twisting slightly

well the processor fits snugly into the socket again and the pins look new.

and my last question is: do i have to reapply the thermal paste? the stock thermal paste look thinned on the copper part of the heatsink and there's a little bit on the processor, but i dont have any thermal paste on hand

 

[Mousemonkey]

removed heatsink after blowing hot air from a hair dryer onto the paste and twisting slightly

well the processor fits snugly into the socket again and the pins look new.

and my last question is: do i have to reapply the thermal paste? the stock thermal paste look thinned on the copper part of the heatsink and there's a little bit on the processor, but i dont have any thermal paste on hand

Always replace the thermal paste if you remove the HSF, if you didn't have any why were you removing the HSF in the first place?

 

[Fuell]

Oh my. You absolutely MUST have thermal paste on hand any time you remove the HSF, this cannot be stressed enough.
Think about the intense heat generated by the CPU. Why do they use thermal paste to begin with? Cause copper touching the top of the CPU isn't good enough, heat isn't transferred properly or efficiently enough. Thats the whole purpose of the paste, to make a good secure connection and to move heat away from the CPU as good as possible.
So make sure the next time you plan to remove a HSF the first thing you do is buy/find a tube of thermal paste. Without thermal paste on hand, you shouldn't even start.

 

[LePhuronn]

Why do they use thermal paste to begin with? Cause copper touching the top of the CPU isn't good enough, heat isn't transferred properly or efficiently enough. Thats the whole purpose of the paste, to make a good secure connection and to move heat away from the CPU as good as possible..

Not strictly-speaking true. In a perfect world 100% flat metal on 100% flat metal is the best way of conducting heat and we'd never need any thermal material. The thermal material is there to fill in the microscopic pits and dents in both the heatsink base and CPU spreader to allow better contact (and get air out of the way).

If you use too much thermal paste it will actually do a worse job at transferring heat.


Nonetheless, I concur with your point - NEVER remove your heatsink if you don't have replacement TIM to hand.

 

[ilikepotatoes]

Best answer selected by ilikepotatoes.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey