Retention brackets, are they necessary

[Kelvissu]

I recently warrantied all my computer components and received new ones back. With my mobo however, they forgot to include the retention mounting brack for the cpu heatsink and fan which is supposed to screw and hug the cpu tightly when the heat sink is mounted. As a quick sanity check, i didnt mount it and saw if my computer could post. It did.

So i wanted to make sure my cpu is properly seated so i took an old retention bracket from an old build and cut only the corner screw flush mounts. I essentially had 4 corners of retention mounts seating my cpu. I cant remember if my computer could post after this, but i do remember vaguely using my computer in this fashion for 1 night.

The next morning, i turned on my computer but it wouldnt post with any audible beeps. I proceeded to see the mobo emit a red led which is asus memok dram led to say the memory was going bad. I replaced memory sticks to no avail. I then loosened my cpu heatsink and fan from the makeshift mount and turned it on again.

It posted and could operate.

I am now requesting asus to send me a retention bracket for that mobo in order to properly mount the heatsink and fan.

My question is what could cause this from happening? If installing retention mounts, do you need conductivity between the mounts? Did i screw in the cpu too hard which resorted in a non post scenario?

 

[popatim]

Too much tension could warp the motherbd, add heat and it could warp enough to cause a connection issue with the cpu pads and socket pins. This is just conjecture btw.