[SOLVED] AMD R5-1600 heatsink/fan cannot be removed at all

[Noriamas1995]

Hi guys, I really need your help for this, any suggestions or comments are appreciated.

I am currently using a B350M Mortar with Ryzen 1600. Recently I bought a new R5 3600 from Amazon. However, very strange things happen when I try to remove the heatsink. From the photo below, you may see that my screws are completely in the air without attaching to the motherboard (PC is not built by me initially). So no matter how hard I turn the screw, it doesn't make any changes and the heatsink still very stably stick to the CPU.

I couldn't find any other ways even after searching for tons of tutorials on YouTube. I cannot figure out what holds my heatsink since all the 4 screws are not even attached to the motherboard. On my motherboard, there is no such 'base' whereby the heatsink screws should be put in, all of the four CPU screws are not used at all! I tot is the thermal compound getting too solid also, and after 30min of running p95 which has brought the CPU to a very high temperature, I still just cannot remove the heatsink,

Thus, I would like to ask anyone has similar experience before? I really cannot understand how to take out my old CPU and its heatsink at the moment. Really thanks if you all can suggest what should I try next!

 

[kurdtnz]

By the looks/sounds of it, it's probably the thermal paste acting like a glue. Get a second opinion first,before you do anything but if it was me, I'd start the PC up again and get it warm and hopefully soften up the paste,then turn everything off and slowly/gently try to twist the cooler off,they can be a bit stubborn. But like I said,wait for someone with more experience to comment first.

 

[mitch074]

Dried out thermal paste acting as glue. Give the cooler a gentle but firm twist. Don't pull.

 

[Noriamas1995]

By the looks/sounds of it, it's probably the thermal paste acting like a glue. Get a second opinion first,before you do anything but if it was me, I'd start the PC up again and get it warm and hopefully soften up the paste,then turn everything off and slowly/gently try to twist the cooler off,they can be a bit stubborn. But like I said,wait for someone with more experience to comment first.

Hi really thank you for replaying! For the point you mentioned, I have tried to run prime95 at 12 threads to put my CPU on 100% load for around 30min which brings my core to 75+ Celsius. I tried to pull it our immediately but it cannot be pulled at all.

 

[Noriamas1995]

Dried out thermal paste acting as glue. Give the cooler a gentle but firm twist. Don't pull.

Hi thank you for your reply. I tot the same thing and try to heat up the CPU before pulling. It still feel like very very firm connection between the heatsink and the CPU. I remember the first time I saw my CPU I already found it doesn't utilize the screws at all. As you could see all the screws are hanging on the air all the time. And even that I still cannot pull it out. Well I did try twist(with forces) it doesn't work, you could feel its like being firmly held.

 

[Noriamas1995]

Guys it seems like my CPU doesn't have a backplate on the other side of my motherboard whereby the screws can put in from the beginning. I really don' t understand how the heatsink can still be fixed in its position.

 

[mitch074]

Guys it seems like my CPU doesn't have a backplate on the other side of my motherboard whereby the screws can put in from the beginning. I really don' t understand how the heatsink can still be fixed in its position.

dried out thermal paste can be VERY tough : a gentle but FIRM twist may be needed, especially on 1st-gen Ryzen default thermal paste.
A missing backplate is surprising - make sure it simply didn't fall off during one of your operations, it may still be in your case. That did happen to me on that very same motherboard model.

 

[Noriamas1995]

dried out thermal paste can be VERY tough : a gentle but FIRM twist may be needed, especially on 1st-gen Ryzen default thermal paste.
A missing backplate is surprising - make sure it simply didn't fall off during one of your operations, it may still be in your case. That did happen to me on that very same motherboard model.

Now I fully understand bro. Really appreciated! It is actually the thermal paste what acts as the glue in between. The backplate actually drops into my case when I loosen the screw I didn't realize that. But the problem is even though I run P95 for 30min and try to remove the heatsink immediately, it still firmly stick to the surface regardless how hard I twist or pull. I cannot imagine how I could really separate the heatsink and my CPU lol.

 

[mitch074]

Now I fully understand bro. Really appreciated! It is actually the thermal paste what acts as the glue in between. The backplate actually drops into my case when I loosen the screw I didn't realize that. But the problem is even though I run P95 for 30min and try to remove the heatsink immediately, it still firmly stick to the surface regardless how hard I twist or pull. I cannot imagine how I could really separate the heatsink and my CPU lol.

don't pull - this may break your socket or tear some CPU pins. Shut down everything, put the motherboard on a flat surface with some friction (a mousepad, for example), grab the cooler with both hands and TWIST!

 

[drea.drechsler]

Now I fully understand bro. Really appreciated! It is actually the thermal paste what acts as the glue in between. The backplate actually drops into my case when I loosen the screw I didn't realize that. But the problem is even though I run P95 for 30min and try to remove the heatsink immediately, it still firmly stick to the surface regardless how hard I twist or pull. I cannot imagine how I could really separate the heatsink and my CPU lol.

Try pulling a strand of dental floss between the heatsink and the CPU. Remove memory and GPU if needed to get clear access.

 

[punkncat]

At this point I would figure that even just pulling on it should have brought the cooler and the CPU out as one piece.

Honestly, if this system is still working I would put that motherboard back together with it's backplate and sell it as a working unit. Would consider a newer chipset motherboard to complete your new build on, and use aftermarket paste.

I have not seen or heard of one being stuck in this manner of way.

 

[geofelt]

Run the processor to heat it up. A few seconds of cpu-Z stress test will do it.
Power down and disconnect the psu.
Heating softens the paste and the cooler should come off easily.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Agreed. Put it flat. Power up, run it for 5 minutes or so. Shut down your PC. Take both hands (may want to use gloves), grab the cpu cooler, begin to gently but firmly twist back and forth. The paste should break loose and allow the cooler to come loose.

If you can't do that, you've got 2 choices in my opinion.

1. Try to pull straight up on the cooler and see if you are lucky if it pulls the cpu out of the socket.

2. As suggested above, get a new board and try to sell the above board and your old cpu as a unit.