Bent CPU Heat Sink Fins

[logan ramos]

I just received a Noctua NH-D15 from some guy on eBay. It was not packaged properly and ended up having the Heat sink bend into itself which led to some of the fans becoming bent. I was wondering how much these bent fins would affect the performance of the cooler and whether or not I should just return it.

Edit:
Here are some pictures:

Spoiler

 

[lantrich]

Bent fins should have no effect on performance. If you can just bend them back a little bit. I have trimmed heatsinks on memory with no issues.

 

[clarkjd]

Bent fins reduce the amount of airflow, and therefore the amount of cooling. I would return it.

 

[navalweaponsofficer]

If the fins are not bent too bad you can use a comb and straighten the fins.

 

[DonQuixoteMC]

Unless you got a great deal on it, I wouldn't deal with a damaged part. I would try to get a refund for irresponsible packaging.

Otherwise, the heating won't be debilitated by a few bent fins. I'm assuming, when you say the heatsink bent into itself, that one of the fin towers bent towards the other? If you've been able to bend that back, and might be able to bend some of the fins back, then the overall surface area of the heatsink won't be diminished much. I'm sure Noctua engineers planned the spacing for optimal efficiency, but it won't be too bad.

Could you possibly send a picture of the heatsink?

 

[logan ramos]

Unless you got a great deal on it, I wouldn't deal with a damaged part. I would try to get a refund for irresponsible packaging.

Otherwise, the heating won't be debilitated by a few bent fins. I'm assuming, when you say the heatsink bent into itself, that one of the fin towers bent towards the other? If you've been able to bend that back, and might be able to bend some of the fins back, then the overall surface area of the heatsink won't be diminished much. I'm sure Noctua engineers planned the spacing for optimal efficiency, but it won't be too bad.

Could you possibly send a picture of the heatsink?

By interlocked I mean that the space where the second noctua fan is supposed to go was completely closed because one have was interlocked with the other. I had to pull them apart.

 

[navalweaponsofficer]

RMA if you can. heat tubes could be comprised.

 

[MisterMeow]

Small bends on the fins won't affect anything much if at all. Just bend them back into relatively the same place and you're fine. However if the pipes were bent, then you definitely want to return it as there could be a kink or a crack in the pipe that could really hinder the dissipation of heat down the pipes to the fins.

 

[DonQuixoteMC]

I have to second and third what navalofficer and MisterMeow said. If you had to bend the actual pipes themselves that significantly, there might be some more serious structural damage that would inhibit heat transfer. The fins themselves are the least of the problem.