Bent pins on socket LGA 2011-v3 (MSI Gaming 7 X99S)

[Danny_UKDM]

So I've been pondering for a while on how my PC just stopped working one day. I tried all the conventional steps to trial and error components and eventually decided to RMA the motherboard back to ebuyer, assuming this was the culprit.

After taking a couple of macro photographs of the socket, it has become apparent that at least 3 of the pins are bent (see the red rectangle in the upper right-hand side:

Due to this, ebuyer refuse to RMA my motherboard.

The issue I am faced with is this: I completed my PC build over a year ago. Since completing the build, none of the inner components have been reseated, replaced or removed. My computer died by bluescreening, then the bluescreen froze, resulting in my need to manually power the PC down, the BIOS would not POST after this. It was only after I started removing the components that I managed to notice the small cluster of bent pins on the socket.

How in the world is it possible for a motherboard to work completely fine for over a year, for there then to be a problem which makes the entire PC unusable, and this problem turns out to be bent pins on the CPU socket which hasnt been touched for months?

Is this a known issue? Is it even possible for something like this to happen without anyone touching it?

This motherboard has become a bit of a nightmare.

 

[mapesdhs]

I don't know the answer, but have you tried asking MSI? Their forum site is here:

https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php

or contact their support directly. Perhaps MSI can explain whether such an issue *should* be covered by ebuyer.

 

[JimF_35]

Ouch I feel your pain. 🙁

The only thing I heard of is in the new Skylake chips crushing under too much pressure from the Heat Sink. As far as I know this is not a problem with the 2011 chips as they use a ticker PCB and event then it would have affected your outer edges of the socket.

Did you buy this board used or did it come this way from the factory?

 

[Danny_UKDM]

Ouch I feel your pain. 🙁

The only thing I heard of is in the new Skylake chips crushing under too much pressure from the Heat Sink. As far as I know this is not a problem with the 2011 chips as they use a ticker PCB and event then it would have affected your outer edges of the socket.

Did you buy this board used or did it come this way from the factory?

It's really confusing me. I mean, I accept the fact that under the general circumstance, an RMA would be refused as it does look like (and is typically considered to be) user damage. But this is not the case, everything has been seated for months and left completely untouched. How the bloody devil do CPU socket pins bend without any external contact when it's been working perfectly up until now?

I bought the motherboard as new from eBuyer in late 2014 and no longer has warranty with them, I'm surprised that they accepted my RMA in the first place based on this.

It's just so irritating, if I had genuinely caused the pins to bend myself, I'd have just sucked it up and bought a new motherboard or paid for a repair. However, this is very much not the case, and I've been left very confused and frustrated 🙁

 

[NeoSpudly]

If you bought the MB new it should have an MSI warranty as well, i think it's 3 years from date of purchase, straighten out the bent pins the best you can and RMA it with MSI. Can't hurt to try.

 

[JimF_35]

Ouch I feel your pain. 🙁

The only thing I heard of is in the new Skylake chips crushing under too much pressure from the Heat Sink. As far as I know this is not a problem with the 2011 chips as they use a ticker PCB and event then it would have affected your outer edges of the socket.

Did you buy this board used or did it come this way from the factory?

It's really confusing me. I mean, I accept the fact that under the general circumstance, an RMA would be refused as it does look like (and is typically considered to be) user damage. But this is not the case, everything has been seated for months and left completely untouched. How the bloody devil do CPU socket pins bend without any external contact when it's been working perfectly up until now?

I bought the motherboard as new from eBuyer in late 2014 and no longer has warranty with them, I'm surprised that they accepted my RMA in the first place based on this.

It's just so irritating, if I had genuinely caused the pins to bend myself, I'd have just sucked it up and bought a new motherboard or paid for a repair. However, this is very much not the case, and I've been left very confused and frustrated 🙁

I know, but you have to look at it from their end. How do they know that a customer did not bend the pins on accident and lied to get a new board. There is nothing we can do to help you however. If you just want to vent then I sympathies and feel your pain but you will need to contact MSI to resolve the matter. If you had proof of a bent CPU like a picture of it being bent you might have a case but it has only known to happen with Skylake CPUs not your model. Sorry man. 🙁

 

[Danny_UKDM]

If you bought the MB new it should have an MSI warranty as well, i think it's 3 years from date of purchase, straighten out the bent pins the best you can and RMA it with MSI. Can't hurt to try.

This was exactly my thinking. Intel are also RMA'ing my processor for good measure, as I have discovered that bent pins on a motherboard can potentially cause permanent damage to the CPU. I'm not sure at this stage if it's worth trying to bend the pins back and then to test it with my components to see if that can fix the problem, but I'm scared this may do more damage. Would the best idea be just to see what can be repaired/replaced and try and have some patience? I just wanna play fallout on my fast PC 🙁

 

[NeoSpudly]

You have to think like you're the one receiving the defective MB, "the pins can't bend themselves" i would just try to make it look normal again, make sure the CPU inserts and removes without issue, don't worry if it boots or POSTs and then RMA it to MSI.