Broke off a CPU pin! help!

[Alpha_Magnum]

Motherboard repair at a component level. This guy gets the job done!

 

[TBlaar]

ok, so up until now, i have never damaged a cpu.

I am troubleshooting a rebooting pc. I suspect motherboard, as it's Asrock, so as a last measure, i try a different CPU.

Seeing that the other CPU doesn't work and the PC still reboots, I decide to stick in it's own CPU. (celeron 2.4)

As I get close to the socket, the CPU sortof drops, falling 1 centimeter, and I see that it fell perfectly into the socket. no hesitation, i push down on it and fasten the clip.

heatsink and fan on, pc gets power, but nothing.
reboot a few times. nothing

When I check the CPU, I realize 2 pins have been completely flattened.
Dont ask.....

in the process of trying to straighten the pins, they both break off.
i mean, they were completely flat.

So, I decide to get a replacement for the pin.

CAT5 cable, a tight fit, but does the job perfectly.

cut a short piece of copper cable, and insert into socket where pin is missing. the same length as the pin.

dont't insert it all the way, leave it out by a mm.

insert the cpu and push down on it, making sure the cpu pushes the wire down. making contact.

I just turned on the PC, and whala!!!!!
it booted fine into windows first time!!!!!

The Pc still reboots, but i mean, at least it works again.
now the lady will just have to make do...

 

[chunkymonster]

Hey, accidently broke off a CPU pin when installing a new motherboard. I have heard the processor may work depending on how important the pin is. I have an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Socket 754. Where can I find out if the pin I broke is important and how can I tell what the pin is called?

Money aside, just buy a new one or an OEM off newegg, monarch, or ebay...seems alot easier than trying to repair it...unless you want that for bragging rites...

 

[aj49]

I agree about the socket -- Intel advises that the 775 CPU shouldnt be removed more than ?12? or ?20? times (cant remember, sorry)

 

[Batspoon]

I agree about the socket -- Intel advises that the 775 CPU shouldnt be removed more than ?12? or ?20? times (cant remember, sorry)

15.

 

[IdiotNewb]

To everyone who reads this and upgrades a processor or builds a system from scratch "Break not thy pins from ye processor" I think thats like commandment 8 from the tech hand book LOL Anyway good luck with fixing that... or anyone else for that matter 🙁 Now I know why I sweat so much when ever im doing CPU stuff... knock on wood this has never happened to me !

Don't even bend them, lol, they are a pain in the butt to bend back into place. I was able to do it once but it took me at least an hour or two.

 

[ceetee9]

I did the same thing. Pin B29 broke off my Athlon 64 754 CPU. It is really quite easy to do with the lousy HS/FAN mounting bracket design on the MSI K8N NEO MB. There is simply no way to get between the HS and CPU (the plastic mounting bracket shroud is too deep). I couldn't even get dental floss down under the HS because of the mounting bracket.

And for those who claim they can twist the HS (1 or 2 degrees) until the TIM separates I say, well maybe you can but I can't (perhaps I didn't spend a sufficient number of hours trying). The only way I've been able to get the CPU extricated from its tomb was to pull straight up as best I could on the HS/FAN assembly--and that invariably bends, if not breaks, one or more pins when the FAN, HS, and CPU all come out together. I know this is not the right way to do it, but it is the only way I've been able to get an Athlon 754 CPU out of one of those crappy cradle mounting brackets--such as on an MSI K8N NEO MB.

 

[dccmadams]

good thing that cpu is worth like $19.99 i say.... time to move on to a modern setup...and take care.

 

[crazywheels]

how did you break a pin? it just drops right into the socket. If you have to push it in then you have it in backwards. It just just drops in there. I doubt if the mobo was at fault.

 

[crazywheels]

how did you break a pin? it just drops right into the socket. If you have to push it in then you have it in backwards. It just just drops in there. I doubt if the mobo was at fault.

 

[babybudha]

Never happened to me either, I'd just feel bad knowing that somehow the CPU is not going to truely work at 100% capacity. 🙁

It is possible that the broken pin was a downward throttling pin. If that is the case, the CPU may get a 5-10% increase in performance.

 

[crazywheels]

If if it works at all

 

[Dooyas]

Wow.

Talking about beating an old post.

Why would you rez an almost 2 year old post?

 

[Shadow703793]

WOW 2 years old?????

I have a 477 pin Celeron D. So not all pins are important 😀 . Thank god for pin mods esp. BSEL and voltage.