[SOLVED] Broke retention lever and/or socket?

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Deleted member 2720853

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Recently I botched my Ryzen 9 3900X installation which made me quit on tech for a few days.

Then I got a response from the guys I bought this from after I sent the CPU & motherboard to them thinking they're defective. They let me know that I somehow managed to break the retention lever of the socket and/or the socket itself. The CPU just wouldn't be detected because it is not making contact/the socket is outright dead.

So how did I manage this?

New to Ryzens, thought I could install it myself without any video help. I lifted the retention lever by slightly bending it to the side so it could get out from under the notch holding it down, and halfway through lifting it, it made a loud crackling sound, and it wouldn't lift up all the way, so I had to force it in order for it to do so. I thought this was normal and went on.

I took the CPU, aligned the golden triangle, the CPU dropped into place perfectly. However when I went to place the lever back down, it once again stopped halfway through and made that same crackling noise. Nevertheless I forced it and again bent it slightly to the side before pushing it under the notch, not knowing I needed to push it directly on the notch and it would clamp down in place. My mind was programmed with LGA socket retention levers.

Anyhoo, that resulted in an EZ Debug LED being stuck on CPU, fans at full speed and no POST.

After taking out the CPU for RMA/refund, I noticed that it had no bent pins at all. However when it reached those guys they sent screenshots showing the bent pins:

View: https://imgur.com/a/JIguYZR


I'm fairly sure they weren't bent like this when I sent it but that's beside the point. Just gotta straighten some pins now with a credit card/tweezers, if the CPU is even salvageable anymore. The board is undergoing repairs/replacement and will be sent back to me in a few weeks. CPU arrives this week.

My question is how the heck did I manage to break my socket installing this thing? All the videos I saw on Ryzen installation before my CPU arrived did the same things I did, except without the loud noise. Okay, they also didn't bend the retention lever slightly when placing it back down.
 
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Solution
Recently I botched my Ryzen 9 3900X installation which made me quit on tech for a few days.

Then I got a response from the guys I bought this from after I sent the CPU & motherboard to them thinking they're defective. They let me know that I somehow managed to break the retention lever of the socket and/or the socket itself. The CPU just wouldn't be detected because it is not making contact/the socket is outright dead.

So how did I manage this?

New to Ryzens, thought I could install it myself without any video help. I lifted the retention lever by slightly bending it to the side so it could get out from under the notch holding it down, and halfway through lifting it, it made a loud crackling sound, and it wouldn't lift up all the...
Recently I botched my Ryzen 9 3900X installation which made me quit on tech for a few days.

Then I got a response from the guys I bought this from after I sent the CPU & motherboard to them thinking they're defective. They let me know that I somehow managed to break the retention lever of the socket and/or the socket itself. The CPU just wouldn't be detected because it is not making contact/the socket is outright dead.

So how did I manage this?

New to Ryzens, thought I could install it myself without any video help. I lifted the retention lever by slightly bending it to the side so it could get out from under the notch holding it down, and halfway through lifting it, it made a loud crackling sound, and it wouldn't lift up all the way, so I had to force it in order for it to do so. I thought this was normal and went on.

I took the CPU, aligned the golden triangle, the CPU dropped into place perfectly. However when I went to place the lever back down, it once again stopped halfway through and made that same crackling noise. Nevertheless I forced it and again bent it slightly to the side before pushing it under the notch, not knowing I needed to push it directly on the notch and it would clamp down in place. My mind was programmed with LGA socket retention levers.

Anyhoo, that resulted in an EZ Debug LED being stuck on CPU, fans at full speed and no POST.

After taking out the CPU for RMA/refund, I noticed that it had no bent pins at all. However when it reached those guys they sent screenshots showing the bent pins:

View: https://imgur.com/a/JIguYZR


I'm fairly sure they weren't bent like this when I sent it but that's beside the point. Just gotta straighten some pins now with a credit card/tweezers, if the CPU is even salvageable anymore. The board is undergoing repairs/replacement and will be sent back to me in a few weeks. CPU arrives this week.

My question is how the heck did I manage to break my socket installing this thing? All the videos I saw on Ryzen installation before my CPU arrived did the same things I did, except without the loud noise. Okay, they also didn't bend the retention lever slightly when placing it back down.
In my experience, it's easy to miss a few bent pins when examining them. I think they should be straightenable though.

I use the Pentel pencil method (.5mm mechanical pencil with lead removed, slip the angling pin into the barrel to bend into position) and then the credit card between rows and columns to make sure they're all in alignment. But one of them looks pretty well bent enough you can't get at it...for that I'd slip a needle down the row between it and the CPU to lift it up enough to get the Pentel barrel over it.

How certain are you that you broke the socket, BTW? What you described sounds pretty normal... even that 'click' as I lift the lever. It's disconcerting but I've yet to break a socket. Just have to be sure to not open it too far nor force it much past the little hook that holds it latched.
 
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Deleted member 2720853

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Everyone I've asked up until this point, after I described my situation, said I got extremely unlucky and had a defective motherboard from the factory. I did all the steps in every Ryzen installation video and those guys never had the same sounds emanate from the mobo as mine. I think that's what it was. At least the motherboard is being replaced without any additional cost.

And I do have a 0.7mm mechanical pencil that I was planning to use for this, along with a credit card and tweezers just in case, you'd think if I take my time this CPU is salvageable?
 
... you'd think if I take my time this CPU is salvageable?
Indeed yes! I do believe it can be saved. I've saved several that were far worse damaged. Just recently, a Ryzen 1700 that I callously scraped against the up-standing socket lever whilst 'carefully' lowering it onto the motherboard... not only once, but twice!

Just bend the pins slowly so as not to embrittle the metal. And try not to over-bend so you don't have to bend back again. Before sliding the credit card down them sight down each row and column against a soft light. That makes spotting the "drunken soldiers" pretty easy.
 
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Deleted member 2720853

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I'll also test the lever gently when I receive the motherboard to make sure it doesn't make the same noise.
 
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Deleted member 2720853

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Holy <Mod Edit>, the mechanical pencil version works like a charm! I fixed it! Bent back about 10 pins!

Just gotta wait for motherboard to test it now.
 
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