Did I damage my CPU?

[lufen]

Today my parts arrived and I started building my rig. This is the 2nd rig I've built from scratch. However, this time I opted to go with a non-stock CPU cooler, namely the Arctic Freezer 7.

So it went like this: I put in the CPU (C2D E6750) gently into its socket, engage the lever. Next would be putting on the AF7. I had the hardest time attaching the cooler, and during the process, I managed to detach the CPU while the lever was engaged. It took a surprisingly large amount of force to install the AF7, it felt like I was gonna snap the board in half. Everything went smoothly after these two components.

My question is this: what exactly does the CPU lever do? If I was able to detach the CPU while the lever was engaged, did I damage anything? The lever felt sort of loose afterwards, but the CPU is tightly sandwiched between the cooler and its socket (I did check to see if the CPU was seated properly).

The rig booted fine, I just finished formatting the hard disc, and am installing windows XP at the moment. Does this mean the CPU is fine? or will there be long term repercussions...

 

[joefriday]

the lever is there to keep the cpu firmly in the socket. I can't imagine how you were able to remove an LGA 775 cpu from it's socket without touching the lever. On the old socket 478s the lever just increases the grip of the socket to the cpu pins, but in LGA 775 it is used to hold down the steel flap that traps the cpu in the socket. Once again, I can't see how to could possible have removed the cpu once the steel flap had been shut the and lever engaged.

 

[cfvh600]

Your CPU is fine if your pc is up and running. I've managed to pull out a S939 CPU from it's socket once while the lever was engaged when trying to remove an old HSF.

 

[nukemaster]

Is it possible to remove a CPU from an LGA with the lever in place? its held very securely by the heat spreader.

The fisrt time i installed an AC freezer it was easy as pie....the second time i had to push like hell(its best to install with the board out of the case so its easy to see the plastic pins are in right...)....as long as all 4 corners clicked you should be ok.....

So far LGA cpus have the best retention for the cpu i have seen(with exception to bolting it down like the old slot style cpus)

 

[dragonsprayer]

first the cooler is really bad - its not better then the oem

second as said above if it boots then your fine

make sure you apply the thermal compound across the entire chip in an even layer

 

[jbj190]

Er, did you engage the lever without putting down the load plate? Otherwise I don't see how the CPU detached unless it pulled a fast one on physics.

Ok, I reread your post. It seems that you did something wrong so I highly recommend that you reseat your CPU. If the lever is loose, that means it isn't pressing down on the load plate tab and therefore the CPU is loosely held in place by the HSF contact, something that I wouldn't trust farther than I can throw it. Careful, the thermal compound will pull the CPU with the HSF if the load plate isn't locking it in place. You don't want that falling into to the socket and bending pins.

Then again, if the lever's loose, you probably put it down before lowering the load plate on the CPU....

P.S. Reading instructions is a crucial skill.

 

[cfvh600]

Ok, I reread your post. It seems that you did something wrong so I highly recommend that you reseat your CPU. If the lever is loose, that means it isn't pressing down on the load plate tab and therefore the CPU is loosely held in place by the HSF contact, something that I wouldn't trust farther than I can throw it.

Yeah something is not very well, I agree.

 

[Grimmy]

Ummm.. I'd be pretty careful at this point, and would look at the pin array for any bent pins. The CPU is suppose to go in one particular way.

Intel CPU Install

Watch the video, especially if it was your first time building a 775 socket system.

 

[nukemaster]

SPCR begs to differ, I assume Freezer Pro since thats what most people call just the "Freezer"

@ 12 volts it loud but beats the stock cooler....at lower voltage it will still beat stock but not other coolers that are optimized for low air flow. For the 10-25 dollar price its hard to beat....

As said above you better make sure that the load plate was down and locked right like in my picture above....

 

[lufen]

Is it possible to remove a CPU from an LGA with the lever in place? its held very securely by the heat spreader.

The fisrt time i installed an AC freezer it was easy as pie....the second time i had to push like hell(its best to install with the board out of the case so its easy to see the plastic pins are in right...)....as long as all 4 corners clicked you should be ok.....

So far LGA cpus have the best retention for the cpu i have seen(with exception to bolting it down like the old slot style cpus)

Thanks for the picture, it showed me what an incredibly dumb thing I did. I am hesitant to share it with you guys... but here it is, just for your entertainment.

First of all, the last computer I build was with a Socket939. So... that's my excuse.

So I got my mobo (GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L), and I saw that there's this rubber cover on top of the CPU socket that I was supposed to remove before putting in the CPU. Next, I released the lever, and struggled a bit to get the part out (not realizing the load plate was NOT part of that "part" I had to remove).

I guess my rig is sitting at home running utorrent without a load plate on the CPU. Last night I was able to fully finish all the updates and program/driver installation I needed without any hiccups. Based on "If it's not broken don't fix it", I am now hesitant on opening the case, taking out the mobo, disengage the AF7, clean up the cpu, reapply thermal grease, etc, etc.

Do I absolutely need to put back the load plate? If it's just there to apply load, I'm thinking not, since the AF7 alone is applying a pretty substantial load on the CPU. What say you?

 

[Grimmy]

So you took the load plate off? I'd take it apart and put it back on the way it suppose to be. That plate keeps the CPU in place, as well as a certain amount of pressure to keep it from moving. That pin array is very delicate, and be the main reason why I'd redo everything.

 

[cfvh600]

So you took the load plate off? I'd take it apart and put it back on the way it suppose to be. That plate keeps the CPU in place, as well as a certain amount of pressure to keep it from moving. That pin array is very delicate, and be the main reason why I'd redo everything.

Yeah they wouldn't have put it there if it wasn't necessary.

 

[jbj190]

I never knew that the load plate was detachable.

 

[lufen]

Maybe... without that plate I can get better cooling because no air gets trapped under the load plate

/wishful thinking

 

[rgeist554]

Lufen, Destroyer of Load Plates.

 

[joefriday]

The only time I've seen the "load plate" removed on purpose was for CPU with the IHS removed, in order for the HSF to make proper contact with the exposed die. It will work fine w/o the load plate, but keep in mind that the cpu is not as secure as it should be every time you need to move your computer case around.