Fixing Damaged (splayed) Push Pins

[Harvey Rabbett]

Probably everyone at one time or another has had a hassle with the intel CPU cooler/heat sink/fan that is supposed to just snap in place. Trouble is, its not clear how those complicated things work and many end up with splayed split pins and coolers that won't secure or cool. I've had more than my fair share of troubles that eventually resulted in these two solutions. This should be done with mobo removed from case. The pins are split at bottom and I refer to these as tangs.

1. Straighten the pins using needle nose pliers and squeeze the splayed tangs back to vertical, making sure the pin is fully retracted. Usually they can be straightened enough to coax into the holes.

Holding the mobo in one hand be sure the tips of the prongs are in teh hole and can be seen sticking out slightly from underside. If not, use a small screwdriver from above to push the tangs in place, then push the pin down. This should work even with 4 badly mangled pins. MY TIME: 20 minutes

If you can't get #1 above to work, the following is a sure-fire fix.

2. Bolt it down. I recommend using 1/2" nylon screw with either metal or plastic nuts, it won't matter as there is nothing to contact on underside of mobo. I found 1" screws at ACE and then cut them down to size. Use clippers to cut off existing pins. You must have proper size washers for the upper side to support the screw head. You can use metal screws, I just feel more comfortable with plastic. I do not see anything that they could cause a short by their use. MY TIME TO COMPLETE: 95 minutes.

 

[geofelt]

Good solutions. ^^^

My tip for installing the stock cooler:
Push down simultaneously on a DIAGONAL pair of pins.
Any other way and the cooler will not settle evenly.

 

[Shaun o]

My way ! Don`t use a stock cpu cooler at all that are the most common to have the Cheap push pin locking mechanism.

Go out and buy a decently priced cpu air cooler that uses a rear support bracket on the rear of the motherboard and cpu socket location.

Using four retention screws to seat the cooler tightly on to the cpu within the cpu socket of the motherboard.

The plus point much cooler Cpu temps at idle mode and when stress it put on the cpu.

Push pin cooler ! Clunk in the home recycle bin.

Job done.

Stupidly designed and cheap cpu cooler and locking mechanism avoided !!! with very little hassle.
Why make it more painful and less reliable. ?

 

[Eximo]

They aren't terribly difficult to install. This is more a remediation for when something goes wrong.

I used my i7-4770k stock cooler on a i3-4130T, that produces amazing temperatures and a level of silence that is astounding.

I've also occasionally mixed and matched coolers and mounts when it was suitable to do so. A stock Intel cooler with a normal-ish backplate with threaded rods and nuts also works as a method. Just have to knock out the pins.

You also shouldn't chuck spare coolers. You never know when you or someone else might need one. Handy to have around.

If that Intel fan ever goes out on me, I still have the i3-4130t cooler. Clips aren't the same length, but I can probably improvise a mount if I have to (probably just trim the clips and superglue at each leg rather than something elaborate)