[SOLVED] Have I damaged anything?

NaranJust

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Nov 26, 2015
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Hello!

I've just brought my new components home and went on to assemble my new PC (first time builder here). However, not long after that, I started sweating like a pig and my stomach froze.
The parts are: i7-9700k, Aorus Pro Z390, Arctic Freezer 34 eSports Duo, the rest doesn't matter for now.

First, I've put in the CPU. Wiggled it a bit, everything looked fine, the triangles aligned, and the notches didn't allow it to move anywhere.
So I put down the lid and pushed the lever down. Boy, did it NOT go smooth. It was hard to push it down, and there were scratching noises.
I opened it again, only to see the metal sides of the CPU scraped a little. Also, I noticed that I could still see the pins, take a look at the photo:

https://prnt.sc/r5w74z

On the Internet, I saw that the scratching was OK. That's how the socket 'hugs' the CPU. But it was eerie.

Then I decided to put the backplate on the MoBo, so I could put the CPU cooler on. But alas, another problem.
The four protruding pins wouldn't go through all the holes. I could fit one, but the 3 of them didn't go through the MoBo holes completely.
I tried to put the standoffs in to see whether they would attach the backplate, but still...
Here's a photo, sorry for the bad quality:

https://prnt.sc/r5w6h7

You can (maybe) notice the upper yellow 'pin' sticking out, while the bottom part went through the hole.

So did I do something wrong, did I damage my components?
 
Solution
The same happens in this video, but the guy says it's OK:
https://prnt.sc/r5wvz7


Hah, man you're bringing me back to the nervousness of my first builds. You're fine man, its a mechanical process with the cpu insertion so it will be a little clanky and there will be some noise, but so long as the cpu is inserted correctly, and the bracket is closed correctly, itll be ok. The scraping on the CPU is normal, its just metal on metal abrasion because the retention for the socket needs to hold the cpu in place. Finally, theres are no traces directly around the bracket mounting holes for your cooler, so so long as you dont go nuts and try to apply like a gorilla's amount of pressure when installing the bracket and screwing in...

Sean Green

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Feb 20, 2020
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  1. First of all just in case take out your CPU and check for any bent pins
  2. I would try to install your cpu cooler mount on a flat surface motherboard box is good for this.
  3. Have you attempted to turn on your pc yet?
 

Shay Green

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Feb 17, 2020
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Coolers can be a bit fiddly and have to be tightened bit by bit in opposite corners to even out the pressure.

However you could take your cpu out and check if any pins are bent to make sure its ok
 
I opened it again, only to see the metal sides of the CPU scraped a little. Also, I noticed that I could still see the pins, take a look at the photo:
https://prnt.sc/r5w74z
the CPU doesn't look aligned properly. you can see that it is oriented a bit more to the right than to the left. the left securing tab is barely touching the CPU while the right is fully on. though this could just be the motherboard's design.
 

NaranJust

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Nov 26, 2015
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OK, I'm back. I took out the CPU, and took some photos of the pins:

https://prnt.sc/r5wj38
https://prnt.sc/r5wj5u

They look the same to me as they were when I opened the socket for the first time. For reference, here's a picture of the pins from a website, to see that they have two 'L' shapes that seem different or bent or whatever.

Here's a photo of the CPU:
https://prnt.sc/r5wj8l

And when I put it back:
https://prnt.sc/r5wjej

In this last picture, you can see the notches and the triangles, I triple-checked and it wouldn't move. When I pushed the lever, it made the screechy sound again. Take a look at the sides which I've marked with arrows - that's where the CPU was scraped.
 

NaranJust

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Nov 26, 2015
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the CPU doesn't look aligned properly. you can see that it is oriented a bit more to the right than to the left. the left securing tab is barely touching the CPU while the right is fully on. though this could just be the motherboard's design.

Yeah, I see that too. But I've checked multiple times, there is no other way for it to be put in the socket.
 

NaranJust

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Nov 26, 2015
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Yeah, that's what I thought as well. So the pins aren't bent, the scratches are OK, it fits as it should.
Anyone else with this nerve-wracking experience?

Also, what the heck should I do with the plastic backplate, is it OK if the pins don't go all the way through the mobo?
 

Sean Green

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Feb 20, 2020
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Try to put your cooler on over a flat hard surface so there is a force pushing against the backplate and if it is screws screw any corner in first not all the way then the diagonal to that then the others with even ammounts of pressure it may short in your case like the way it is
 

artk2219

Distinguished
The same happens in this video, but the guy says it's OK:
https://prnt.sc/r5wvz7


Hah, man you're bringing me back to the nervousness of my first builds. You're fine man, its a mechanical process with the cpu insertion so it will be a little clanky and there will be some noise, but so long as the cpu is inserted correctly, and the bracket is closed correctly, itll be ok. The scraping on the CPU is normal, its just metal on metal abrasion because the retention for the socket needs to hold the cpu in place. Finally, theres are no traces directly around the bracket mounting holes for your cooler, so so long as you dont go nuts and try to apply like a gorilla's amount of pressure when installing the bracket and screwing in the CPU cooler, you'll be fine, it was designed with those mounting pressures in mind. Honestly my bigger concerns are making sure that you didn't skimp on the power supply (seriously, its very important to not buy the cheapest one, remember it powers everything in your system, and can blow up everything in your system), have proper thermal paste application (a roughly pea sized dot on the center of the heat spreader), that your RAM and GPU are correctly seated, and that you plugged in the PCI-E cable for the GPU. So long as you've got all that covered youll be golden, even if you loosely mount everything into the case, and leave it looking like a spaghetti sandwich (although you will definitely have everyone remind you that a tidy computer is easier to work on). Just have fun with it honestly.
 
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Solution

NaranJust

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Nov 26, 2015
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Well guys, I did and didn't want to quit at the same time, so I had my friend come over, and guess what.
With a bit of guidance of his...

https://prnt.sc/r5ymd3

YES! :D

Thank you all as well, this was really sketchy for the first time, but I got the post on the first try and my cable management is decent enough, I'm quite satisfied!

There's just one thing that bothers me - I possibly caught a case of coil whine on my GPU.
Maybe it's from the Chieftec 650W PSU - I used this just to test the machine, I will get a new one soon - possibly a Corsair RM750x, or something in that range.

Is there any way to solve the coil whine, if it persists with the new PSU?
 
I possibly caught a case of coil whine on my GPU.
Maybe it's from the Chieftec 650W PSU...
Is there any way to solve the coil whine, if it persists with the new PSU?
coil whine is caused by fans not functioning correctly. it should be fairly easy to narrow it down to which fan is causing the noise.

use your GPU control software to turn each GPU fan down to 0% one at a time. if it didn't go away through this test, it is another piece of hardware.
test each case fan and CPU fan. if you don't have any fan control software installed; you should be able to stop them with your finger for a very short time without damaging them or hurting yourself, but be careful.
if the noise hasn't stopped at all through all of this it would have to be the PSU's fan.

but are you sure it is actually fan coil whine? there was just a member on here this passed week who claimed they had this issue even though they had never heard actual coil whine before. it turned out to be their motherboard giving off a hardware warning alarm.
 

NaranJust

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Nov 26, 2015
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Well, I have a Gigabyte 1060 6GB in my current PC, and whenever its fans start up, they make a whirring sound.

In the new PC, I have a Gigabyte (I think they have some troubles with GPU making in general) 2070S Gaming, and I started up the Heaven benchmark. Whenever something was on the screen, it started whining. Whenever the screen would go black (scene transition), the whine would stop briefly.

I've also noticed that in BIOS, when I enter the option where I can see the voltages, the whine noise starts again and my mouse pointer becomes choppy. So, I'm not 100% sure it's coil whine, I indeed haven't heard it before. It's very late now (well, early - it's 5:30AM for me) so I'll try to capture the sound tomorrow and I'll post it here.

A MoBo giving off a hardware warning alarm?
How did that sound, and what kind of warning was it?