I7 CPU Motherboard Pins Possibly Bent (Should I RMA?)

[SBanya]

Hello,

So I'm currently building a new computer, and the problem is that I noticed that a few of the pins on the CPU socket were not necessarily straight.

Like when I felt them with my finger, most of the pins felt straight up like a hairbrush, but a few were just slightly off. I don't know if I had moved them with I installed the heatsink (which was a beach )

Are they all supposed to be exactly straight up? It got me really paranoid and I didn't know what else to do then to just proceed and hope for the best but now I'm worried.

Like the cpu fit into place but I'm unsure if this is okay :/

I don't know if that'll totally mess up things or what not. This is a new build for me, and I haven't built a computer for like 8 years. The cpu socket on the mobo ITSELF has the pins and not the cpu (which is new for me).

Regardless, I mounted the heatsink with thermal paste (Worst install I've ever done, will never do the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan ever again) but am worried that I'll fry the comp if I turn it on.

Should I send back the motherboard, and if so, will Newegg even take this back, or will I have to buy another motherboard to be safe ?

Or should I take off the heatsink and rebend the pins on that CPU socket on the motherboard?

I'm kinda paranoid / pissed / worried, and just have to go through work today to figure out what to do.

Here are my parts in question:

1 x MSI Z170A SLI Plus LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 ATX Intel Motherboard

1 x Intel Core i7-6700K 8M Skylake Quad-Core 4.0 GHz LGA 1151 91W BX80662I76700K Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics ...

Lemme know fam!

* Update:

I'm most likely going to take off the heatsink today, and try to unbend the pins to make sure, but let me know :/

I'm debating sending the motherboard in for an RMA and then ordering another one to save time :/

*Paranoid at work

 

[alexoiu]

Try taking a good resolution picture of the CPU socket, uploading it to a site like photobucket, flickr... and posting the link here.

 

[SBanya]

You got it. Will do. I'm so sad that I might have wasted like $150 on that motherboard.

Should I call Newegg in the meantime during lunch at work today to ask to RMA the motherboard? Would they even allow for an RMA even if I lie and said it came to me like that?

I get it that I might have messed up, and hell, I can't believe a terrible $30 heatsink's install with no instructions and only vague pictures might have cost me $150, but I'm just trying to figure out what the hell I should do.

 

[alexoiu]

Yes, you could. See what they say.

 

[SBanya]

You got it dude, thanks. In the meantime, should I buy another one just to save time on this damn thing?

 

[alexoiu]

I suggest waiting for newegg to answer. Ask about cross-ship, to save time.

 

[SBanya]

You got it my man. Thank you. I'm so pissed at myself because I honestly took the time to read the instructions for everything, but it looks like I might lose this round. Honestly I was surprised that the pins are now on the motherboard but my previous build used AMD so that's probably why.

Definitely going to ask about cross shipping.

 

[SBanya]

Would the CPU also be damaged or is it still ok?

Like I know the heatsink will be fine, and the CPU might be okay, but I don't necessarily know if clamping it down like that would totally screw up the CPU.

 

[alexoiu]

The CPU should be fine.

 

[SBanya]

http://postimg.org/gallery/2rpo98th6/

Here are the pictures I took just now.

Sorry, my S3 doesn't have the greatest camera and my lighting in my room sucks. Anyway, I'm going to Rite Aid to buy isopropyl alcohol > 70% to take the excess paste that got on the silver block around the lever so I can return the motherboard.

Good news though, Newegg accepted my RMA request and will refund me EVEN IF the pins are truly bent (hoping this is true)

So, I'm going to buy the same motherboard tonight, and send this one back tomorrow via UPS or a Fed Ex store tomorrow after work.

Let me know if I shouldn't take it back or if it truly isn't bent. There's a pin near the lower right of it thats a bit iffy but nothing truly feels bent... Idk, I think I"ll be safe and RMA it and have my sister's boyfriend install the CPU plus heat sink with me because I don't want to screw this up yet again.

 

[alexoiu]

Hard to say from the images. There might be one some bent pins, or it's only the light.
However, since RMA accepted, I'd say to do it. Good luck with the new one and let us know if it worked.