I'm not able to get my heatsink off!

[techshui]

I'm trying to fix my old Pentium III Socket 370 desktop, and getting the heatsink off is proving to be very difficult.

I tried pulling the lever to an upright position, this should loosen the processor, but it still wouldn't budge when I pulled the heatsink upwards. The only thing that moved slightly was the socket itself! Which of course, alarmed me, because I don't want to damage the socket, because then I'll need a new board too.

So something else must be holding the HSF directly to the socket?

I can see 2 tabs sticking out of the heatsink's vents, one on each side. I tried lifting one, then the other, then both at the same time, they won't budge! What the trick here?

 

[michiganteddybear]

I'm trying to fix my old Pentium III Socket 370 desktop, and getting the heatsink off is proving to be very difficult.

I tried pulling the lever to an upright position, this should loosen the processor, but it still wouldn't budge when I pulled the heatsink upwards. The only thing that moved slightly was the socket itself! Which of course, alarmed me, because I don't want to damage the socket, because then I'll need a new board too.

So something else must be holding the HSF directly to the socket?

I can see 2 tabs sticking out of the heatsink's vents, one on each side. I tried lifting one, then the other, then both at the same time, they won't budge! What the trick here?

those tabs are holding the heatsink to the cpu. press down (towards the motherboard) on one of them (probably with a screwdriver), at the same time, move the screwdriver in such a fashion as to move the tab AWAY from the heatsink (about 1/8 inch should be enough), and allow it to lift up (its under some spring tension). It may take a bit of force, and some doing to get it off. once one side is off, the other should pop right off, then the heatsink should lift right off the cpu/socket.

 

[505090]

over time thermal paste stets to a glue like consistency. Use a small knife or flat head between the socket and hsf, to gently pry them apart

 

[Platypus]

Subject: "I'm not able to get my heatsink off!"

Did you try foreplay?

 

[amdfangirl]

Trick is to heat up the computer before removing the heatsink.

 

[Djibrille]

If you don't want to put it back together just to heat the CPU you could use a hair dryer to heat it's heatsink up. I remember doing this on an old video card that I couldn't take the heatsink off of.

 

[cwatson2141]

if your ZIF socket moved that not good news mate. There might be a metal "bar" that runs across the heatsink and down the 2 sides to the socket and "hooked" there is a small pocket on the bottom of the to insert a flat head screwdriver, then push down towards board and out from socket.

 

[caamsa]

Click the link below. It shows a CPU/Heatsink replacement for a socket A which is very similar if not the same procedure as the pentium III's

http://www.fonerbooks.com/r_cpu.htm

 

[jsc]

If you don't want to put it back together just to heat the CPU you could use a hair dryer to heat it's heatsink up.

Just turn on the PS and run it for 5 or 10 minutes. The heat will soften the thermal compound. Then if you can, use a slight tisting motion to remove the heatsink. Bad things can happen if you simply try to pry it off.