Installed a i5-2500k with stock HSF wrong and can't get it off

chuchux

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Oct 22, 2011
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Alright I'm using the stock HSF on my i5-2500k because I was too confused by the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ installation and figured I'd just do it later. I had pushed the pins of the stock HSF into the motherboard (ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3) before rotating the pins...which leads to my current dilemma. I was able to pull out all but one of the push pins, I use some force but it won't budge and I'm afraid of breaking the motherboard. I'm using the Cooler Master 922 HAF case so I can access the back of the motherboard but I'm afraid if I do anything from the backside, I will also break it somehow. Has anyone dealt with this before, or should I find someone to remove the stock HSF and install the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ for me?
 
Solution

Yep i've had to do that before.
Be very careful.

chuchux

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Oct 22, 2011
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That's what I'm going to try and do, I feel like there's no reason why the others came out so easily when I didn't rotate them either. I was thinking of maybe getting some tweezers or pliers to squeeze the pins together to make the pin come out easier from the hole.
 

Yep i've had to do that before.
Be very careful.
 
Solution

chuchux

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Oct 22, 2011
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I bookmarked a whole lot of local computer repair stores to get some rates. I feel that if I just do my best to pull that one pin out, it shouldn't really damage the motherboard if it's just going out of the slot since it's not really hitting anything else...unless it somehow creates a bigger hole.
 

Homeboy2

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Mar 21, 2006
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Once you get it out, throw it in the garbage.