Intel i7-4790k Warranty question on Socket clamp damaging sides of cpu.

[jpsulisz]

Hello TomsHardware community,

Story:

I recently went to my local Microcenter and bought myself a H97M Pro4 by ASRock and Intel i7-4790k for $295! I went home and decided to go assemble the motherboard already, I put in the CPU and noticed it was much harder to clamp then any AMD socket I've put together. I still went on with the process and got it down, then put on my cooler with the paste. Like a idiot, I put the backplate on the wrong way so I took of the cooler and removed the CPU from the socket, so I could remove the thermal compound and clean it again so another dip of it could be added when I redo the cooler, and then I noticed the 2 tiny dings on the edges (I did not take a picture, but will have one at the bottom that shows similar issue). The only way I found this could happen is from the socket being very tightly on there, I have no idea until the next 2 days when my power supply comes in to tell if its dead or not. I read this happens with many ASRock boards that use Foxconn parts, then I read this is made so Intel can tell if its been used in a board before. They weren't deep from what I recall, but I was pissed as the new $250 chip I bought had 2 tiny dents in it now.

Question:

Is my processor, the i7-4790k, still covered under its 3 year warranty? Or if the processor works for 2.5 years and dies, will Intel tell me to hit the road because of the 2 dents.

Here is a picture from an used eBay listing on a Xeon that has almost the exact similar marks on the sides of the metal:

 

[Mark_1970]

Why a h97 with a overclockable cpu with a non clocking chipset. either should buy a cheaper non k 4790 or a z97 mobo. You just payed more for a oc chip you can't even use

 

[jpsulisz]

Why a h97 with a overclockable cpu with a non clocking chipset. either should buy a cheaper non k 4790 or a z97 mobo. You just payed more for a oc chip you can't even use

Microcenter had a deal on the i7-4790k where it was the same price as the non-k version. Why buy the i7-4790 when the 4790k is the same price, right? The 4790k, Ive read, is able to OC a little on this motherboard but should work as it is listed as a compatible cpu on ASRocks website.

 

[Mark_1970]

Why a h97 with a overclockable cpu with a non clocking chipset. either should buy a cheaper non k 4790 or a z97 mobo. You just payed more for a oc chip you can't even use

Microcenter had a deal on the i7-4790k where it was the same price as the non-k version. Why buy the i7-4790 when the 4790k is the same price, right? The 4790k, Ive read, is able to OC a little on this motherboard but should work as it is listed as a compatible cpu on ASRocks website.

Fair enough
ASRock support answer:

Dear customer,
Thank you for contacting ASRock.

According to Intel H97 chipset's specification, it doesn't support overclock on H series chipset.
And Intel already lock the OC ability on H series platform in new Microcode according to Intel’s spec, system won’t support overclock CPU after updating the BIOS P2.00 with new Intel Microcode.
If you would like to do OC on H97M Pro4, we would suggest customer to flash back the older BIOS P1.90 or earlier version with old Microcode.

Thanks

Best Wishes
ASRock TSD

 

[jpsulisz]

Why a h97 with a overclockable cpu with a non clocking chipset. either should buy a cheaper non k 4790 or a z97 mobo. You just payed more for a oc chip you can't even use

Microcenter had a deal on the i7-4790k where it was the same price as the non-k version. Why buy the i7-4790 when the 4790k is the same price, right? The 4790k, Ive read, is able to OC a little on this motherboard but should work as it is listed as a compatible cpu on ASRocks website.

Fair enough
ASRock support answer:

Dear customer,
Thank you for contacting ASRock.

According to Intel H97 chipset's specification, it doesn't support overclock on H series chipset.
And Intel already lock the OC ability on H series platform in new Microcode according to Intel’s spec, system won’t support overclock CPU after updating the BIOS P2.00 with new Intel Microcode.
If you would like to do OC on H97M Pro4, we would suggest customer to flash back the older BIOS P1.90 or earlier version with old Microcode.

Thanks

Best Wishes
ASRock TSD

While I do appreciate the work you've put into finding this information, it unfortunately does not help with my original question on the warranty status of the processor.

 

[Mark_1970]

Why a h97 with a overclockable cpu with a non clocking chipset. either should buy a cheaper non k 4790 or a z97 mobo. You just payed more for a oc chip you can't even use

Microcenter had a deal on the i7-4790k where it was the same price as the non-k version. Why buy the i7-4790 when the 4790k is the same price, right? The 4790k, Ive read, is able to OC a little on this motherboard but should work as it is listed as a compatible cpu on ASRocks website.

Fair enough
ASRock support answer:

Dear customer,
Thank you for contacting ASRock.

According to Intel H97 chipset's specification, it doesn't support overclock on H series chipset.
And Intel already lock the OC ability on H series platform in new Microcode according to Intel’s spec, system won’t support overclock CPU after updating the BIOS P2.00 with new Intel Microcode.
If you would like to do OC on H97M Pro4, we would suggest customer to flash back the older BIOS P1.90 or earlier version with old Microcode.

Thanks

Best Wishes
ASRock TSD

While I do appreciate the work you've put into finding this information, it unfortunately does not help with my original question on the warranty status of the processor.

Did you place the cpu in the slot correct, like in this pic? http://www.geforce.co.uk/whats-new/guides/diy-how-to-build-an-sli-rig-part-1#11
If it works fine id say you are not getting warranty

 

[synphul]

It will probably still be fine. That portion of the ihs on the cpu is flared away from the main part of the ihs and is designed for the clamp to compress down onto. lga1150 clamps are pretty tight, much tighter than previous types. It's not a zif (zero insertion force) like amd where the pins sit into tiny holes then a lever clamp against them. The pins are upright (angled) in the socket and the clamp compresses the cpu down onto them forcing them against the contacts on the cpu.

It was the stiffest install I've done as well but both my 4690k's installed the same way. Took much more force than I'm used to and made a slight crunching noise, the sound of the pins being compressed under the cpu. It's just how lga1150 works. If it wasn't tight the contact between pins and cpu wouldn't be tight.

You shouldn't have to remove the cpu every time you clean off and reapply thermal paste, once it's in it should be able to be left there unless you're changing motherboards or cpu's.

 

[jpsulisz]

It will probably still be fine. That portion of the ihs on the cpu is flared away from the main part of the ihs and is designed for the clamp to compress down onto. lga1150 clamps are pretty tight, much tighter than previous types. It's not a zif (zero insertion force) like amd where the pins sit into tiny holes then a lever clamp against them. The pins are upright (angled) in the socket and the clamp compresses the cpu down onto them forcing them against the contacts on the cpu.

It was the stiffest install I've done as well but both my 4690k's installed the same way. Took much more force than I'm used to and made a slight crunching noise, the sound of the pins being compressed under the cpu. It's just how lga1150 works. If it wasn't tight the contact between pins and cpu wouldn't be tight.

You shouldn't have to remove the cpu every time you clean off and reapply thermal paste, once it's in it should be able to be left there unless you're changing motherboards or cpu's.

Got it working today! Shouldn't be a problem any longer. Now, just about that power supply... But thats for another day.