Question Motherboard damaged after cooler installation?

Dec 1, 2019
3
0
10
Hi there!

I need help! I am currently installing my first setup:
Ryzen Threadripper 1920x
Gigabyte X399 Designare EX
Be Quiet Silent Loop 120 mm (with TR mount + screws)

The liquid cooler was very tight to install and first it wasn't in contact with the thermal paste. The BIOS was running ca 70-80C temperatures (160-176F).
I then tried to tighten the screws so the cooler made contact with the paste. One of the screws broke in half during this operation but I ignored it, as the cooler seemed to be tight and mounted.

BIOS was ok, was showing correct clock speeds at 3 ghz something, but on Windows 10 computer seemed very slow. It's throttling at 0.6 ghz (I assume it's Threadripper's throttling clock speed).

I disassembled the motherboard and took a closer look. I realised the screws went partly through the mobo, and some ugly looking marks, as you can see in the pictures:
Imgur motherboard pictures

Now my question is, did I damage the motherboard during the installation? Is it possible that it is thermal throttling because of the damage? Or is my problem something else?
If so, how the h*ll is it possible that by tightening the screws you can damage it and there are some traces below the mount? Please help... :coldsweat:
 

ViktorHX

Commendable
Nov 24, 2019
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1,565
I have no idea how you manage to this as there are the corresponding screw holes and you tighten them up like 0,5 CM out of it, not sure how you manage to do that.

You definitely damaged the Mobo.
You ripped of few of those links, don't know what each of them do but they definitely need to be in a good condition otherwise it ain't going to work.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sorry to say, it looks like memory traces were severely damaged and probably cut.

Where those traces go is uncertain, though. The may only be running to currently unused DIMM sockets, which means as long as they are unpopulated it might work.

ADDED: oh yeah... looking at it again...a cautionary note is in order. It might be wise not to try powering it up unless you check power for shorts.

Reason being, a LOT of force has obviously been applied, deforming the surface and probably underlying layers. It's possible there's a latent short of the power plane to either data lines or a ground plane, which would be catastrophic to VRM's (no big deal if the board is dead anyway) but then it could propogates to CPU and PSU.
 
Last edited:
Dec 1, 2019
3
0
10
The Be Quiet Silent Loop mount for Threadripper was **** as ...
I tried to screw and mount it like 10 times without making a contact with the thermal paste and then at the last time used some excessive force, I guess.

Well, it's time to buy another mobo...o_O
 
Last edited by a moderator:

ViktorHX

Commendable
Nov 24, 2019
86
17
1,565
Unfortunately that's the true, you will need to get a new Mobo and maybe look up for some tutorial on the internet when installing the cooler just to make sure you don't do something wrong.

Have a great day,
King Regards
Viktor
 
Dec 1, 2019
3
0
10
Now I know what my problem is.
The company I ordered the Threadripper cooler mount from sent me INTEL SCREWS. Didn't pay enough attention while installing it.

Wonder if they can compensate the mobo, it was partly my own fault of course for not checking out those screws first... :unsure:
 
It was entirely your fault for not realizing that you didn't know what you were doing. That didn't happen because of "Intel" screws. That happened because you didn't line ANYTHING up correctly or were using a board form factor that was different than where the standoffs were installed in the case at. Honestly, I'm not even sure HOW you do that. It's like you had ATX pattern standoffs with an E-ATX board, or something. It sure as heck had nothing at all to do with the CPU cooler or what kind of screws you used, which by the way, you can be absolutely certain you didn't get any Intel screws or standoffs in a Threadripper cooler kit.

You can clearly see that the standoffs have punched through the board about a quarter inch off from each of the holes that those standoffs SHOULD have been lined up with. I mean, did you stand on this board or what? I just can't understand how you managed to get the standoffs to punch through the board like that. Makes no sense. Whatever and however you did it, this was all on you.
 

atljsf

Honorable
BANNED
i wouldn't turn on that pc again, remove the motherboard, if it decides to short out and burn something, i can't blame it

is too risky to use it this way anymore

remember that if you have to put too much force on something, you are doing it wrong, stop, check, and read the manual, sad to see a motherboard end this way so soon

do not doubt it, this one, you killed it, sorry, but you did killed it
 
It's not a question of IF, at all, that motherboard is a complete disaster, and completely unsafe. I guarantee that if you feed power to that board and start it up, you are going to have more than just a motherboard to replace. You'll be replacing, most likely, the CPU, or memory, or graphics card, or storage devices or all of them. But most likely you'll pop the protections in the PSU before there's more than just a small fire. And that's IF it even does anything at all. Considering the condition, I'd be surprised if it did anything more than beep, and probably not even that.
 
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