Did I break something?

I am replacing a bad mobo. While trying to jiggle the replacement
into place, I think I may have broken a bond on the (NB?) heat sink.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageG...%20Motherboard

After I heard a snap, I checked the bond on the old heat sink. It was
still bonded, but it also made a snap when I moved it.

What should I do? I tried taking the heat sink off, but I am not
really sure how it comes off. It has two hold down pins that have
springs under them. Do you pull the pins? Twist the pins? Push the
pins?

I have some heat paste. Do I just need to re paste the heat sink?

On Oct 17, 10:45 am, Metspitzer wrote:
I am replacing a bad mobo. While trying to jiggle the replacement
into place, I think I may have broken a bond on the (NB?) heat sink.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageG...e=13-131-406-S...

After I heard a snap, I checked the bond on the old heat sink. It was
still bonded, but it also made a snap when I moved it.

What should I do? I tried taking the heat sink off, but I am not
really sure how it comes off. It has two hold down pins that have
springs under them. Do you pull the pins? Twist the pins? Push the
pins?

I have some heat paste. Do I just need to re paste the heat sink?

The paste itself isn't making that snapping noise, but I'd be
interested in what's causing it. I can't recall ever having to get
into the BIOS PC Heath Status for a valid condition on runaway CPU
temperatures from a disconnected or faulty heatsink. That's however
is the first thing recommended that always need be done when finished
with a working build, check what the BIOS CPU sensor is reporting.

On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:15:08 -0700 (PDT), Flasherly
wrote:

On Oct 17, 10:45 am, Metspitzer wrote:
I am replacing a bad mobo. While trying to jiggle the replacement
into place, I think I may have broken a bond on the (NB?) heat sink.

NorthBridge?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageG...e=13-131-406-S...

After I heard a snap, I checked the bond on the old heat sink. It was
still bonded, but it also made a snap when I moved it.

What should I do? I tried taking the heat sink off, but I am not
really sure how it comes off. It has two hold down pins that have
springs under them. Do you pull the pins? Twist the pins? Push the
pins?

I have some heat paste. Do I just need to re paste the heat sink?

The paste itself isn't making that snapping noise, but I'd be
interested in what's causing it. I can't recall ever having to get
into the BIOS PC Heath Status for a valid condition on runaway CPU
temperatures from a disconnected or faulty heatsink. That's however
is the first thing recommended that always need be done when finished
with a working build, check what the BIOS CPU sensor is reporting.

The snapping noise only happened once. It was like I had broken the
glue holding the heatsink to the NorthBridge.

The old mobo was still bonded until I intentionally tried to break the
bond to see if that is what I had done to the new mobo.

Metspitzer wrote:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:15:08 -0700 (PDT), Flasherly
wrote:

On Oct 17, 10:45 am, Metspitzer wrote:
I am replacing a bad mobo. While trying to jiggle the replacement
into place, I think I may have broken a bond on the (NB?) heat sink.

NorthBridge?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageG...e=13-131-406-S...

After I heard a snap, I checked the bond on the old heat sink. It was
still bonded, but it also made a snap when I moved it.

What should I do? I tried taking the heat sink off, but I am not
really sure how it comes off. It has two hold down pins that have
springs under them. Do you pull the pins? Twist the pins? Push the
pins?

I have some heat paste. Do I just need to re paste the heat sink?
The paste itself isn't making that snapping noise, but I'd be
interested in what's causing it. I can't recall ever having to get
into the BIOS PC Heath Status for a valid condition on runaway CPU
temperatures from a disconnected or faulty heatsink. That's however
is the first thing recommended that always need be done when finished
with a working build, check what the BIOS CPU sensor is reporting.

The snapping noise only happened once. It was like I had broken the
glue holding the heatsink to the NorthBridge.

The old mobo was still bonded until I intentionally tried to break the
bond to see if that is what I had done to the new mobo.

No idea what the snapping noise is.

Heatsinks sometimes use plastic pushpins. It's a pin, consisting of two legs
side by side. The pin is a compression fit, into the motherboard hole.
The legs expand to fill the hole, and the end of the legs catches
on the motherboard material.

http://www.acousticpc.com/images/a_z...onents_pic.jpg

To remove one of those, you need to compress where it catches on the
motherboard (on the solder side of the motherboard, not the top). If
you use pliers, they tend to slip off (because there's no good surface
to grip onto). Then, the motherboard may get scratched, or an SMT
component gets knocked off. Presumably, there is a good custom tool
for compressing them, but I've never seen one for sale.

You can cut the head off the pushpin, with diagonal cutters, but then,
you need an exact replacement pin to take its place.

They use pushpins in automotive applications, but in those, there is
a screw in the center of the pin, to "lock" the tip of the pin in the
splayed position, so it can't come out. The computer version, just
relies on the springy properties of the legs, to keep the pin secure.

Paul

On Oct 17, 1:48 pm, Metspitzer wrote:


The snapping noise only happened once. It was like I had broken the
glue holding the heatsink to the NorthBridge.

The old mobo was still bonded until I intentionally tried to break the
bond to see if that is what I had done to the new mobo.

Yea, I run into some of that snap-crackle & pop with a MSI 775 /
Pentium 4 last week I sent back when it wouldn't post. First time up
with a 775 and I wasn't overly impressed with the aftermarket
CoolerMaster copper heatpipe setup. More along the adaptation that
CoolerMaster. You've an AM3 socket, unless I misread, so we *should*
be in the same field as my new and first AM2, (old Orleans single
core), which I now like just peachy since figuring it's hidden key
sequence for advanced BIOS settings, and an old Ghost, non-Enterprise
version that was giving me grief.

That 775 seemed loose, at the time I was doing it -- I was thinking:
This sure is a load of happy crap, what I'll do is replace the
surrounding CPU support anchors (plastic rivets), probably with small
brass screws/bolts and paper washers.

AMD2/3, however, is basically the same (so's Intel 478 socket for that
matter), different cosmetics but anchored with into the black ABS
plastic surrounding cowling with white neoprene-like inserts.
However, the backplate of the AMD MB, I recall now, has an additional
plate beneath the CPU's plane to reinforce it from stray torque.
Which is a good deal.

As long as nothing is actually coming up or detaching itself, though,
the creaks and moans you can probably live with. Just keep that in
mind and favor it for a potential subpar design factor when working
around the CPU. Flexing MBs, though I don't like creaks and cracks
either, seems unavoidable unless in total disassembly and laying out
the mb with a mousepad or something for support backing. Download and
install SpeedFan, it does conditionally still monitor the CPU temp for
an event launch, and could even consider soldering the CPU fan
directly off a spare PS adaptor for safeguarding the MB pwr-fan slot
in case the bearings/sleeve freezes into a load condition.

Or replace it if it can be adapted to AMD. I the cowling for 478s at
geeks for two and change, and tossed one in for stocking stuffers to
make up shipping costs.

On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:45:39 -0400, Metspitzer
wrote:

I am replacing a bad mobo. While trying to jiggle the replacement
into place, I think I may have broken a bond on the (NB?) heat sink.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageG...%20Motherboard

After I heard a snap, I checked the bond on the old heat sink. It was
still bonded, but it also made a snap when I moved it.

What should I do? I tried taking the heat sink off, but I am not
really sure how it comes off. It has two hold down pins that have
springs under them. Do you pull the pins? Twist the pins? Push the
pins?

I have some heat paste. Do I just need to re paste the heat sink?

I guess my question should be.......if I have broken the contact with
the heat sink and the mobo, should I repaste it? I did not remove it
but it pulled away from the board.

I thought it was the North Bridge, but it may be............Side Port
memory.

It has 3 heat sinks. It has the large CPU heatsink and a smaller one
that is still pretty large and there is another small flat one the
size of a large postage stamp.

It is the middle sized one. It has to wing type fins........???
It is shown in the pictures. It is blue and marked ASUS in the
pictures.

Metspitzer wrote:
I am replacing a bad mobo. While trying to jiggle the replacement
into place, I think I may have broken a bond on the (NB?) heat sink.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageG...%20Motherboard

After I heard a snap, I checked the bond on the old heat sink. It was
still bonded, but it also made a snap when I moved it.

What should I do? I tried taking the heat sink off, but I am not
really sure how it comes off. It has two hold down pins that have
springs under them. Do you pull the pins? Twist the pins? Push the
pins?

I have some heat paste. Do I just need to re paste the heat sink?


Looking at the picture of the underside and comparing the position of the
pins shown on the 'plan' picture;

On underside pic;
Zoom-once-to the middle mobo-fixing-hole that is on second-row-down.

About 10mm down-&-right is the end of one of the NB-HS fixing-pins.
(Other pin is appropriate distance going in same direction (down&right))

Zoom-in as far as you can to said fixing and you will see that it is quite
clear and that the hole is round with a slot through it, the pin is same
shape but held in place by being 90deg offset from hole.

Thus; Push, Twist and Pull ! (useing appropriate tool in the cross-heads of
the fixing-pins)