The CPU's stuck to the HSF!


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Hi everyone,

Firstly I've built loads of AMD machines before quite happily.

I've been given a machine with a Intel Pentium 4 processor and need to replace the motherboard. As I tried to remove the heatsink I found that actually the processor was stuck its underneath!

Is this normal for P4 machines? :huh:

It's a Medion/Cybermaxx machine which hasn't been taken apart since it was bought.

Now I can't get it back in because the processor socket won't click in with a HSF on top of it. As far as I can tell, none of the pins have bent or broken (quite a miracle really) and I've tried removing the CPU from the bottom, but it's rock hard. They must have used cement or something. It literally won't budge. :no:

Help! What should I do.

I've uploaded a couple of pictures, the first one shows the CPU stuck to the HSF,. and the second shows the motherboard exactly as it was after the CPU/HSF was removed. Notice the clamp for the CPU socket is down. I don't know how I got it out like that, but when I removed the CPU, the clamp was still in the down position.

Any ideas..., it's not my machine!

post-13-1090763507.jpg

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It normal for this thing to happen the thermal pad/paste gets to a point where it sticks really bad and feels like its glued in. you should be able to pull it off with some effort. for a last resort you could try to pry it off, however.. only pry from underneath the IHS not anywhere else or you'll risk damaging the processor.

are you talking bout getting the area marked with red unlatched?

If you are... you must push it a bit sideways.. and lift it up to release it.

No, I know how to get it unlatched, but when I removed the CPU/HSF combi, it was still ltched up. If you know what I mean. Normally you'd unlatch it to remove the processor, but it came straight out while it was still latched. I assumed it would break if that happened, but it hasn't.

Am I making myself clear?

It's off now :bounce: :jump: !

I had to pry it off from the plastick bit as I just couldn't get it under the metal Heat Transfer part. Thankfully it seems to be in tact. Off to PC World for some more thermal paste now.

Thanks guys, I was getting a little worried there :blush:

post-13-1090765217.jpg

best way to do it is as VG11489 said heat it up a bit and try to take it off then, if that fails then take a small knife and try to get under as much as you can before you pry it up, it happened to my parents celeron afters 2 years without touching its hs. quite nasty actually the paste was yellow and hard :p

wow look what it did to that thing... just remember to tell your friend refresh that paste every once and a while

Normally I would, but this friend wouldn't know thermal paste if his mouth was glued shut with it! I'll probably just do it myself. But then again he bought his computer from Toys R Us. In case you don't get that around the world, it's a giant chain of toy stores. Not the first place I'd look for a computer.

So that's why Intel CPUs are always cooler than AMDs. The Intels physically attach themselves to the HSF :cry: !

this happened to me too on my Dell Smartstep, the CPU had some sort of thermal pad (which later i replaced with Artic Silver).

When the CPU remained attached to the heat sink, i dismantled it a little (took off the fan, and some metal) and heated the HSF on the Hob (kitchen burners) until i could remove the cpu easily with damaging anything.

The last thing I bought from Toys R Us, was an Action Man ab-sailing figure and GameBoy Pocket (remember those) when I was about 10 or 11.

But apparently they do sell computers and for some reson he bought one from there. He's a 30 something, married with a baby girl and another on the way. :rolleyes: Here's a Toys R Us PC: http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Product.aspx/TruH...sDesktop/824577

And in retrospect, I guess maybe I should have used a solvent or heated it or something, before just taking the knife to it. It's okay this time, but I'll remember for next time.

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