Broken heatsink - how to fix - broke.jpg (0/1)

[Pedro]

Hello everyone, the piece that the hook on the heatsink hooks to that
holds it against the chip broke off the motherboard. How can I fix
this? I attached a picture in case that made no sense. Thanks to
anyone that can advise.

 

[John Doe]

Hello everyone, the piece that the hook on the heatsink hooks
to that holds it against the chip broke off the motherboard. How
can I fix this? I attached a picture in case that made no sense.
Thanks to anyone that can advise.

I would thoroughly clean the heatsink and CPU, lightly sand them
both with very fine sandpaper, clean them both again, then
superglue the heatsink onto the CPU using firm pressure to keep as
little space as possible between the heatsink and the CPU. If you
have a spare somewhere, use a bigger heatsink for it.

Some people say that superglue is an insulator, but do not provide
any authoritative references about that. I have used super glue
for heatsink purposes and it worked well, maybe partly because I
am very neat about it (not easy to be neat with superglue).

Just drilling a hole through motherboard is a bad idea since they
are multilayer circuit boards. Trying to remove something like
that and redo it can be very difficult unless you are skilled at
soldering. Depending on the situation, it can be impossible unless
you also have a suction tool.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Paul]

Hello everyone, the piece that the hook on the heatsink hooks to that
holds it against the chip broke off the motherboard. How can I fix
this? I attached a picture in case that made no sense. Thanks to
anyone that can advise.

You need a replacement retention frame.

They're available, but not easy to find.

This one is for a S478 motherboard for example.

http://www.amazon.com/Pentium-Socket-Heatsink-Retention-Module/dp/B000YA7QTO

That one comes with nylon push pins include. If you damage the original
push pins while removing them, that bracket comes with its own. Not
all brackets include push pins - if that is the case, you have to be
careful when removing the original push pins. You also have to be
careful not to damage the motherboard.

Retention frames are also available for other sockets, like S939, AM2, etc.

You start, by identifying the socket type needed, and then
start Googling.

By the way, I can't see your picture. Post a picture of the
broken item, on a "Photobucket" type site. Then post a URL
link to it, so we can see it. Or alternately, just tell us
the make and model number of the motherboard, so we can
look it up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageShack

Paul

 

[Nil]

Hello everyone, the piece that the hook on the heatsink hooks to
that holds it against the chip broke off the motherboard. How can
I fix this? I attached a picture in case that made no sense.
Thanks to anyone that can advise.

Your description isn't very clear, but it reminds me of the
situation I found my sister's Dell computer in. The heatsink was
held onto the CPU by a long metal band that was anchored at each end
to an eyelet soldered to the motherboard. One of the eyelets had
come unsoldered, so the heatsink was flopping around loose, and the
CPU would overheat before completing bootup.

I ended up making a new eyelet out of the looped end of a safety
pin, soldering it back into the hole in the MB. It was only after I
did that that I found the missing real eyelet lodged in a corner of
the case, but my fix is probably stronger. It's worked fine ever
since.

 

[John Doe]

By the way, I can't see your picture. Post a picture of the
broken item, on a "Photobucket" type site. Then post a URL link
to it, so we can see it.

We can see it. Admittedly, the picture in question could be in a
smaller format, but Google Groups has nuked posters who used to
complain about bandwidth problems here on UseNet. A small picture
is a drop in the bucket compared to the mass of junk Google Groups
spammers post to UseNet every day.

Or alternately, just tell us the make and model number of the
motherboard, so we can look it up.

A picture is worth 1000 words. Better would be to get a real
newsreader and news server so you can see small format pictures.
The days of no binaries on UseNet are gone.
--

 

[Nil]

A picture is worth 1000 words. Better would be to get a real
newsreader and news server so you can see small format pictures.
The days of no binaries on UseNet are gone.

No, they are not. I checked that article on four different news
services, and the picture was stripped out of the message in all of
them.

 

[John Doe]

John Doe <jdoe usenetlove.invalid> wrote

No, they are not. I checked that article on four different news
services, and the picture was stripped out of the message in all
of them.

Maybe not in the Third World, but the days of no binaries on
UseNet are definitely gone here.

Try AstraWeb.com.

If you are using a free text only news server, you might not be
able to see very useful small format pictures here on UseNet.
In that case, I would definitely recommend upgrading.
--

Path: news.astraweb.com!border2.newsrouter.astraweb.com!news.glorb.com!news2.glorb.com!news.tele.dk!feed118.news.tele.dk!news.tele.dk!small.news.tele.dk!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Nil <rednoise REMOVETHIScomcast.net>
Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Subject: Re: Broken heatsink - how to fix - broke.jpg (0/1)
Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 11:45:31 -0400
Organization: ?!
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[Nil]

Maybe not in the Third World, but the days of no binaries on
UseNet are definitely gone here.

You have a very limited perspective.

Try AstraWeb.com.

No.

 

[Pedro]

I would thoroughly clean the heatsink and CPU, lightly sand them
both with very fine sandpaper, clean them both again, then
superglue the heatsink onto the CPU using firm pressure to keep as
little space as possible between the heatsink and the CPU. If you
have a spare somewhere, use a bigger heatsink for it.

Some people say that superglue is an insulator, but do not provide
any authoritative references about that. I have used super glue
for heatsink purposes and it worked well, maybe partly because I
am very neat about it (not easy to be neat with superglue).

Just drilling a hole through motherboard is a bad idea since they
are multilayer circuit boards. Trying to remove something like
that and redo it can be very difficult unless you are skilled at
soldering. Depending on the situation, it can be impossible unless
you also have a suction tool.

Good luck and have fun.

Thanks for answering, that's sounds like it might be a good option.
Actually it's the chipset we're talking about, not the CPU. Maybe it's
not so obvious in the picture. Anyway, is it safe to use rubbing
alcohol to clean them? And how fine does the sandpaper need to be, I
think I have some 400 grit lying around.

To everyone who couldn't see the picture: Sorry but I wasn't aware
that some news servers dropped the binary attachments. Yes I know this
is a non-binary group but I couldn't be bothered to upload it to a
picture hosting site. The motherboard is an AOpen AX4SPE-UN. Here's a
direct link to the manual:

http://download.aopen.com.tw/Download.aspx?RecNo=7279&Model=714&Section=8&DL=yes

 

[Paul]

Thanks for answering, that's sounds like it might be a good option.
Actually it's the chipset we're talking about, not the CPU. Maybe it's
not so obvious in the picture. Anyway, is it safe to use rubbing
alcohol to clean them? And how fine does the sandpaper need to be, I
think I have some 400 grit lying around.

To everyone who couldn't see the picture: Sorry but I wasn't aware
that some news servers dropped the binary attachments. Yes I know this
is a non-binary group but I couldn't be bothered to upload it to a
picture hosting site. The motherboard is an AOpen AX4SPE-UN. Here's a
direct link to the manual:

http://download.aopen.com.tw/Download.aspx?RecNo=7279&Model=714&Section=8&DL=yes

http://web.archive.org/web/20050329083914/aopen.jp/products/mb/large/ax4spe-ul-l.jpg

You can solder the hook back in place. There is no need for thermal epoxy.

The problem with the method, is the original hook, that the spring clip hooks
onto, is made from the wrong metal. It solders poorly, which is why it pulls
out of place.

If you purchase a 1/2 watt resistor, and cut the legs off it, the wire from
that can be used to make a new hook. And the tin-lead finish of the resistor
leg, solders well, and won't come out.

*******

If you really want to use thermal epoxy, it is *permanent* and cannot be removed.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100005

You mix the two components together, and apply it. Once the heatsink
sets with the epoxy in place, it can never be removed again. If you
try to remove the heatsink, it will rip the lid off the Northbridge.

Paul

 

[John Doe]

John Doe <jdoe usenetlove.invalid> wrote

You have a very limited perspective.

Says someone who cannot cope with small format pictures here on
UseNet. You are living in the past, you are the one with the
limited perspective. In any case, you will just have to cope,
there is nothing you can do about it. Get yourself a real news
server and stop whining about it.

There is nothing wrong with asking the original poster to go to the
trouble to post a link, but (if possible) joining the modern world is
the best solution.
--

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From: Nil <rednoise REMOVETHIScomcast.net>
Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Subject: Re: Broken heatsink - how to fix - broke.jpg (0/1)
Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 16:53:31 -0400
Organization: ?!
Lines: 11
Message-ID: <Xns9D82ABD5C1061nilch1 130.133.4.11>
References: <ntphv5925h34h9qf1ikuumdma1msv1k7ki 4ax.com> <htbq9t

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[John Doe]

Thanks for answering, that's sounds like it might be a good
option. Actually it's the chipset we're talking about, not the
CPU. Maybe it's not so obvious in the picture. Anyway, is it
safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean them?

Yes, probably 90% would be better than 70%. Compressed air is good
for removing dust.

And how fine does the sandpaper need to be, I think I have some
400 grit lying around.

Good question. There are many different types of super glues. Some
can fill a larger gap. I would guess that a superglue that fills
the smallest possible gap would be best, so there is less
superglue in between the two pieces, but ordinary superglue will
probably work. You want to use fine sandpaper. That 400 sounds
okay, or maybe 600-800. I noticed that you might be able to get
really ultrafine sandpaper in an automotive section or at an auto
parts store. I think they use it for sanding paint/undercoat. You
want to make sure that you do not over sand the thing so that it
is uneven, you want it as flat as possible.

As with many mechanical things, you can find everything you want
to know about superglue at the McMaster-Carr online parts store.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Pedro]

You can solder the hook back in place. There is no need for thermal epoxy.

The problem with the method, is the original hook, that the spring clip hooks
onto, is made from the wrong metal. It solders poorly, which is why it pulls
out of place.

If you purchase a 1/2 watt resistor, and cut the legs off it, the wire from
that can be used to make a new hook. And the tin-lead finish of the resistor
leg, solders well, and won't come out.

*******

If you really want to use thermal epoxy, it is *permanent* and cannot be removed.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100005

You mix the two components together, and apply it. Once the heatsink
sets with the epoxy in place, it can never be removed again. If you
try to remove the heatsink, it will rip the lid off the Northbridge.

Paul

I think I like this idea better than glueing the heatsink to the
chip but I have no experience at all when it comes to soldering. How
much practice would it take to get good enough at it to do a job like
this? How many ways are there to screw up? Do you know of any websites
that have tutorials demonstrating this sort of thing? It wouldn't have
to be this partuclar task, just something similar that would give me a
general idea what to do and what sort of problems I might run into.

thanks a lot for the reply

 

[John Doe]

I think I like this idea better than glueing the heatsink to the
chip but I have no experience at all when it comes to soldering.

Gluing it wouldn't be easy either, in case you are looking for a
challenge.

How much practice would it take to get good enough at it to do a
job like this? How many ways are there to screw up?

Let me count the ways. You are working with extremely hot stuff
and messy stuff and difficult to remove stuff. I use water soluble
resin solder, it makes for very neat work. You have to know how to
tin the soldering iron tip and to keep it clean while you are
working with it. Soldering has much to do with very inefficient
transfer of heat from the soldering iron tip to the stuff you are
trying to solder.

Looking at the picture, do the holes have solder in them? The pin
looks like it pulled out of the holes. So I am wondering how those
holes are closed? That makes a huge difference for soldering the
thing back into place. If you can just stick the pins through the
hole, soldering is as easy as it can be. If the holes are full of
solder, it can be very difficult. If the holes have broken off
metal leads still in them, it can be impossible without a suction
tool or something to remove the pins first.
--

 

[Paul]

I think I like this idea better than glueing the heatsink to the
chip but I have no experience at all when it comes to soldering. How
much practice would it take to get good enough at it to do a job like
this? How many ways are there to screw up? Do you know of any websites
that have tutorials demonstrating this sort of thing? It wouldn't have
to be this partuclar task, just something similar that would give me a
general idea what to do and what sort of problems I might run into.

thanks a lot for the reply

Do you have a Radio/TV repair shop close by ? They know how to solder
and do so all day long.

Pull the motherboard.

Bring the heatsink, spring clip, and the old hook with you. Ask them to make
a hook for you, out of a resistor lead or from something they know
will solder well.

You should also prepare the top of the Northbridge chip. A
rice grain sized dab of thermal paste (not glue), should be
present on the top of the chip, just before fitting the
heatsink again. That is to enhance thermal contact between
the aluminum heatsink and the top of the Northbridge. I've been
using the same tube of thermal paste for years, so a little
goes a long way. You can test whether you're using enough,
by applying half a rice grain, push the heatsink onto the
Northbridge, and see how much it spreads out. Clean the surfaces
again, with an alcohol-damped cloth, let it dry, before making the
final application. By "calibrating" the application of the thermal
paste, you're trying to ensure the paste doesn't go all over the
place. It should not be allowed to contact any resistors, capacitors
or other components.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100009

The staff at a Radio/TV shop will have soldering equipment
and can do the work.

Other than that, if you want to do the work yourself, you'd
need a soldering iron, solder wick (to clean up the work
site around where you're going to solder), some resin core
solder (not acid flux, because it can corrode things), and
practice on some other printed circuit board first.

I have a collection of (cheap) soldering irons, and for this
work, I'd probably pick my 80W iron. It all depends on how
much copper plane the hook is embedded in. Large copper
planes act as heat sinks, and prevent the solder joint from
getting to the proper temperature. I have 15W and 25W irons,
and my next size is 80W. The smaller ones probably wouldn't
get hot enough to do a good job on the hook. The Radio/TV shop
will have a soldering station with a temperature controlled
tip, and it does a better job than the cheap soldering irons
I have here at home.

It is too bad there aren't screw holes in the motherboard,
as there would be an alternative if that was the case.
But if all the motherboard comes with, is the holes for the
hooks, you have to use hooks to fix it.

Paul