Bent CPU socket pins - 1155

[Oriaz]

Hey folks,

I did post this problem already on a separate thread, but it was a bit off-topic, so I thought I should ask somewhere more relevant (not even sure this is the right section).

I just fitted a Corsair H100i AIO watercooling setup to my Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P with i7 (1155) CPU. When I first turned the PC back on, there was a small pop and a flash from what looked like one of the fan headers on the motherboard, and then the PC just shut off. Sure enough, when I checked, I had plugged the 3-pin fan connector in a bit wonky, and only 2 of the 3 pins were actually connected. I figured the pop and the flash were some kind of short. I plugged it back up properly, but there was still no power.

I then went through a pretty standard bunch of troubleshooting checks as follows:
- Tried a different PSU
- Removed everything apart from 1 stick of RAM
- Removed new cooler back-plate in case of a short
- Removed battery, cleared CMOS

The result was always the same. The PSU fan spins up for a few seconds, and then just shuts off. The case and GPU fans move slightly (not even one full turn), and then stop.

Finally, I took the CPU out, and this is what I found:

As you can see, there's a bunch of bent pins, some of which are touching + what I think is thermal paste on some of the pins. I have a macro lens, so this shot makes the pins look A LOT bigger then they actually are. You can barely distinguish individual pins without the lens!!

Could bent pins like this cause the PSU to power up very briefly, then just shut off after a few seconds? Might this be the source of my issues, even though the flash I saw came from the fan header (although it was very fast, so I could be mistaken .. but it was plugged up wrong for sure)? I have tried bending the pins back, but without much success so far it would seem .. it's a fiddly job!

I seem to be having the perfect storm of bad luck right now, this is just yet another nightmare in a long list of PC-related issues in the last week or so!!

Sorry for the long post, wanted to get as much info in as possible.
Cheers!

 

[Oriaz]

Yah, I reset the CMOS and took the battery out for a while. I did take the CPU out to clean it up before installing the new cooler, so maybe I managed to bend the pins during that process! I don't remember doing anything crazy, but these things are delicate, so you never know! I didnt smell any really strong burning, no. Maybe a very mild smell, but nothing that made me think "uh oh, this is properly game over right here!!"

I did try bending the pins back before with a small pin, but with no success yet. They weren't perfect, for sure, but at least they weren't touching anymore. I do need a magnifying glass to make it easier. I was taking macro photos and reviewing them to see my progress.

I will take my CPU to work tomorrow and drop it in one of the PC's there to rule that out as the problem. Might even be able to borrow motherboard until I fix mine!!

Thanks for the help ��

 

[Oriaz]

I know I didn't insert the CPU the wrong way, but now I think about it, I did "drop" it very lightly when I was moving it into place. I mean literally a 1mm drop onto the pins. I didn't notice at the time, but that may well have been what did it.

I'm going to take everything out today and spend a bit more time trying to fix it myself. There was one location where it almost looked like a pin was missing, but I can't be 100% when they are so small. The board is about 3 years old, so I guess I'll start looking at alternative 1155 boards just in case .... just need something with 7.1 onboard sound, and decent overclocking.

Need to go find myself a magnifying glass or something first!!

Thanks again!

 

[Oriaz]

I have no idea how that thermal paste got there. I can only imagine there was some residue on the old fan that somehow got onto the bracket, and then made it's way onto the pins when I removed the CPU to clean up the old paste.

I've taken it all out now anyway ... gonna go grab some tools and start poking again!

 

[Oriaz]

Well, I just got myself a magnifying glass, lots of light and some very delicate pins. Upon closer inspection it looks like I have lost at least one pin altogether, so I think this might be game over. No idea where it could have gone, but it's so tiny, that the chances of finding it are pretty much 0

I have bent the others back into place as best as I can, so I'll give it a go anyway on the off-chance that the missing pin might be redundant, or not used right now, but with my luck I am not holding out much hope.

Time to start looking at new MoBo's

Cheers!!

 

[Oriaz]

I think I did find the pin actually. Chances of getting it back in the hole without an electron microscope are pretty minimal though ...

However, I didn't think it was possible .... but things just got WORSE!! I brought my CPU (i7 2600k) into work, and dropped it into a Asus P8Z77-V LK motherboard that we currently have with an i5 in it. Turned on the power .... same problem. CPU fan moves slightly, PSU fan moves slightly, then it powers down. It doesn't do that common thing where it keeps trying to start up and shutting down, it just shuts down once, and that's it.

I dropped the office i5 back in, and sure enough, it booted straight up. So, I can only conclude that the bent pins have also taken out my CPU with them! So not only do I now need a new motherboard, but I guess I need a new CPU to go with it .... if I wasn't laughing about my luck here, I'd be crying. The setup I had was 3 years old, and I was running the i7 2600 at 4.6ghz, but it was going strong with no problems at all. Gutted ...

Any suggestions for a new CPU + Motherboard setup that's not going to explode my bank account, but will be an upgrade for what I've just managed to destroy. It was one of the early i7 CPU's that I had.

Thanks again, I'm gonna go for a cry!

 

[Oriaz]

Yah ... I tried clearing the CMOS, and removing the battery etc. Still the same problem, and as soon as I put the i5 back in, everything works fine. I can't see any other conclusions other than my CPU being fried as well. If you look at the underside of the CPU, there are some "darker" patches. Maybe this picture will show it better ... they are very feint, but it's there for sure ...

It's not a great image, but you can see the dark patches in the upper-right side. My Gigabyte board is over 3 years old now I think, and I've put it through hell and back, I am not sure if RMA is an option. It was also bought in the UK, but I am currently living and working in Spain, which adds another layer of complication.

I have my eye on the Asus Maximus VII Ranger motherboard with i7-4790k as a potential replacement (if needed) right now. I've put the pins back into position as best as I can on the Gigabyte board, so I'll give it one last go when I get home, but I'm not holding out much hope.

In the meantime I am lucky enough to be able to "borrow" the P8Z77-V LK + i5-3570 from work while I sort this out!

 

[Oriaz]

Aww, well, thanks for the offer anyway. It's not lost yet, I'll keep plugging away and see if I can salvage anything. The marks you see get a bit worse depending on the angle you look at ... but usually when you fry something, the "burn" marks are a lot more localised, and pronounced than this.

But no matter where I try it (now tried 2 PC's at work), it won't start