Help a noob attach a cpu cooler/heatsink

oddleaf · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:17

Tim = i.e. "akasa TIM Clean, CPU and Heatsink Cleaner, removes thermal pads and silver based thermal grease."

I suggest you contact them to deal with this. You paid for a pre-built system, and this certainly isn't right. Moreover, if you don't know what you're doing, then the heatsink on a CPU is the last thing you want to be playing with.

However, if you really think you can do it, then do a search on youtube, there are plenty video guides on how to afix heatsinks, search for the one you have. It's perhaps easiest to see it done by someone else.

Also, I personally would clean the thermal grease off using TIM and reapply some new stuff.

Surveyor · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:19

oddleaf said:
However, if you really think you can do it, then do a search on youtube, there are plenty video guides on how to afix heatsinks, search for the one you have. It's perhaps easiest to see it done by someone else.

I don't think he'll be doing anything.

It appears to be broken.

doyll · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:20

Surveyor said:
I don't think he'll be doing anything.

It appears to be broken.

That's 2 of us telling him

VaderDSL · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:21

Surveyor said:
I see what you're getting at.

It looks like the threaded metal bits may have been pulled out of the brackets attached to the motherboard.

Aye it looks like this is exactly what happened

skip to 6:50 it shows you clearly how it should look.

Bit of a daft design if the threads are simply glued into the retention brackets and not riveted etc. in place no? But I guess rather this than it snap something on the board?

doyll · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:25

VaderDSL said:
Bit of a daft design if the threads are simply glued into the retention brackets and not riveted etc. in place no? But I guess rather this than it snap something on the board?

modern adhesives are often stronger then the surfaces they are bonding.

DecoySA · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:27

nothing seems to have snapped though, just the threads have come loose/out ? can i not just put them in again somehow ? i was exageratting a bit when i said im a complete noob, i have attached an old titan fenrir cooler to my old computer some time ago

oddleaf · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:30

Surveyor said:
I don't think he'll be doing anything. It appears to be broken.

Oh, I see.

The little threaded part might be knocking around somewhere. Happen to me with my Zalman heatsink. The little metal threaded part just fell out of the plastic. Once I found it I just popped it back in and started over.

doyll · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:30

The mounting system is broken.

It was broken in shipment.

You need all 3 straps and top strap mounting screws at the very least.

Have you reported this to OcUK?

VaderDSL · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:31

doyll said:
modern adhesives are often stronger then the surfaces they are bonding.

Fair enough, but in this case the metal threads have been pulled out of the retention bracket, it just seems a bit odd, but I'm probably missing something.

DecoySA · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:31

the threaded parts are attached to the clamp (clamp detached with threads attached to it), ive managed to get one of them out and put it back in one of the brackets, just need to get the second one off the clamp, bit worried they will just come out again though, maybe i could dab a tiny bit of super glue on them so they stay in place ?

doyll · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:32

The threaded studs the top bracket screws anchor into on the 2 side brackets have been pulled out.

VaderDSL · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:33

DecoySA said:
the threaded parts are attached to the clamp (clamp detached with threads attached to it), ive managed to get one of them out and put it back in one of the brackets, just need to get the second one off the clamp, bit worried they will just come out again though, maybe i could dab a tiny bit of super glue on them so they stay in place ?

Well that's it, I certainly wouldn't be trusting it again, even if you get the inserts back in, they might simply pop out again and if the heatsink hasn't already damage something else in the PC (gfx card for instance) then who knows if it falls off again.

DecoySA · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:34

doyll said:
The mounting system is broken.

It was broken in shipment.

You need all 3 straps and top strap mounting screws at the very least.

Have you reported this to OcUK?

yes i've reported it but im not convinced its broken as such ? you say it should have 3 straps and a top strap ? in the video i just watched it basically looked identicle to mine, 1 straps on either side and then the top strap/clamp ?

doyll · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:34

DecoySA said:
the threaded parts are attached to the clamp (clamp detached with threads attached to it), ive managed to get one of them out and put it back in one of the brackets, just need to get the second one off the clamp, bit worried they will just come out again though, maybe i could dab a tiny bit of super glue on them so they stay in place ?

They will not stay in place.

They have been broke / forced out and will not work.. broken, kaput, end of.

VaderDSL · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:35

doyll said:
They will not stay in place.

They have been broke / forced out and will not work.. broken, kaput, end of.

This, RMA time/support web note/post in CS section.

DecoySA · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:36

doyll said:
They will not stay in place.

They have been broke / forced out and will not work.. broken, kaput, end of.

ok, still not entirely convinced its not meandable but i'll take your word for it i guess

VaderDSL · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:37

DecoySA said:
ok, still not entirely convinced its not meandable but i'll take your word for it i guess

Trust doyll on this, it's not worth it. As I mentioned, imagine the damage it could do if it came off inside the PC when powered on, it could take out most of the system.

doyll · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:37

DecoySA said:
yes i've reported it but im not convinced its broken as such ? you say it should have 3 straps and a top strap ? in the video i just watched it basically looked identicle to mine, 1 straps on either side and then the top strap/clamp ?

2 side straps and a top strap.
And the straps on either side have a silver metal insert into them. The top strap screws into those inserts.

Those inserts are on the screws in the stop strap.

They were pulled out of the side straps when package was in a sudden impact of some sort.

doyll · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:43

DecoySA said:
ok, still not entirely convinced its not meandable but i'll take your word for it i guess

I spend years working on these sorts of things... research, development, design, implementation, stress testing, etc.

It can be salvaged and made to work, but not without more knowledge than you have... and not without voiding your warranty.

I say the above meaning no disrespect, but if you can't see what the problem is and I can by looking a couple of pictures you posted then you do now have the knowledge and still to salvage it.

You do it wrong and you are out the cost of cooler, CPU, possible motherboard because your trying to "fix it" will make your warranty null and void.

Is it worth taking the chance?

Unicorn · 6 Jul 2012 at 19:50

As much as i want to help you fix it, Tell OCUK in customer support forum and let them sort it. You paid for pre-built and the service/warranty so use it

Its clearly broke in transit though ocuk wouldnt ship it this way