Re-attaching processor/fan to mobo

[morso]

I was building a new system and attached the AMD processor to the A8N mobo. Unfortunately, the mobo had a problem and had to be returned, now the cooling fan has already been glued to the processor. It came off the mobo with a bit of a tug. What about reattaching? I can't remove the processor from the fan. With this setup, I can't use the locking arm on the mobo. Should I just push it in?
Thanks

 

[kmcferrin]

You shouldn't glue the heatsink/fan to the CPU. You can apply heatsink compound, or else you use the heat conducting pad that is sometimes attached to the bottom of the heatsink (on most boxed CPUs), but it's been close to ten years since I've seen/heard of anyone using glue on the CPU/fan (mainly because if the inexpensive fans dies, then the expensive CPU gets trashed with it). Are you sure that it's actually glue?

If it is just heatsink compound you can clean it off with an alcohol pad/swab, let it dry, and then re-apply it before mounting the whole thing in a new board.

Regardless, just "pushing it in" probably won't do the trick. It takes a significant amount of force to make the proper surface contact between a modern CPU and heatsink. Without that pressure holding the heatsink on, it won't cool properly. Also, if the case is a tower (or some other situation where the heatsink is on it's side), the weight of the heatsink will be pulling on the CPU, potentially causing all sorts of other problems.

 

[franklin97355]

NO! The cooler should not be glued to the cpu. Check to see if you can't !GENTLY! pry it off using little force and constant pressure. If you don't feel confident doing this take it to a shop and have them seperate it. DO NOT push the processor into the socket, you will be buying a new processor if you do.

 

[morso]

Ok, I probably wasn't glue, it's a new boxed AMD 64 3000+ processor, it's the "compound" that they said to put on top of the processor. Now it's acting like glue, it won't give up the processor.

 

[Freestone]

NO NO NO do not attempt to "just push it in". The end result will be numerous bent pins on the processor chip, possible damage to the socket, and no doubt angst on your part.

It sounds as if you used a retail "boxed" CPU which means that the heatsink has become attached to the CPU chip through the phasing change of the thermal pad. Normally to remove the heatsink in this case, the system is powered on to allow the heatsink to heat up, then power is removed, and the heatsink removed by gentle back and forth twisting motions.

This isn't an option in your case. Hopefully someone here has been in this situation and can offer a solution.

 

[franklin97355]

It's sort of like mud. If you pull quick and hard you get nowhere but if you exert a constant pull you will get out. Same thing here, gentle but constant.

 

[jurgen36]

You can heat it up with a hairdryer and then carefully remove the cpu, that should work ok.
Regards

Jurgen

 

[morso]

Success!!! Thanks to all who replied, I was really sweating that one out. FYI, it finally did come lose, constant twisting force did the trick.
Again, thanks to all

 

[paparazi]

I like jurgen36's advice (also works with XP licence stickers lol)
It's unlikely to be stuck together really firmly, this is a relatively new CPU so couldn't have have too many months to set hard.
Heat and gently leaver apart. GENTLY! does it, one side then the other.
Martin

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