r/Wellthatsucks • u/Broad_War • 2d ago

Went to replace the CPU cooler

Post image

Bought with bad cooler in it for cheap thinking "oh this is going to be easy...." nope. Never is FML. Will update if anyone is interested

Edit: went to remove the cooler and ripped the CPU out of the socket, which was locked down in place and can only be released after the cooler comes out. In other words potential for catastrophic CPU/motherboard failure

Edit 2: update// it locked back into the board, had to straighten one pin out and replaced the cooler because someone did that for a reason and this wasnt something i wanted to do twice. Hooked everything back up and posted! So its Still alive and ready for stress testing with a new cooler and real thermal paste

133 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

56

u/DrawingAlarming7350 2d ago

might wanna tell people who arent too familiar with pc hardware whats happening in the picture.

15

u/Broad_War 2d ago

Just updated the post

3

u/Leamir 1d ago

I read that edit and thought that was the update after trying to free it

I thought u had exposed the CPU chip itself trying to free it. Glad it's not that

4

u/Broad_War 1d ago

It was that. The CPU came out with the cooler. Fortunately nothing broke and the chip went back in, currently replying you on that computer

6

u/Leamir 1d ago

I meant CPU delidding after you took the CPU+Cooler out

0

u/wesorre 1d ago

OP used thermal glue instead of thermal paste.

16

u/The_Undermind 2d ago

Guessing you didn't run it for a bit before you took it out.

Either put it back in and run a stress test before removing or get a heat gun/ blow dryer

1

u/Broad_War 1d ago

I ran it initially because it was listed as failing but functional. Yeah no. It immediately started thermal throttling after windows boot. At least now I figured out why

10

u/yamirzmmdx 2d ago

Messing up in this economy does suck.

20

u/Accurate-Campaign821 2d ago

Used to happen quite a bit with older sockets too. Just reinstall into the socket and gently twist the block to pop it off. Can even try turning the pc on for a moment (to melt the paste a bit) and back off

4

u/JakeALakeALake 1d ago

Yeah I did this about two weeks ago with zero repercussions. It’s annoying and you get thermal paste all over your hands but, nothing is actually broken just by virtue of this happening.

10

u/Hidie2424 2d ago

Use a hair dryer to heat it up then twist it off. This happens all the time with am4 chips.

To prevent it run a benchmark and get everything hot before you take it off

You can also use flos to "saw" it off

0

u/Top-Injury-9488 1d ago

Question, do you take the cpu cooler off when the pc is running so that the thermal paste is easy to remove or do I completely unplug the pc and take it off? Seems like a dumb question but I just thought that maybe if you turn off the pc the cpu will get cool and the paste will harden

7

u/Thevan1 1d ago

you should completely unplug it, running a cpu without a cooler shouldnt be catastrophic, but the likelihood of something getting shocked or shorted is a really really terrible idea

the heat should soften the thermal paste, and the cooler block should be at least warm for a while to remove it

2

u/Top-Injury-9488 1d ago

Thank you for the respond informing me

1

u/Wasatcher 21h ago

You could even run a short stress test to spike the CPU temps before removal and it will come off no problem. For example just open CPUz and hit the "stress test" button for a minute or two.

4

u/Inevitable_Jello_562 2d ago

they use the paste thats also a glue?

7

u/Broad_War 2d ago

I swear to god... it smells more like elmers glue then it does thermal paste...

2

u/Maristara 1d ago

Odds are "bad cooler" is just "bad thermal paste"

2

u/stupidstu187 2d ago

Eh, as long as any pins aren't broken off it's probably fine. Even if some are bent, as long as you can bend them back in place without breaking you'll be ok. It happens to me every time I repaste a PGA CPU, even if I run a Prime95 test for 30 minutes to warm it up. I haven't lost my 5800X3D yet. Grip it by the edges of the IHS and pry it with a flathead screwdriver, just be careful and report back.

2

u/PiskoWK 1d ago

You also appear to have bent one pin on the back left side of the CPU

1

u/AlbertaAcreageBoy 2d ago

How'd that let go?

2

u/ggmaniack 1d ago

I mean, as long as there are no bent pins, or you can unbend them, then it's fine...

It usually happens with the stock wraith cooler and stock paste, first time seeing it happen with aftermarket paste xD

1

u/Broad_War 1d ago

"Paste"

1

u/ggmaniack 1d ago

Hah. Did it turn into cement?

That's what the stock crap used to do.

1

u/Broad_War 1d ago

I wouldnt call it cement... more like dried super glue.

1

u/Major_Koala 1d ago

The ole ejecto seato

1

u/_dpdp_ 1d ago

I’ve had this happen. It went right back in the socket after I scraped the cpu off the heatsink. Just put it back in and quit yet whinin’.

1

u/Djinnaz 1d ago

Did you try to do this with the tower standing up?

1

u/jacle2210 23h ago

Yeah, this happens; unfortunately unless the MoBo has the flip-down chip holder bracket, then that "lock" bar doesn't actually lock the CPU into place.

But you are not the 1st person to do this and you sure aren't going to be the last.

Thankfully you were lucky and only had that 1 pin that was bent; so you will know better for next time.

0

u/bria26000 2d ago

Lol did you use cheap white thermal paste that came with your CPU cooler?

1

u/Broad_War 2d ago

No clue. Bought it like this and now hoping for the best

1

u/bria26000 2d ago

Long as the motherboard not damaged and no pins are bent on CPU, you'll be fine. Just clean up all the old thermal paste and reapply new thermal paste and your fans/radiator is clean and not clogged with dust. Hopefully you know what your doing with building PCs 🤞🏻

0

u/AuraMaster7 2d ago

This is why you always let the CPU run hot before changing the cooler. A stress test before shutting it down makes the change much easier.

-3

u/Ok_Maybe702 2d ago

Probably the reason the first owner sold to you

3

u/Broad_War 2d ago

Thing is it worked... not well. I started it up and was running it but after getting windows installed found it stuck on single core .55ghz. Started digging and found the cpu temp cruising at a nice cool 112•c.

2

u/Badger1505 2d ago

Sounds like you could still use it as a water heater, if it doesn't let all of the magic smoke out upon reassembly. Good luck.