Heatsink support snapped on motherboard

[M Jones]

Hi all,

My computer was having freeze-ups and resets recently so I had a look inside
my machine at the motherboard. One of the plastic heatsink supports around
the CPU attached to the motherboard have snapped off making the heatsink
come away slightly from the CPU. This was causing my CPU to overheat
causing all the crashing. I am now unable to FIRMLY attach the heatsink
correctly making it slightly loose.

As a possible solution I bought some thermal compound to try and eradicate
the resultant air space between heatsink and CPU. This has helped somewhat
and I am no longer getting the freeze-ups and resets. However if I run CPU
intensive applications I am getting resets. According to some software I
downloaded the CPU is getting up to 80C which is not good I think. If I
just do something less intensive (like surfing the web) it runs between
50-60C.

There's no point buying a new motherboard because the machine is a special
build with my Windows restore disks dependant on the special manufacturer
being on the BIOS chip. It will probably mean a new motherboard, CPU,
Windows XP software, memory etc... Can anybody recommend another way I can
cool my CPU effectively?

The CPU is an Intel Pentium 4 1.6Ghz.

Thanks.

 

[JAD]

ripped the mainboard? No? Just Buy a new fan and heat sink kit.

 

[Larry Weak]

Hi all,

My computer was having freeze-ups and resets recently so I had a look
inside my machine at the motherboard. One of the plastic heatsink
supports around the CPU attached to the motherboard have snapped off
making the heatsink come away slightly from the CPU. causing all the
crashing. I am now unable to FIRMLY attach the heatsink correctly making
it slightly loose.


There's no point buying a new motherboard because the machine is a special
build with my Windows restore disks dependant on the special manufacturer
being on the BIOS chip. It will probably mean a new motherboard, CPU,
Windows XP software, memory etc... Can anybody recommend another way I
can cool my CPU effectively?

The CPU is an Intel Pentium 4 1.6Ghz.

Thanks.

Had a similar problem - i assume you are refering to the cage assembly
around the cpu socket that holds the HS down and one of the ears broke
ff. - I checked a couple of stores and found a replacement cage to replace
the damaged one. cost around 8 usd and machine has been running ever since.
Replacing the cage does require the removal of mb from case as screws go
thou the mb holes to cage pins.

Larry

 

[M Jones]

Had a similar problem - i assume you are refering to the cage assembly
around the cpu socket that holds the HS down and one of the ears broke
f. - I checked a couple of stores and found a replacement cage to replace
the damaged one. cost around 8 usd and machine has been running ever
since. Replacing the cage does require the removal of mb from case as
screws go thou the mb holes to cage pins.

Larry

Yes I mean the cage assembly. I haven't gone so far as removing the
motherboard as of yet. From what I can see form above the cage assembly
looks glued/welded to the motherboard. I'll have a look online and see if I
can purchase one for the type of board I have.

Is there any other way I can get good attachment to the CPU with a new
heatsink?

 

[Ray Cassick \(Home\)]

If it is a standard Intel type heatsink and fan assembly the plastic part
mounted tot he mother board around the CPU is held there by 4 plastic
rivets.

You should be bale to take the old one off and get a new heat sink key and
apply that.

I picked up a coolermaster kit and did it in about 2 hours. It took that
long only because the GOOD kits come with a metal plate that mounts under
the mobo behind the CPU and then screws mount the rest.

 

[dawg]

Thermal cement.Arctic silver makes some.I actually hav some from a different
company.Never used. I wouldn't use it unless I had absolutely no other
choice. Try to find a new cage.

 

[DaveW]

Time for a new computer, believe it or not, unless you can find a
replacement plastic mount for your fan/heatsink or a new motherboard. You
CANNOT adequate cool the CPU with your current situation.

 

[The Outsider]

Time for a new computer, believe it or not, unless you can find a
replacement plastic mount for your fan/heatsink or a new motherboard. You
CANNOT adequate cool the CPU with your current situation.

You can buy HSF's that don't even use the cage. You remove the cage
and attach a backplate to the mb that is provided by the new HSF and
then attach the new HSF to that backplate. Zalman HSF's for example.

 

[Ray Cassick \(Home\)]

This is the exact one that I bought.

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/CoolerMaster/Products.aspx?pid=912

 

[Ed Medlin]

Yes I mean the cage assembly. I haven't gone so far as removing the
motherboard as of yet. From what I can see form above the cage assembly
looks glued/welded to the motherboard. I'll have a look online and see if
I can purchase one for the type of board I have.

Is there any other way I can get good attachment to the CPU with a new
heatsink?

In a pinch I have used a plastic tie-wrap and pulled it as tight as I could
after wrapping it under the cage and over the corner of the heat sink
retainer that was broken. Worked for a long time with no ill-effects at all.

Ed