Help / Advice needed / How irritating is this!!!

[ck26]

I've just noticed my Windows 98 PC had crashed with a Windows Protection
error, you need to restart the machine. So I did. It crashed just before
checking the drives. Odd. Reboot. Same again. Leave it for a while switched
off. Boot. Detected drives, crash. Hmm, very odd. So, I take the case off
and discover that the heatsink has popped off the processor because the tiny
plastic clip the metal hook hooks over has snapped clean off!

Help! What can I do now? I popped the processor out of the white thing
labelled socket (I'm guessing it is actually called the processor socket?)
and discovered it can't be lifted up and it looks like you would need to
either do some soldering to get it off and to put a replacement in, or is
this completely unfeasable, and do I really need to get a new motherboard?!?
All for the sake of a tiny little plastic clip!!!

What's my best chance of fixing this problem (the PC is quite old now and
doesn't really warrant having massive surgery and money chucked at it, but
it does hold my music collection on its hard drive, so naturally its
important in that sense!). Please can anyone give me a suggestion as to what
to do! Thanks.

 

[Alien Zord]

I've just noticed my Windows 98 PC had crashed with a Windows Protection
error, you need to restart the machine. So I did. It crashed just before
checking the drives. Odd. Reboot. Same again. Leave it for a while switched
off. Boot. Detected drives, crash. Hmm, very odd. So, I take the case off
and discover that the heatsink has popped off the processor because the tiny
plastic clip the metal hook hooks over has snapped clean off!

Help! What can I do now? I popped the processor out of the white thing
labelled socket (I'm guessing it is actually called the processor socket?)
and discovered it can't be lifted up and it looks like you would need to
either do some soldering to get it off and to put a replacement in, or is
this completely unfeasable, and do I really need to get a new motherboard?!?
All for the sake of a tiny little plastic clip!!!

What's my best chance of fixing this problem (the PC is quite old now and
doesn't really warrant having massive surgery and money chucked at it, but
it does hold my music collection on its hard drive, so naturally its
important in that sense!). Please can anyone give me a suggestion as to what
to do! Thanks.

You have not mentioned the socket type but both socket 7 and socket 370
have off-centre lugs as well and its possible to get heatsinks that
utilise these.

 

[-]

You have not mentioned the socket type but both socket 7 and socket 370

have off-centre lugs as well and its possible to get heatsinks that
utilise these.

You have not mentioned the socket type but both socket 7 and socket 370
have off-centre lugs as well and its possible to get heatsinks that
utilise these.

Yes I noticed that there were some extra clips to the side of the socket on
both sides which I wanted to use, but the metal clip on the heatsink almost
looks like it should pop out to slide over into the space where it would
meet up with the bottom clips, but it doesn't.

I've never dabbled with the processor area of a computer before, so how do I
determine which socket type I have? I think you are right, the best way to
resolve this problem (cheaply) is to buy a new heatsink as you suggested
that will utilise these off-centered clips. Thanks for the help.

 

[kony]

I've just noticed my Windows 98 PC had crashed with a Windows Protection
error, you need to restart the machine. So I did. It crashed just before
checking the drives. Odd. Reboot. Same again. Leave it for a while switched
off. Boot. Detected drives, crash. Hmm, very odd. So, I take the case off
and discover that the heatsink has popped off the processor because the tiny
plastic clip the metal hook hooks over has snapped clean off!

Help! What can I do now? I popped the processor out of the white thing
labelled socket (I'm guessing it is actually called the processor socket?)
and discovered it can't be lifted up and it looks like you would need to
either do some soldering to get it off and to put a replacement in, or is
this completely unfeasable, and do I really need to get a new motherboard?!?
All for the sake of a tiny little plastic clip!!!

What's my best chance of fixing this problem (the PC is quite old now and
doesn't really warrant having massive surgery and money chucked at it, but
it does hold my music collection on its hard drive, so naturally its
important in that sense!). Please can anyone give me a suggestion as to what
to do! Thanks.

The determination of which type socket it is can be made by knowing
what CPU it is.

Also it might help to know what motherboard make/model it is, since a
lot of the heatsinks that can use the off-center mounting tabs are
fairly large, while many older motherboards (socket 7 in particular
and some socket 370) don't have much space around the socket.

Depending on the particular motherboard, whether it need be matching
the original for the purposes of an OEM restoration CD, etc, you may
find a replacement motherboard very inexpensive if used or on ebay.


Dave

 

[~misfit~]

Its a Cyrix MII 333GP 83 MHZ Bus 3X 2.9V.


I believe its a VIA VT82C598MVP - which I now think is socket 7 (quickly
goooooooogled it)

Correct, the Cyrix MII runs in socket 7.

OK thanks, think I'll be able to get another heatsink for these specs? I
know its old hardware...

You may be able to just get another clip for your existing heatsink. You
have a local computer store? There's a small chance they'll have one lying
around somewhere. If not you can buy thermal epoxy and glue the heatsink to
the CPU and do away with the clip altogether. There's more than one way to
skin a cat.

 

[Vanguard]

... If not you can buy thermal epoxy and glue the heatsink to
the CPU and do away with the clip altogether. ...

What misfit means by thermal epoxy is stuff like this:

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/doc/A13341.html

Because AMD processors are much more prone to destruction from heat,
especially if the heatsink gets dislodged or removed while the CPU is
still running, I might end up using this stuff in my next home system
along with the clips on the heatsink just to be sure the heatsink never
falls off. If I have to replace or upgrade the CPU, the cost of another
heat sink (with fan) is trivial. However, if it is the fan that fails,
I'd have to find another that would fit on the heatsink since the
heatsink would be permanently attached to the CPU.

 

[kony]

Its a Cyrix MII 333GP 83 MHZ Bus 3X 2.9V.

AS ~misfit~ pointed out, it's socket 7.

I believe its a VIA VT82C598MVP - which I now think is socket 7 (quickly
goooooooogled it)

That's merely the motherboard chipset, not the make or model.
Regardless, you can see for yourself how large the 'sink can be,
whether there's anything (like capacitors) around the 'sink that would
prohibit use of a large heatsink. "Someone" makes a 'sink that fits
entirely within the boundaries of the socket and has a triple-point
clips, but at the moment the make/model escapes me.

Gosh I love google... here's the one I was thinking of:
http://www.coolermaster.com/products/cpucooler/fcpga/older/dp5-5h53.html

OK thanks, think I'll be able to get another heatsink for these specs? I
know its old hardware...

Socket 370 and socket A heatsinks use similar or same mounting
mechanisms, so you're not "necessarily" needing a 'sink labed as
"socket 7", and actually I would be surprised if any 'sink called only
"socket 7" has the clip that attached by the off-center socket tabs.
Some Athlon 'sinks have very stiff clips that would be even harder to
attach due to the socket 7 processors being taller (due to their
heatspreader) so if you find a sink that's otherwise good you might
need to barely bend the clip IF it's too tight, just be sure you don't
bend it too much.

~misfits~' other suggestion is also a good one, permanently attach the
heatisnk with thermal epoxy. If your current heatsink is very
large/heavy you might want to buy a cheap/lightweight 'sink... Even
though the epoxy, if properly applied, is plenty strong enough to
permanently attach even the largest of 'sinks, there's still the issue
of weight/height of the 'sink, how much leveraged weight pulls at the
CPU, which can cause the processor to come out of the socket without
that clip on it.

Cyrix processors produce relatively little heat, any small 'sink with
an adequate fan should easily keep it cool enough. The following
'sink is an example of one I'd consider almost ideal for being
permanently attached:

http://www.coolermaster.com/products/cpucooler/fcpga/dp5-5g11a.html

It's not that Coolermaster 'sinks are necessarily better for this
appliation, but they've been fairly easy to find in the US and
reasonably priced so their products came to mind.


Dave