Removing an Intel chip from a cooler

[Seum]

Hello again Experts

I had a computer go belly up a few months ago and am now trying to
replace the dead parts. A simple task I had was to remove the Intel clip
from the base of the cooler. I had used a white layer - like a soft
ointment - between the cooler and the chip a few years back and it is
still soft. Today I tried to pry the chip off with a strong knife but
the connection between the two is very strong and I am concerned about
damaging the chip.

Has anyone a foolproof method of getting it off the cooler without
damaging the chip?

TIA

 

[Mike Easter]

I had a computer go belly up a few months ago and am now trying to
replace the dead parts. A simple task I had was to remove the Intel clip
from the base of the cooler. I had used a white layer - like a soft
ointment - between the cooler and the chip a few years back and it is
still soft. Today I tried to pry the chip off with a strong knife but
the connection between the two is very strong and I am concerned about
damaging the chip.

I don't like that knife prying.

Can you get anything happening with trying to twist it? That is a better
'direction' than up.

I read that dental floss if you can get a little 'purchase'/opening on
any corner is useful, especially if you use some alcohol on the floss.

Some people have something they can warm it up with which helps.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Do the twist.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Hello again Experts

I had a computer go belly up a few months ago and am now trying to
replace the dead parts. A simple task I had was to remove the Intel clip
from the base of the cooler. I had used a white layer - like a soft
ointment - between the cooler and the chip a few years back and it is
still soft. Today I tried to pry the chip off with a strong knife but
the connection between the two is very strong and I am concerned about
damaging the chip.

Has anyone a foolproof method of getting it off the cooler without
damaging the chip?

Twist or slide it, don't pry it!

 

[VanguardLH]

Hello again Experts

I had a computer go belly up a few months ago and am now trying to
replace the dead parts. A simple task I had was to remove the Intel clip
from the base of the cooler. I had used a white layer - like a soft
ointment - between the cooler and the chip a few years back and it is
still soft. Today I tried to pry the chip off with a strong knife but
the connection between the two is very strong and I am concerned about
damaging the chip.

Has anyone a foolproof method of getting it off the cooler without
damaging the chip?

TIA

http://hi.atgimg.com/img/p400/6416/3673-7757.jpg

Any hardware store will have them as they're used in window scrapers (to
take paint off the glass). They look like:

http://www.rmurphyknives.com/store/media/GLSHA-250.jpg

You can get them in heavy-duty thickness (less likely to break). This
is NOT the same as the 2-sided safety blades used in razors to shave
your face, legs, or pits.

Wear safety glasses in case the blade breaks. Don't flex the blade.
Keep your fingers to the side and never below where you'll be forcing
down the blade. Don't try to push the blade all the way to the rolled
over safety edge. Instead work a bit on each side and corner (i.e.,
nibble at it).

There is no foolproof method. You don't seem to know what is thermal
paste (what you called "ointment"). Some users make the mistake of
using thermal epoxy instead of thermal paste. If it was epoxy, there's
a good chance that you won't be able to separate the heatsink from the
processor's case or you'll end up prying the packaging apart and end up
with a nude processor. If it's crappy thermal paste that dries out hard
then it can be almost like glue.

If you are truly "replacing the dead parts" then why are you doing
anything with the CPU? Just toss it. If you can't get the heatsink off
and that is really what you are trying to save, is it really that
expensive a heatsink that you have to worry about losing it?

 

[Man-wai Chang]

still soft. Today I tried to pry the chip off with a strong knife but

the connection between the two is very strong and I am concerned about
damaging the chip.

Heat it up first. I did put the CPU+cooler back into the motherboard,
turn it on till they're warm, then split them.

--
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/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and farces be with you!
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[TVeblen]

Heat it up first. I did put the CPU+cooler back into the motherboard,
turn it on till they're warm, then split them.

Yep. Best Answer!

The thermal paste the OP used was most likely silicone based, which
tends to harden and act as an adhesive when old. Heat will soften it.

 

[Man-wai Chang]

Yep. Best Answer!

Seen this answer somewhere.

The thermal paste the OP used was most likely silicone based, which
tends to harden and act as an adhesive when old. Heat will soften it.

Maybe a hair dryer would do as well... no testing done before.

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and farces be with you!
/( _ )\ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.38.6
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[Man-wai Chang]

Heat it up first. I did put the CPU+cooler back into the motherboard,

turn it on till they're warm, then split them.

When they're hot, remember to turn off the PC first before separating them.

--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and farces be with you!
/( _ )\ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.38.6
^ ^ 19:45:01 up 7 days 13:17 0 users load average: 1.03 1.09 1.11
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[Seum]

When they're hot, remember to turn off the PC first before separating them.

The PC is lying on its back with a dead PS :-(

 

[Seum]

When they're hot, remember to turn off the PC first before separating them.

Thanks again everyone.

The computer has a dead power supply and, fortunately, I managed to get
the receipt for the CPU and then I decided not to remove the chip (Yeah,
this clown doesn't know where he is going, or what he is doing :-( )

This is the CPU info:

P42000A478 -- Intel Pentium 4 2.0GHz 400MHz 512KB Socket 478

Now I have to aim for power supplies to start looking for the problems
with this box, and another one.

Does anyone have information on the most efficient way to check a
motherboard, with or without the power supply. I guess the latter would
be more likely to yield results.

TIA again

 

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

Seen this answer somewhere.


Maybe a hair dryer would do as well... no testing done before.

"Ben dere, dun dat" It works.

That's part of the "it's already broken, what do you have to lose by
trying" philosophy... just be prepared to accept a fail on that.
(me be longtime adherent to that).

For some idiot reason, T-bird here is "losing read posts". I don't
remember what you (or the OP) were doing or what failed. If that was a
recent AMD cpu, I'd just replace it because the cost is fairly low.




--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy†Mangrum

 

[Flasherly]

Thanks again everyone.

The computer has a dead power supply and, fortunately, I managed to get
the receipt for the CPU and then I decided not to remove the chip (Yeah,
this clown doesn't know where he is going, or what he is doing :-( )

This is the CPU info:

P42000A478 -- Intel Pentium 4 2.0GHz 400MHz 512KB Socket 478

Now I have to aim for power supplies to start looking for the problems
with this box, and another one.

Does anyone have information on the most efficient way to check a
motherboard, with or without the power supply. I guess the latter would
be more likely to yield results.

TIA again

Swap out the PS for a good one is the easiest method. Another plus
is, with a decent RAM and at least a running CPU cooler, the PS is
often the 1st culprit. Modular swapping is still the easiest
troubleshooting if you're going farther. Note on bad MBs ... a 478 MB
may be getting sparse and harder to find. You can check sites for
replacements, but once everybody's moved on to the next platform, it
turns into "pickins" or extra lowend bottom feeding. I personally
would rather something newer after having had bad luck with buying old
"new" equipment (called variously NOS and OEM -- also have a 478
socketed Celeron D from a few years ago, tho it's in really good
shape). When I got my Celeron, seems Intel was moving up into a
surface-to-surface type socket connects with less emphasis if at all
on pins. Haven't been there yet, either. Wanted something cheap at
the time for playing media, and it's been great for that. It'd be
plain out bad luck if it's not the PS (I've also replaced the PS that
came with a case I installed the Celeron -- instantly when it started
acting wacky occasionally). A *good* PS is Square One in my book of
decent computers.

 

[Paul]

Thanks again everyone.

The computer has a dead power supply and, fortunately, I managed to get
the receipt for the CPU and then I decided not to remove the chip (Yeah,
this clown doesn't know where he is going, or what he is doing :-( )

This is the CPU info:

P42000A478 -- Intel Pentium 4 2.0GHz 400MHz 512KB Socket 478

Now I have to aim for power supplies to start looking for the problems
with this box, and another one.

Does anyone have information on the most efficient way to check a
motherboard, with or without the power supply. I guess the latter would
be more likely to yield results.

TIA again

Really, it helps if you tell us how the computer failed. What the symptoms
are. Because for each test case, the test case needs to be described in
detail.

The test case with the fewest components, consists of an empty motherboard,
power supply, front panel power switch. With the front panel power switch
connected, the two power cables from the power supply connected, you should be
able to turn the PC on and off from the front panel switch. That proves
the +5VSB works on the power supply, you get to hear the fan on the power
supply start up, and it proves the motherboard can switch on and off.

Next, would be beep code tests. Connect the computer case speaker to the
PANEL header, so you can hear the startup beeps. With no video card or
RAM installed, the speaker will beep twice or three times to indicate
the BIOS noticed the hardware is missing. If no beeps come from the
speaker, the motherboard could be bad, the processor could be bad,
the processor might not be getting +12V for the Vcore switching regulator,
the BIOS chip might be erased. The test is only helpful, in that it encourages
you to add more hardware if the test passes (you hear the beep pattern).
If the test fails, you still need to swap hardware to find which of the
possible root causes, is the right one.

Paul

 

[Seum]

Really, it helps if you tell us how the computer failed. What the symptoms
are. Because for each test case, the test case needs to be described in
detail.

The test case with the fewest components, consists of an empty motherboard,
power supply, front panel power switch. With the front panel power switch
connected, the two power cables from the power supply connected, you
should be
able to turn the PC on and off from the front panel switch. That proves
the +5VSB works on the power supply, you get to hear the fan on the power
supply start up, and it proves the motherboard can switch on and off.

Next, would be beep code tests. Connect the computer case speaker to the
PANEL header, so you can hear the startup beeps. With no video card or
RAM installed, the speaker will beep twice or three times to indicate
the BIOS noticed the hardware is missing. If no beeps come from the
speaker, the motherboard could be bad, the processor could be bad,
the processor might not be getting +12V for the Vcore switching regulator,
the BIOS chip might be erased. The test is only helpful, in that it
encourages
you to add more hardware if the test passes (you hear the beep pattern).
If the test fails, you still need to swap hardware to find which of the
possible root causes, is the right one.

Paul

Hello again Paul
and thanks for your help.

This particular computer had a 600W PC Power and Cooling PS and in front
of it was a good quality power strip - TrippLite Super 10.

The computer had the following:
BOXD845GEBV2 -- Intel D845GEBV2 Intel 845GE Socket 478 ATX MB
P42000A478 -- Intel Pentium 4 2.0GHz 400MHz 512KB Socket 478 CPU
KVR400X64C3A_512-DT -- Kingston ValueRAM 512MB DDR PC3200 184-Pin DIMM

I was using the computer for the usual emails, browsing the I'net, etc -
nothing serious. One day I started it and there was a loud pop. I
checked the electric power and the power strip and both were ok. I next
looked at the PS and it was stone dead. I was astonished that this 600
Watts power supply could be so flimsy. I made a quick scan of the
D845GEBV2 board and it seemed that the capacitors were all in order and
there were no other suspicious places on the board.

Soon after that I decided I needed a replacement computer. I did not
have the time to check the dead box so I bought the Advent (bad choice
but it is still working). I am now in the process of buying a new power
supply in an attempt to get that box running again. I will try to get
another Intel board so that I can use the PSU, memory chips, etc. I am
guessing now that this is likely to be a tough task.

When the PS is in place I will do some quick checking and will follow
your steps. Thanks for your help and have a great weekend!

 

[Paul]

Hello again Paul
and thanks for your help.

This particular computer had a 600W PC Power and Cooling PS and in front
of it was a good quality power strip - TrippLite Super 10.

The computer had the following:
BOXD845GEBV2 -- Intel D845GEBV2 Intel 845GE Socket 478 ATX MB
P42000A478 -- Intel Pentium 4 2.0GHz 400MHz 512KB Socket 478 CPU
KVR400X64C3A_512-DT -- Kingston ValueRAM 512MB DDR PC3200 184-Pin DIMM

I was using the computer for the usual emails, browsing the I'net, etc -
nothing serious. One day I started it and there was a loud pop. I
checked the electric power and the power strip and both were ok. I next
looked at the PS and it was stone dead. I was astonished that this 600
Watts power supply could be so flimsy. I made a quick scan of the
D845GEBV2 board and it seemed that the capacitors were all in order and
there were no other suspicious places on the board.

Soon after that I decided I needed a replacement computer. I did not
have the time to check the dead box so I bought the Advent (bad choice
but it is still working). I am now in the process of buying a new power
supply in an attempt to get that box running again. I will try to get
another Intel board so that I can use the PSU, memory chips, etc. I am
guessing now that this is likely to be a tough task.

When the PS is in place I will do some quick checking and will follow
your steps. Thanks for your help and have a great weekend!

I forgot the most important parts in the beep test.

You use motherboard, CPU+heatsink/fan, computer case speaker, front panel
power switch, power supply. The idea is, to try to get the CPU to read
some BIOS code. You wouldn't need a hard drive or CDROM connected.
If the processor is running, then it would be able to beep the speaker
two or three times, meaning it noticed there is no RAM or video card
present. So removing the RAM and video card, is to ensure the BIOS
has something to find amiss and beep the speaker. That test proves
out an amazing amount of hardware, and if it passes, and beeps are
heard, then you can continue adding bits and pieces to the computer
and retesting after each one. (Don't forget to remove all power,
before adding components. I unplug, just to make sure no +5VSB
is live in the chassis.)

Based on your description, I'd say you can skip ahead to just installing
the new supply and test with that. The supply may have died "quietly"
without damaging anything.

One power supply, made by Bestec, ruins hardware when it dies. So there
are some supplies, that are absolutely deadly, and take half the
computer with them. But many other quality products, will "pop" and
that's it. Put in a new supply, cross fingers, and it works.

HTH,
Paul

 

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

Based on your description, I'd say you can skip ahead to just installing
the new supply and test with that. The supply may have died "quietly"
without damaging anything.

One power supply, made by Bestec, ruins hardware when it dies. So there
are some supplies, that are absolutely deadly, and take half the
computer with them. But many other quality products, will "pop" and
that's it. Put in a new supply, cross fingers, and it works.

HTH,
Paul

Paul's speaking from experience, and I concur (from same experience).

If I had to put this on a risk scale, replacing the power supply without
any other tests is about a 98/100 'good' for anything other than a
Bestec-branded powder slurpie. (they do be nasty that way).

The 2/100 covers some of the various "strangies".

My own (gut) feel tho is that the newer power supplies just aren't as
reliable as they used to be. It doesn't seem to be any brand or
price-point (or loading), I've seen this ramp up more with the
"Green"/+80 stuff. My guess is that they are pushing some design
elements a bit too hard.

It could be 'just me and my kharma' though. I haven't had a 3-way CFL
"twist-in" bulb last for more than a year in this house.

--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy†Mangrum