AMD AM2+/AM3 HSF removal

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2[H]4U
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Jun 12, 2001
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I have an AMD Athlon II X4 635 with a dead* motherboard (Asus M4A785-M) and I have to send it in for RMA but the problem is the board will not even power up anymore so the CPU will not get hot enough to soften the OEM Thermal glue (Paste) In the past (Socket 939 days) I had the CPU get stuck to the HSF and when it was removed the pins got bent So is there a trick to this as I don't want to damage the board further (So I can still RMA the thing) and also I want to have the CPU come out intact.

* = The board is totally dead and will not post and will kill any ram that is in the DIMM slots (DDR2= Expensive)

Also when I get the board back I plan to sell it and buy a board that uses DDR3
 
Try a hair dryer or heat gun aimed right at the heatsink. Use oven mitts to grip it.

If that doesn't work I would stick the board and heatsink (minus fan) into an oven at low temperature (150 degrees or less) for about 10 minutes. 150 fahrenheit = about 65 celsius which is within the operating range of the CPU, so you know you won't damage anything.
 
Yeah, hair dryer would work great, twist the heatsink a little side to side and you should probably good to go. With that being said, I have had cpus rip out of sockets (939 and am2 boards) without any pin damage, sometimes without much force. so they aren't in there that tight.

The oven idea would also be fine, just low and slow, but the CPU could handle more than 150f when its off, you run into problems when the solder in the mobo starts to melt.
 
I think in future AM3 builds, I'm going to mod/bend the arm of the socket lock so I can turn it with the heatsink still attached.
 
I think in future AM3 builds, I'm going to mod/bend the arm of the socket lock so I can turn it with the heatsink still attached.
I don't think you can do that, since all the arm actuates is the sliding plastic that "locks" the cpu in place. It is still possible for it to come out with the heatsink. Like W. Feather said, just twist it, though not too much, you may bend or break some pins.
 
I would put it in the freezer for a bit then try twisting it. This worked with Arctic Alumina thermal adhesive on video cards mem sinks.
 
I think in future AM3 builds, I'm going to mod/bend the arm of the socket lock so I can turn it with the heatsink still attached.

have you ever used an AM3 heatsink ? You dont need to mod shit to be able to twist the thing around, just unclip it, and then twist
 
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