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Settle a debate for me

DeaconFrost

DeaconFrost

[H]F Junkie
2FA
Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Messages
11,610
I have been told that using an aftermarket HSF will void your warranty for your processor. I find this to be abslutely astounding and illogical.

Wouldn't HSF's come with warnings? Why would vendors like Newegg and MicroCenter sell them without warnings? Why would those vendors often sell them as combo deals with new processors?

I'm looking online and finding plenty of discussion on this matter, but nothing definitive. I found a link on Intel's support coimmunity that suggests the warranty is void if you damage the processor during the install of an aftermarket HSF...but nothing about just using it. Here's an example of the links I can find.

http://communities.intel.com/thread/22494

Any ideas? I'm going to try looking through Intel and CoolerMaster's sites.
 
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I remember a thread in the AXP days when someone had talked to a support person at amd about a RMA on a chip and the person had been denied the RMA due to the fact that they used Arctic Silver Thermal Compound, and not the AMD Specified Thermal Material.

I will see if I can dig up this old thread it was an interesting read.
 
I'm not sure about this matter, but if I have to rma the processor, if they ask me have I ever overclock or use after market heatsink just make it simple say "no". As simple as that
 
Repeat after me; No Officer I was not speeding, No Sweety I did not kiss that other girl, No IRS I did not over estimate my deductions, No Intel I did not OC my CPU, No AMD I did not use an aftermarket HSF or paste. There, feel better?
 
Omegas said:
Repeat after me; No Officer I was not speeding, No Sweety I did not kiss that other girl, No IRS I did not over estimate my deductions, No Intel I did not OC my CPU, No AMD I did not use an aftermarket HSF or paste. There, feel better?
Click to expand...

Words to live by.
 
Omegas said:
Repeat after me; No Officer I was not speeding, No Sweety I did not kiss that other girl, No IRS I did not over estimate my deductions, No Intel I did not OC my CPU, No AMD I did not use an aftermarket HSF or paste. There, feel better?
Click to expand...
Amen.
 
Omegas said:
Repeat after me; No Officer I was not speeding, No Sweety I did not kiss that other girl, No IRS I did not over estimate my deductions, No Intel I did not OC my CPU, No AMD I did not use an aftermarket HSF or paste. There, feel better?
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yep, this.
 
I chatted with Intel today and was told that it does not void the warranty. I'm going to do the same with Cooler Master shortly.
 
You have to ask yourself, how will they know?

As long as you mail back the processor and matching original heatsink (which I believe Intel requires), you'll have no issues.

If you're worried about them giving you a hassle for not using the original thermal paste, just clean it off. It's not unreasonable to clean a processor and heatsink before mailing it.
 
A lot of it depends on which RMA person you get. Some agents are extremely bitchy and are insistent on using the stock heatsink. Others don't really care
 
I went to Intel and started a chat with one of their warranty agents. I asked specifically if it would void my warranty, and my response was that it used to, but not anymore. If they can determine the processor is at fault, and wasn't damaged by the heatsink, they will replace it.

I ask because I was posting on another forum that a guy who's tower was overheating should look into a better cooler. I suggested using a Hyper 212+, and was ripped apart for telling the OP to void their warranty. I was even given a one day ban and infraction.
 
DeaconFrost said:
I ask because I was posting on another forum that a guy who's tower was overheating should look into a better cooler. I suggested using a Hyper 212+, and was ripped apart for telling the OP to void their warranty. I was even given a one day ban and infraction.
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PLEASE tell us what site it was!
 
Omegas said:
PLEASE tell us what site it was!
Click to expand...

5 cents says it was toms hardware, lol..


as far as the op goes.. no it doesn't void shit.. both intel and AMD sell their processors fully knowing that customers can/will use aftermarket cooling, hell AMD sold their top of the line black edition processors in retail boxes WITHOUT a heatsink to save a few dollars full well knowing that anyone thats buying a high end black edition processor was going to use aftermarket cooling anyways.

in the past things were a little different since aftermarket cooling at that time was mostly jerry rigging stuff to cool the processor better.. water cooling was nothing more then plumbing parts and solid aluminum blocks.. things have changed a lot in the last 10 years from then to now and both companies know that.
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
5 cents says it was toms hardware, lol..


as far as the op goes.. no it doesn't void shit.. both intel and AMD sell their processors fully knowing that customers can/will use aftermarket cooling, hell AMD sold their top of the line black edition processors in retail boxes WITHOUT a heatsink to save a few dollars full well knowing that anyone thats buying a high end black edition processor was going to use aftermarket cooling anyways.

in the past things were a little different since aftermarket cooling at that time was mostly jerry rigging stuff to cool the processor better.. water cooling was nothing more then plumbing parts and solid aluminum blocks.. things have changed a lot in the last 10 years from then to now and both companies know that.
Click to expand...

AMD still voids warranty for using an aftermarket heatsink.
http://support.amd.com/us/warranty/Pages/Processorinabox3YearLimited.aspx

This Limited Warranty shall be null and void if the AMD microprocessor which is the subject of this Limited Warranty is used with any heatsink/fan other than the one provided herewith.
Click to expand...

If requested by AMD, you will also be required to send in the heatsink/fan that was packaged with your processor.
Click to expand...
They may even check the mating surfaces to see if another heatsink was used.
 
Omegas said:
PLEASE tell us what site it was!
Click to expand...
sevenforums.com My comments were removed, unfortunately, but I can link you the thread. I'm sure you'll figure out who my debate was with. Others have disputed his claim as well, but he talks his way out of it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/179004-really-important.html
sirmonkey1985 said:
hell AMD sold their top of the line black edition processors in retail boxes WITHOUT a heatsink to save a few dollars full well knowing that anyone thats buying a high end black edition processor was going to use aftermarket cooling anyways.
Click to expand...
Really? Do you know if a model off hand that was sold retail without an HSF? That would be even further proof.
 
DeaconFrost said:
sevenforums.com My comments were removed, unfortunately, but I can link you the thread. I'm sure you'll figure out who my debate was with. Others have disputed his claim as well, but he talks his way out of it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/179004-really-important.html

Really? Do you know if a model off hand that was sold retail without an HSF? That would be even further proof.
Click to expand...

This is the only top of the line black edition processor I know of, and it comes with a heatsink and fan.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103913


He may be talking about server products, which typically don't come with heatsinks. However, they have different warranty terms
 
DeaconFrost said:
sevenforums.com My comments were removed, unfortunately, but I can link you the thread. I'm sure you'll figure out who my debate was with. Others have disputed his claim as well, but he talks his way out of it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/179004-really-important.html

Really? Do you know if a model off hand that was sold retail without an HSF? That would be even further proof.
Click to expand...

I was going to post, but after reading a few comments my head started to really hurt...
 
Damn...was looking forward to what craziness he'd pull out of his arse. I sent him and the mod a nicely worded, polite message explaining my point and giving the transcript from my Intel chat. The mod hasn't answered, but he fired back with quite the personal attack. I had challenged him (politely) to initiate a chat session with Intel and ask for himself, but his reponse was that it would be meaningless. Meaningless, I guess, because it doesn't support his beliefs.
 
DeaconFrost said:
sevenforums.com My comments were removed, unfortunately, but I can link you the thread. I'm sure you'll figure out who my debate was with. Others have disputed his claim as well, but he talks his way out of it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/179004-really-important.html

Really? Do you know if a model off hand that was sold retail without an HSF? That would be even further proof.
Click to expand...

athlon 64 x2 5000+ and 6400+ black edition was sold without a heatsink.. um the phenom I 9950 and 9850 i believe were also sold without heatsinks.. the phenom II x4 955 and 965 were sold with and without heatsinks in retail boxes..
 
I wrote a message back to the mod thanking him for lettingg me get my point across and posted him the transcript of my conversation with Intel as proof, and I was permanantly banned. Nice. Seems like a mod plays favorites with people.
 
Funny... But what do you expect from a forum that thre guys asking where his used cpu cycles are, and they're blantently in the razor mamba process, fully using 1 core of his i7.

I find that whole vista/7/8 forum are pretty much os help only. I've been on it before and every advice says check for spyware... but its his video card over heating.
 
Apparently, my ban was lifted after a review. Nice. The site has a lot to offer, but you are correct, once you stray away from the OS...you aren't sure what you are going to get. The tutorials are very well written, though.
 
What a bunch of douches...banning you for that?! And that guy arguing you, confusing the TC and hijacking the damn thread...people like him annoy the crap out of me. Very tempted to register and and back you up in that thread just to annoy him and (hopefully) get banned myself.
 
My comments were all removed, and I'm sure it would come back on me if anyone started messing with him. Another friend of mine was toying with creating a thread to ask about the warranties...saying he had read our debate and wondered who was right. It would just be more of the same, I would think, so he decided not to. If the guy doesn't want to chat with Intel or read the trascript of mine, he isn't going to believe it. As long as he can keep linking the same old PDF file, it won't matter to anyone else.
 
I think one of the reasons no one cares anymore is because now they package most CPUs better. Back in the T-bird days people would break or chip cpus and there was also issues with heat sinks not sitting right and burning chips. But now days a cpu turns off if it over heats and they have a nice metal package that is pretty hard to harm.

And of course if anyone asks you for any RMA if you did anything but use stock components you always just say no.
 
ryan_975 said:
AMD still voids warranty for using an aftermarket heatsink.
http://support.amd.com/us/warranty/Pages/Processorinabox3YearLimited.aspx




They may even check the mating surfaces to see if another heatsink was used.
Click to expand...

its old protect their own ass clause fine print.. i've rma'd 4 processors with AMD post socket A day's not once have they ever asked me if i used aftermarket cooling. nor have they ever checked(not that its even possible to check if an aftermarket heatsink was used on the processor). back in the socket A and earlier days like rudy mentioned it was easy to tell if a processor was damaged by an aftermarket heatsink. you just had to look for excess thermal paste or cracked chip since there was no heatspreader to protect it.
 
sirmonkey1985 said:
its old protect their own ass clause fine print.. i've rma'd 4 processors with AMD post socket A day's not once have they ever asked me if i used aftermarket cooling. nor have they ever checked(not that its even possible to check if an aftermarket heatsink was used on the processor). back in the socket A and earlier days like rudy mentioned it was easy to tell if a processor was damaged by an aftermarket heatsink. you just had to look for excess thermal paste or cracked chip since there was no heatspreader to protect it.
Click to expand...

I never said they would ask.. just that they could. Covering their ass or not, using an aftermarket heatsink voids the warranty, just like overclocking does, But AMD just doesn't give a damn about it. It's similar to how MS doesn't give a damn if you call up and ask to a reactivation after moving an OEM license to a new computer.
 
The AMD 635, 440, 1035T, among others (Intel 720S).
Also does using an upscale oem heatsink count?
Some OEM box producers use non oem heatsinks, who covers in that case?
Changing thermal paste is normal, no oem approved supply available.
There is a certain amount of CYA involved. Damage caused by improper installation or overstress or overvoltage is likely not covered , if they take the trouble to look.
 
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I'm not sure if this is still the case or not ,But it used to be that if you even installed the CPU and are NOT a+ certified , you've voided the warrantee.
 
I don't think manufacturers care anymore. Unless the item is mutilated, blatantly damaged or out of the warranty period I think you are fine. They don't know what HSF you have used or who installed it. That SevenForums thread slayed me. I only go on there for software topics.
 
That's what amazes me...that the companies would somehow know what HSF was used (the belief that the companies would know).

Anytime I buy a retail proc, I keep the box and the OEM HSF. Down the road, when I go to resell my proc, I can give someone the actual box, proc and the OEM HSF that it came with as a full set. If I had to warranty a CPU, I could provide Intel/AMD with the very same.
 
Quote: Originally Posted by s0uLFir3
And just out of curiosity, umm, let's say the Hyper 212, does bring the temps back to normal, i.e., 35 - 40, will that bring the load down as well?
Click to expand...


Really... how is a cooler going to lower your computer usage....

I agree, that site makes my head hurt.
 
Like i had said... They didnt even realize the 13% usage on a i7 is 1 full core.. And its being used by what looks like a user installed program.

I'm on the vista site, and ifd its os related its pretty decent.
 
MrGuvernment said:
Really... how is a cooler going to lower your computer usage....

I agree, that site makes my head hurt.
Click to expand...
You don't know how many people out there believe that high temperature is the cause of high CPU usage.Believe me,i met many people like that.
 
wtourist said:
The AMD 635, 440, 1035T, among others (Intel 720S).
Also does using an upscale oem heatsink count?
Some OEM box producers use non oem heatsinks, who covers in that case?
Changing thermal paste is normal, no oem approved supply available.
Click to expand...

All components of an OEM system from he processor to the operating system are handled by the company that put it together.

Who said anything about changing thermal paste voiding the warranty?

BrainEater said:
I'm not sure if this is still the case or not ,But it used to be that if you even installed the CPU and are NOT a+ certified , you've voided the warrantee.
Click to expand...

I don't believe that was ever the case. Some OEMs used to (and some may still) require OEM certified facilities to perform repairs and upgrades on a system, otherwise they'd void the warranty.
 
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