# Socket 1156 has broken pin....



## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Hi...I have an Asus P7H55-M Motherboard and the 1156 CPU socket has one broken pin ....Now I know that this may not stop it from working in fact I once had the required schematics that allowed me to identify each individual pin and what purpose it was for.....Sadly I cannot find them....Can anybody please guide me to a source of these ...which will enable me to identify what the broken pin is used for.....
Thanks...Hk


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

What CPU do you have? There are a few pins that may not be critical. 

If this is not the exact datasheet there are other documents on the site Intel Download Center

http://download.intel.com/design/processor/datashts/322164.pdf


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Chapter 8 of the Intel data sheet here> http://download.intel.com/design/processor/datashts/322164.pdf


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Ok..I have found what I was looking for..Thanks Hk


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Many thanks ..I really appreciate your help....I bought the MB as faulty by Auction without realising it had the same problem as an earlier MB I bought ....IE the CPU had been put in incorrectly and literally flattened all the pins on one section of the socket..I attempted to fix the initial MB but when I realised how many broken pins it had I gave up....I never realised that the second MB with the seller describing it as faulty also had flattened pins until today when I removed the socket cover?? ....However with my experience with the initial board I am going to give this one a real try at straightening the pins and hopefully the broken one is not crucial to the MB's operation...I found that buying a length of aprox 1/16th diameter hollow brass model tubing and cutting a piece off,tapering the end ...I had a tool that I could easily pick up each pin and straighten it.... Slow but I believe its possible...Thanks Hk


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

I use a mechanical pencil (0.5mm) with lead removed.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

It would be really nice, given how delicate some Intel sockets are, if the motherboard manufacturers would just make them modular. Of course, they won't because they don't want you to fix your motherboard, they want you to buy a new one. I have a degree in electronics and have repaired the odd device and even PCB but have never attempted replace a CPU socket so I don't know whether I'd be successful or not, even if I could buy the replacement parts.


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## Fjandr (Sep 26, 2012)

You can buy replacement sockets, but they're installed by machine. Unless you have surgeon's hands, I'd doubt it would be feasible to replace one manually.

That said, if the only problem is a broken pin and you have another faulty motherboard, you can extract a pin from the trashed board, clip the ball off the end, and wedge it into place next to the broken pin. I've seen other boards fixed in that manner.


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Hi..I am using the 322164.pdf but I must be dumb...there is 4 images..Now Page 76 Figure 8.1 Socket Pinmap (Top View Upper left Quadrant ) see jpg attached ...is meaningless to me unless I can understand what Quadrant that is ...so I have also attached a photo of my motherboard....and hopefully somone can tell me how I work out what part of the socket on my board is the Upper Left Quadrant..

There were no broken pins on the socket and I got 75% of the pins straightened then I can across two pins that were flatened in the opposite direction to the pins round them and both broke when I tried to straighten them???
Thanks Hk


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

CPU pin orientation is on page 15. Note that the little triangle goes at the socket's lower right quadrant (the CPU being a mirror image of the socket).

http://download.intel.com/design/processor/designex/322167.pdf


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

gcavan said:


> I use a mechanical pencil (0.5mm) with lead removed.


Hi ..I am interested knowing whats a mechanical pencil ? Hk


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The type you put lead sticks in 

Papermate Technicain II Mechanical Pencil, 0.50 mm, Black Barrel, Dozen, DZ - PAP64201


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

HairyKiore said:


> Hi ..I am interested knowing whats a mechanical pencil ? Hk


Surely you have these in New Zealand, it's a global economy.

Amazon.com: Paper Mate PhD Ultra Mechanical Pencil, .5mm (46395): Office Products


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## chauffeur2 (Feb 7, 2006)

It's a propelling pencil, that has long thin diameter lengths of lead in the barrel, and by screwing the outer part of the barrel, or pushing the top cap, the lead appears and it is useable. :wave:
*EDIT:* MPR beat me again!! :laugh:


:4-cheers:


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

MPR said:


> CPU pin orientation is on page 15. Note that the little triangle goes at the socket's lower right quadrant (the CPU being a mirror image of the socket).
> 
> http://download.intel.com/design/processor/designex/322167.pdf


How does it help me???? HK


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

MPR said:


> Surely you have these in New Zealand, it's a global economy.
> 
> Amazon.com: Paper Mate PhD Ultra Mechanical Pencil, .5mm (46395): Office Products


I'll tell you what ..I will ask in a stationary shop later today for one and let you know what they say in the meantime ....Just because as you put it "we are a global economy" does not mean that they are not available here ..perhaps not known as mechanical pencils .....


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

New Zealand Office Supplies

Warehouse Stationery NZ


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

OK..I have attached a jpg...All I want to know is what corner does the gold Triangle on the CPU go to......Then perhaps I can work out what pin is what??


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Did you look through the spec sheet that I posted? Look at pages 18-19 and 23.

http://download.intel.com/design/processor/designex/322167.pdf

The idea of jamming a pin in beside the broken ones to fix the socket is a good idea. If you don't want to further ruin the socket of your other motherboard by scavenging pins then you can probably find some wire or clip some sewing or, maybe better, insect collecting pins or find another workable alternative somehow.


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Thanks...I downloaded the spec sheet but missed those pages ...Page 19 Figure 3.3 ( as I see it ) ..tells me that the cpu gold triangle goes to the bottom left corner so if this is right I can now work out from the diagrams in 322164.pdf if my two broken pins are crucial or not ....I actually do have another Asus board ..it seems putting CPU's in the wrong way and flattening all the pins is popular here?? So I am trying to get my head around how one removes a pin or pins from a socket ..To actually get 75% of the pins straightened and then to break two was a real blow ...The other Asus board is in my opinion beyond repair so I might try and do some experiments on it...What got me thinking was after I removed the load lever on it ...on the underside I could see what maybe the soldering points of the pins sandwiched between what I understand is a double layer circuit board and I wondered if one could "do anything" from under the board but of course I have nil knowledge on how a motherboard is made for example by Asus..

I will ring the two companies later in the morning after some sleep about the pencils....Hk




MPR said:


> Did you look through the spec sheet that I posted? Look at pages 18-19 and 23.
> 
> http://download.intel.com/design/processor/designex/322167.pdf
> 
> The idea of jamming a pin in beside the broken ones to fix the socket is a good idea. If you don't want to further ruin the socket of your other motherboard by scavenging pins then you can probably find some wire or clip some sewing or, maybe better, insect collecting pins or find another workable alternative somehow.


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

OK..It has to be one of the attached ...viewing from above with the Lever assembly at the top ....So surely somebody can tell me which one corresponds to the same view of the socket schematic ..Thanks Hk


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Hi ..Perhaps this may be easier ...here are the two broken pins as I see it...Hk


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Hi..I believe AN9 = a VSS Pin and E5 can be seen in the attached jpg....I wonder what the circle means round E5 and F5......
Anyway I wonder where I stand ...are these crucial or can I keep on finishing straightening the pins...Thanks for any info?

Oh Yes?? Mechanical pencils ...Yes we are a global economy...$17 for ten ?? I better go and see them ?? Cheers Hk


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

A9 is a VSS pin, which is a ground pin. You don't want to lose a substantial number of grounds as then too much voltage will be flowing through the few left and melt them. However, Intel has probably included enough redundancy to allow for a few bad ones.

E5 is a PEG_TX pin, PEG stands for PCI Express Graphics. This is an important pin. However, there is another one exactly the same next to it. The system might work OK with only one of these pins missing.


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Thankyou ...I might just be lucky ...I found both pins listed and I thought I would be alright with the AN9 ground pin ....E9 is circled with F9 and I found both are designated as identical PCIExpress pins so I now need to ensure that I do not break anymore pins ...none of the pins left to do are damaged just flattened ......Hk


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Looking back at my previous post I realize it's late and I'm not thinking too clearly. Voltage doesn't flow -- what I meant to say was "current." I also meant to say AN9 and not A9.

To ensure that you have the orientation of the pinmap right, pin A1 is in the same corner as the reference triangle of your CPU, which is matched by a beveled corner on the socket. Of the two side-by side pictures you posted above, the first (top) one is the correct one.


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Hi....One always learns...Now I have taken everything out of the case of my computer which has a problem.....intending to bench test each part ...I am 99% the M/B is the problem and that is WHY I decided to try and *resurrect the ASUS *if I could.....Now I decided to take the Fan/Heatsink off the motherboard (a Gigabyte ) and look at the CPU.....

I thought the CPU "plugs" into the socket but as no doubt everybody knows it doesn't..the socket pin ends make contact with individual "pads" on the CPU....
SO 
My whole thinking has been turned upside down and as I now understand ..the length of the pins would be crucial whereas a small variation in pin alignment would be acceptable...I got criticised for removing the CPU? BUT I would be walking in the dark if I had not done it....
There is one pin that does not look as if its as long as the others but it may just be the light playing tricks on me....

*ALRIGHT* Can anybody please answer this and I hope I can put my question in a way that is understandable and then I can finish up here...
The CPU is placed in the socket and the heatsink and fan is clamped on ...the CPU is held against the socket pins ...I presume there is a minute amount of pressure between the PIN ENDS and the Contacts on the CPU ......
Will this pressure be enough to negate any small/minute difference in the length of the pins ...if you understand where I am coming from.. Thanks HK


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Small amount yes, the socket lid clamps it down, the pins are slightly springy.


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Wrench97 said:


> Small amount yes, the socket lid clamps it down, the pins are slightly springy.


Thats good news cause it gives me a chance of the board working ...Would you mind going back and having a look at the attachment on post #23 and telling me the significance of the circles ...could I be right in thinking that this may mean pins in each circle are connected ...????

And I may as well ask ...its an i7 CPU ....Is it the same i7 as used on a 1155 M/B ? There seems to be few of those for sale but no 1156 M/B's ...Thanks Hk


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

1156 is a discontinued socket. When a socket is discontinued remaining stock quickly dries up and often increases in price. Being located where you are may further complicate things too.

Amazon will ship to New Zealand, though I don't know what shipping will cost.

Amazon.com: Electronics: International Shipping Available

This store has one of the largest selections I've seen for your country. There are two 1156 server processor listed but at $400 and I wouldn't consider buying them with a broken, discontinued-socket motherboard -- in the end you may still have a broken motherboard and a CPU that you will now have a hard time finding a motherboard for.

CPUs - Processors, Amd, Intel - Buy Online at Elive.co.nz


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

```
could I be right in thinking that this may mean pins in each circle are connected
```
Related in some way, but I can't read what the writing in the blocks says.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Looking a bit closer:

PEG_TX[2]
PEG_TX#[2]​ 
It seems that these two pins are a PCI Express Transmit Differential Pair. Looking this up I see that each PCIe lane requires 2 pins, a differential pair for noise cancellation. Therefore, that pin is not as redundant as I first thought.


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Unfortunately I have just found a pin...(AJ13..designated as PWR) and its shorter that the others ..I just cannot see why it should be shorter ..It does not make sense to me if the top was broken off cause I just do not see how this could happen SO I wonder if it has compressed somehow into the socket......
I wonder if anybody has any comment on this ...thanks Hk


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## Fjandr (Sep 26, 2012)

Does the top of it look different? Those pins taper in a fairly obvious manner, so it should be clear if the tip has been sheared off or something else is to blame.

It's unlikely to be compressed into the socket rather than bent over. The amount of force required to do that would have likely mangled the entire pin, since their bases are comparatively quite thick. Stranger things have happened though. Are you absolutely sure it's not just bent over and hasn't yet been bent far enough back up to come to the level of the other pins?


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## murihikukid (Jun 20, 2009)

Hi...Yes..They are very difficult to see and if the light is coming from different directions ???..I tryed outside in sunlight and the reflection from the pins made it impossible...Now I lifted all the pins to an upright position myself with the aid of a head band magnifier...believe me I would have noticed this pin if it had been short ...yet it is...I have a very thin miniature engineers steel ruler and it fits in easily between the rows of pins and if one does this it clarifies the pins against a background provided by the ruler making it easy to see that the pin is short ...However my magnifying equipment is not good ,something I must try and remedy..

Now I did buy a mechanical 0.5mm pencil....however I did not think it worked properly and so I am thinking of trying to find the right bore surgical injection needle ....my vet might help ??
and this got me thinking ....and I am wondering if anybody has tryed this ..of course I am unfamilier with a socket ..I only see what is visible on the motherboard ...But I wonder if a sleeve would be possible on a broken pin and to explain what I am thinking I have attached a drawing....I would welcome any comment ..of course it might be xmas day madness on my part which reminds me Merry Xmas to all at Tech Support whose advise has been invaluable to me ..Thanks Hk


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