# Bent CPU pins = dead mobo?



## renaw (Jun 19, 2008)

I just wanted to try a new CPU cooler, to compare temperatures. But the Northwoods 2.8 P4 stuck to the old heatsink, and got pulled out with it. A few of the pins got bent a little. I straightened them with tweezers. I've done that before with a different CPU and had no problems after.

Then I got distracted by something else, and left the system on the bench for about a week.

When I re-installed the P4 and the new cooler, the system wouldn't start.
--No beep, no signal to monitor.
--PSU tests good.
--The 5v Standby Power LED on the mobo lights up (it's from an HP d530 Slim Form Factor, #DG781A, made by Asus but they don't support it).
--CPU & chipset heatsinks heat up.
--CPU fan spins.
--Power LED lights up.
--HDD spins, but HDD LED doesn't light except when Power Switch is pressed.
--FDD doesn't spin.
--Shuts down only by holding the power switch down 4 seconds.

I tried putting the old cooler back in, but with the same results.
Then I tried a CMOS battery from a working computer.
I tried it with everything removed but the mobo, then just mobo & ram, then just mobo & HDD, then just mobo & ram & HDD.

I have a spare CPU, a Celeron D340 that worked fine before it was replaced by the P4. So I put that in instead. Same results.

I assume it's a dead motherboard. Yes? Could the bent pins or the forced extraction have killed it? Any ideas?


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

are you sure about the alignment of the cpu / in relation to the golden arrow on the corner of the cpu ..... check your mobo manual

I have seen the cpu pop out of a lot of motherboards similar to what you have described ....... bent pins is the only common problem ........ never seen a motherboard die from that ??????

I would check your motherboard socket really close with a magnifying glass to check for bent pins ......... also make sure your cpu power plug emanating from the power supply is delivering power to the cpu power socket ?


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

try another power supply I suspect you were getting elevated cpu temps that why you wanted to try another cpu cooler >>>>>>> a bum power supply will make a cpu heat up also / the result of low voltage 

just becasue a PSU can light up the motherboard and some fans doesnt give it a perfect bill of health >>>>>> 

keep us posted on your findings


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

if you end up replacing the motehrboard


have a look on mwave.com / click refurbished / click motherboards


----------



## renaw (Jun 19, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. Some more details:
--The cooler change was just an experiment, to compare the temperatures of two designs in the same system. The CPU was running below 40 with the old one.
--I tested the PSU with a tester that has a socket for the P4's 12v plug.
--The ZIF socket in this board can only take a 478-pin P4 in one position (the arrow corner of the P4 is missing two pins, and the socket has no holes where those 2 pins would go).

It got worse overnight. When I pressed the power button this morning, nothing happened. This just makes the whole thing more mysterious. It got worse without doing anything. The only change was unplugging it from the AC outlet and then plugging it back in this morning. The mobo LED lit up when I plugged it in, but I guess that just means there's a 5v power source.

What was that about checking the motherboard socket for bent pins? I can't see inside it, but two of the holes don't look completely round. Does that suggest a problem, and if so is there something I can do about it?


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

when you check the ziff socket often times you can see small signs of overheating or scorching you cant see this with naked eye

at this point I would have to say PSU or bad motherboard the only way to tell for sure is to use that power supply in another system

unfortunately the power supply testers are not nearly as complete as we would like or expect them to be ....... many times they show and active power delivery but when the amps are actually drawn the unit can fall flat on its face

I have two or three of those laying around the shop >>>> but now ....... I have learned the only way to really test a PSU is connect it to one of my systems and run a cpu stress tester (orthos, Prime 95 or better yet S&M )........ and watch for the shutdown


----------



## renaw (Jun 19, 2008)

Well, I dug out my old 15x magnifier and looked at the CPU socket, and I don't see any signs of heat, so I guess the only thing to do is to try changing the PSU. I'll have to take the one out of this machine that I'm using, which I won't be able to do till the weekend.

I looked at mwave. Thanks for that tip. I see they have an equivalent board for $29, which they say is made by MSI. But MSI denies they ever made a board with that number, or any socket 478 board with a 945 chipset.


----------



## OMGmissinglink (Sep 24, 2006)

bent pins, did you check for missing pins thats easy to miss often times one pin or more broke off in the zif socket..


----------



## renaw (Jun 19, 2008)

Yes, I checked the whole pin set after straightening the bent ones, and again just now with a magnifier. None missing or damaged. Plus I tried a different processor, one that worked in another board. That's what's really puzzling me. If it was the CPU that got damaged I could understand it. But it seems like a dead motherboard.


----------



## linderman (May 20, 2005)

once you have tried another power supply ....... if still no luck / then its motherboard time


----------



## griffin troy (Jul 8, 2008)

I am haveing the same time of prob, only thing is though. I am haveing it with two different motherboards. As well as cpu's. And nothing seams to work.


----------

