AM4 owners - have you ever pulled out CPU while removing the CPU cooler?

[Steve-007UK]

One of the worst things about the Stock Heatsinks is that they love to stick to the CPU. Those are the only ones that have given me issues. AMD's RMA process was good tome though. I did have to eat a 3100 though.

I think my mate was using a corsair h100i or something when it pulled the cpu out the socket while i was just trying to tighten the screws.

 

[chrcoluk]

Nope. It can lift off with the cooler if the contact is too tight with the CPU.

I remember also getting S478 Pentium 4s together with the cooler back in the day.

Thermalright perhaps should do the contact frame's for all sockets then. It holds cpu down all the way round not just with notches.

 

[Ruru]

Thermalright perhaps should do the contact frame's for all sockets then. It holds cpu down all the way round not just with notches.

Not even a bad idea. Though after several times, I've learned my lesson yet luckily no casualties. I have an A64 X2 6000+ with one pin missing, but luckily it's a ground pin so missing one doesn't matter.

 

[freeagent]

Thermalright perhaps should do the contact frame's for all sockets then. It holds cpu down all the way round not just with notches.

They have one for AM4, though it’s not a contact frame. It prevents this topic from happening

 

[HTC]

Happened to me once:

CPU stuck to the cooler? - Solved

Got myself an AM4 mounting kit for my NH-C14 cooler and finally proceeded to pull the board out to swap the stock cooler ... but the cooler was firmly stuck, even with the screws taken off, which i found quite odd. Applied a little more force and, to my disbelief, the CPU got yanked right out...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Darkholm]

AM4 stock coolers tend to stick with CPUs even in a short time span. Couple of weeks ago I tested one B550 board with R3 1200AF and I used it's box cooler. MX-4 paste was applied as "a grain of rice", nothing spectacular and much.
After 3 hours of flashing BIOS, installing test OS on SSD, etc, I pulled CPU out of socket as it stuck on cooler. Also, did it 2-3 times with smaller tower coolers with smaller base eg some small 92 mm Zalman. Didn't manage repeat it with massive ones e.g NH-D14/15, Dark Rock 4 Pro...

Do not know is it recommended or is it main practice, but I always dismount cooler moments after CPU was cooked with Prime95 for a few minutes and after unscrewing its screws, I try to rotate the cooler a little bit. Many times it is OK, but 2-3 times as described, CPU is stuck with cooler base.

That's why LGA socket is much more desirable in my case. Minus are pins on MBO but you can pull cooler off as you wish.

 

[GerKNG]

happened once or twice but nothing was damaged.

 

[AusWolf]

Let's just be glad that both Intel and AMD use LGA now.

 

[Darkholm]

Socket AM2/+ stock coolers where the worst. CPUs where welded to them, especially after few years of service and with that pre-applied chewing gum someone called paste

 

[Tomgang]

I never pulled a cpu out of AM4 socket while locked. But I have really neither had my fingers on am4 besides my own system.

When taking the cpu cooler of. It's strongly recommended to heat up the cpu and paste and then twist the cooler to the sides gently and not just pull it op to wards you. That's when you risk pulling the cpu up with the cooler do to cooling paste sticks to the cooler and cpu. Risk of Bent pins og even pins break of the cpu is a real risk. Warm cooling paste is not as stiff ass cold and is easier to get lose from the cpu.

But it is also recommended to be gentle when moving cooler to the sides. That can still damage or bend cpu pins. But it's easier to break the seal between cpu and cooler and losing the cooler so it can be removed with out cpu coming out with it.

That's also why I prefer lga sockets where pins are in the motherboard socket.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I have been swapping in and out Ryzen CPUs to mess around with, for 6yrs now. It happened a few times when I was being derp and didn't heat the CPU up first or twist enough before pulling. I think only once it wasn't the stock cooler involved. But I do think it was a cooler with pre-applied tim. I always lift straight up when pulling so never bent a pin. For those having trouble with removing it from the heatsink afterwards, unwaxed plain dental floss will do the trick.

For the test bench I switched to graphite pads, like Philscomputerlab. No muss, no fuss, good cooling.

 

[Ruru]

Let's just be glad that both Intel and AMD use LGA now.

Feels weird that Intel has used LGA for consumer sockets the last 19 years. Feels like yesterday when I read about LGA775 to be the next Intel socket.

 

[AusWolf]

Feels weird that Intel has used LGA for consumer sockets the last 19 years. Feels like yesterday when I read about LGA775 to be the next Intel socket.

When I look back at AM5 the same way I look back at LGA-775 now, I'll know for sure that I'm old.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Never.

1. Always make sure processor and heatsink are warm. If system will not boot, use a hair dryer or old style high intensity desk lamp that uses a halogen bulb as these get burning hot. If necessary, remove fan so you can direct heat from dryer or lamp directly on to the heatsink.
2. Always make sure any lock is unlocked.
3. Always start with tiny, back and forth twists that get progressively stronger.
4. ONLY AFTER twists have broken the TIM (thermal interface material) bond and you can see and feel side to side movement of the heatsink do you apply any lifting force.

 

[HD64G]

Didn't vote because It happened once on my AM3 system and thankfully no damage happened. I blame the stock paste on the AMD coolers that gets too sticky. With aftermarket pastes it was never a problem to seperate a cooler from the CPU.

 

[damric]

MX-4 seems to make such good contact that it's like a vacuum seal if both IHS and HSF are very flat

 

[forman313]

Once a long time ago on my own rig, and twice more recently while helping others. No damage.

I have removed thousands of coolers, and as far as I can tell, it never happens if the right amount is used.
A lot of people are using way way too much, and thats bad for several reasons. Lots of sticky goop pressed out to the sides make a very good seal, and vacum is hard to fight.

 

[freeagent]

Never.

1. Always make sure processor and heatsink are warm. If system will not boot, use a hair dryer or old style high intensity desk lamp that uses a halogen bulb as these get burning hot. If necessary, remove fan so you can direct heat from dryer or lamp directly on to the heatsink.
2. Always make sure any lock is unlocked.
3. Always start with tiny, back and forth twists that get progressively stronger.
4. ONLY AFTER twists have broken the TIM (thermal interface material) bond and you can see and feel side to side movement of the heatsink do you apply any lifting force.

By this post I can tell you haven’t used a thick TIM..

 

[A Computer Guy]

By this post I can tell you haven’t used a thick TIM..

LOL I feel a strong response incoming.

 

[freeagent]

There are some TIMs that give up nice and easy, others.. not so much, even if you are almost translucently thin

 

[A Computer Guy]

Never.

1. Always make sure processor and heatsink are warm. If system will not boot, use a hair dryer or old style high intensity desk lamp that uses a halogen bulb as these get burning hot. If necessary, remove fan so you can direct heat from dryer or lamp directly on to the heatsink.
2. Always make sure any lock is unlocked.

Genuine question: What do you mean by #2.

3. Always start with tiny, back and forth twists that get progressively stronger.

Agreed this helps a lot.

4. ONLY AFTER twists have broken the TIM (thermal interface material) bond and you can see and feel side to side movement of the heatsink do you apply any lifting force.

I found this sometimes is quite difficult especially with monoblocks. A plastic wedge is helpful to help break the bond between the CPU and block while twisting.

 

[BetrayerX]

Twice, no damage. 1st time was a surprise on a stock cooler. The second one was less ordinary thou. Was my own PC, was using it, so it was warm, new cooler arrived (AIO) so took the Hyper 212 out, I even did a few slight twists before pulling, still the cooler came out with the CPU on it. No damage done.

Could happen to anyone.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

I voted "Yes- Once out of many times, and I damaged the CPU or socket (e.g. bent or snapped pins)" Happened when I was swapping out my 3600 for a 5600. I go to remove the Be Quiet! Pure Loop FX block - mind you, the system hadn't been warmed up yet - and while it did come off, so did the CPU! It was stuck to the cold plate Luckily though, there was only a single bent pin from that incident. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was a bit worried because I'd never had a CPU come out along with an AIO pump block

 

[freeagent]

So many times. Bent 6 pins on my X3D once. That was stressful.

To be fair, my 58X3D is perfectly fine. When I started using this TIM I tried to warm up the system enough to give it a twist.. nope. I used a razor blade to straighten everything out.. it is when I actually realized that I am getting older and cannot see as well as I used to.. it took me two hours lol. With Thermalright coolers, the way the mount works is as you are undoing the cooler, it will pull itself, and the CPU up and out of the socket area, So almost every time I remove my cooler, I have to twist the CPU off of it. The beauty of a ZIF socket

 

[mechtech]

Not me,

But my newphew has and a buddy of mine lol

Same old advice, run them and get them toasty, then gently twist to try to break it free. A lot of thermal paste turns to glue after more than a few years.

Having said that a bracket design that clamps down the CPU along with the pins would be a sturdier design.