Bet you've never seen a cracked Athlon XP like this!

[drees]

My co-worker picked up a tested MB/CPU/DDR bundled from MWave (they installed the CPU, RAM and tested it). After installing in the MB into the case the monitor wouldn't turn on, no beeps or anything. Look into the MB manual (Soyo Dragon Plus) which says that either the MB or CPU is toasted.

I then pull the heatsink off to swap the XP1500 with a Duron 800 we had sitting around, and found this!

Severely cracked XP1500
Half of XP1500 core on heatsink
Closeup of what remains of the core
Closeup of what was left on the heatsink

Anyone ever see anything like this before? Looks like somehow some serious force was exerted on the core by the heatsink, but I've never cracked a CPU on any of the Durons, Athlons or XPs I've assembled (but my co-worker fried an Athlon 1000 by leaving the plastic over the pink goop on a heatsink).

Anyone know why MWave applied white silicone when the heatsink already had a thermal pad installed? Seems dumb to me, and could have lead to excess pressure on the core. Not only that, but there's obviously WAY too much goop on there!

Needless to say, after replacing the CPU with the spare Duron the machine booted up fine. The split CPU has been sent back to MWave for replacement.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Someone obviouly didn't know how the hell to install a processor and heatsink.

 

[squirrel dog]

Thats a common trouble due to inexperience installing the heatsink/fan to the cpu.More so with amd than Intel,but it happens to both all to often.If people would just relax the sping metal that holds it all down,there would be far fewer cracked cpu's.You may have gotten an rma that they sent back out.

 

[punkrawket]

they are retards... pad and paste... plus they cracked the biotch open

 

[Yossarian]

When your friend asked to have the testing done, he should have specified "not the drop test."

 

[Bozo Galora]

if it was sent all installed TO THEM as you imply (even tho your friend picked it up), the heavy copper
heatsink being jarred in shipping may have cracked the chip transversally by being "stuck' on to heatsink
with pad. No pad, it might have survived since HS could slide a little.
maybe your friend dropped it in car trip.
interesting............moral.............never send cpu with hsf attatched in ups , or let it slip off seat during quick
stop.

 

[drees]

<< if it was sent all installed as you imply, the heavy copper heatsink being jarred in shipping may have
cracked the chip transversally by being "stuck' on to heatsink with pad. No pad, it might have survived
since HS could slide a little. >>


It wasn't even a heavy copper heatsink, just a plain aluminum CoolerMaster looking thing. Looks like this one.


<< interesting............moral.............never send cpu with hsf attatched in ups >>


Yep, we're never paying $9 for that testing again!

 

[drees]

<< if it was sent all installed TO THEM as you imply (even tho your friend picked it up) >>


I see you edited this, it was sent all installed to US where it was declared DOA.

We sent it back to MWave in multiple pieces.

 

[bacillus]

<< Bet you've never seen a cracked XP like this >>


thought that this was going to be about MS XP!

 

[drees]

<< thought that this was going to be about MS XP! >>


Fixed the subject to reduce confusion.

 

[Ausm]

Who the hell would be that stupid !!

Ausm

 

[Pocatello]

How easy is it to crack an Athlon processor? I want to build an AMD system, but have not because of heat issue and a cracked CPU. Is this like "crack a few CPUs before you get the hang of it", or a rare occurence?

 

[drees]

<< How easy is it to crack an Athlon processor? Is this like "crack a few CPUs before you get the hang of it", or a rare occurence? >>



I've built up probably a dozen Athlon/Duron systems, and this is the first cracked CPU I've seen personally. If you're careful when installing the heatsink, you won't have any problems. If you're worried about chipping the core, get a shim and install that, no more chipping.

 

[jonnyGURU]

EDITED FOR CLARITY: THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THOSE WHO DAMAGE CPUS WHILE INSTALLING THE HEATSINK

It's hard to crack an Athlon CPU but it does happen all of the time. The way to do it? Apply pressure to the heatsink while installing it and you'll crack it or at least chip the die. The heatsink should only be held in place and the pressure applied to the mounting clip.

People are in such denial when it comes to cracked cores. Right now, one of the techs is "arguing" with a customer because he insists that the damage caused to his CPUwas from the expansion and contraction of the materials (certainly he means the heatsink's aluminum since neither the ceramic nor organic packages of the Athlon processor expand or contract) and this caused the heatsink to "chip away" at his CPU die.

Yeah... Right.

We've actually seen fans that had stop spinning altogether and cause the CPU to get INSANELY hot. The ceramic never cracks and the die never chips. We've seen them get so hot that the plastic of the CPU socket actually melts to the point were the CPU can not be removed from the socket, yet the CPU will still be in perfect shape.

If anyone blames damage to a CPU on the heatsink or heat.... is smoking crack!

 

[jonnyGURU]

EDITED FOR CLARITY: THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE ORIGINAL POST THAT SHOWS THE CPU WITH SHIPPING DAMAGE

Oh... and I have seen plenty of CPUs cracked that way. Here's what happens....

When I ship a built machine, it usually gets to the destination in one piece, but about 5% of the time, UPS is SOOOO rough with the box that the weight of the heatsink bounces on the CPU. With the ceramic CPUs this isn't usually a problem because ceramic doesn't flex so there's good support, but the new organic package has enough give that the shock from the heatsink's weight being pushed up against it from a PC being dropped, and then bounced back up again, will smash the silicon die in a heartbeat. It's sort of a trampoline effect where the CPU's package is the trampoline, the die is some small kid just sitting in the middle of the trampoline and the heatsink is a big kid getting his kicks out of jumping over and over again on top of the small kid.

It's sad but true, but unfortunately, AMD likes their new organic package. The reason why Pentium 4s use the heatsink that mounts to the motherboard with such force as it flexes the motherboard is so it can be shipped and any dropping that occurs to the PC transfers that shock to the motherboard and not into the CPU. Good idea. I think AMD needs to implement it.

 

[WarCon]

I have bumped a heatsink in my system when I was fussing around in there and had it chip the core as it cocked its way over, when it came back small fragments came back between the core and the heatsink. I was lucky that I chose to monitor my temps in bios right after I booted up again or I would of cooked that chip. I managed to catch it as it was hitting high 60's and climbing and pulled the plug. I think alot of chipped cores may come from things like that. I really didn't think much of it when it happened, because it wasn't much of an impact. But I can't imagine shipping a heatsink attached to a mobo. I am not sure you could tape it on hard enough to stop impact jarring from causing something similar to what happened to me. BTW the chip is still alive, just kinda ragged on the one side.

Been awhile since I seen you posting jonnyGURU, its nice to see you back.

 

[sharkeeper]

<< Anyone ever see anything like this before? >>





When you can't beat the damn thing, SHOOT IT!

Cheers!

 

[drees]

<< When I ship a built machine, it usually gets to the destination in one piece, but about 5% of the time, UPS is SOOOO rough with the box that the weight of the heatsink bounces on the CPU. With the ceramic CPUs this isn't usually a problem because ceramic doesn't flex so there's good support, but the new organic package has enough give that the shock from the heatsink's weight being pushed up against it from a PC being dropped, and then bounced back up again, will smash the silicon die in a heartbeat. It's sort of a trampoline effect where the CPU's package is the trampoline, the die is some small kid just sitting in the middle of the trampoline and the heatsink is a big kid getting his kicks out of jumping over and over again on top of the small kid. >>


Hrm, but in this case, the CPU/HS were mounted to the motherboard, which was in a big box filled with peanuts. It looked well packed to me, and the box it arrived in was in good shape.


<< It's sad but true, but unfortunately, AMD likes their new organic package. The reason why Pentium 4s use the heatsink that mounts to the motherboard with such force as it flexes the motherboard is so it can be shipped and any dropping that occurs to the PC transfers that shock to the motherboard and not into the CPU. Good idea. I think AMD needs to implement it. >>


I think that if they simply put a heat spreader over the top of the core like on the PIVs it would solve 99% of these problems.

 

[DaLeroy]

Question guys...I'm buying a Duron in a few days, any special tips on putting the heatsink on?

 

[CStroman]

<<

<< Anyone ever see anything like this before? >>





When you can't beat the damn thing, SHOOT IT!

Cheers! >>



That's a cool pic. It resembles the 486 I tapped with a sledgehammer.

 

[Ausm]

<<

<<

<< Anyone ever see anything like this before? >>

When you can't beat the damn thing, SHOOT IT! Cheers! >>

That's a cool pic. It resembles the 486 I tapped with a sledgehammer. >>




If you shot that CPu with a gun you would still be looking for the pieces LMAO...Looks like someone used a hole punch on it


Ausm

 

[jonnyGURU]

<<

<< When I ship a built machine, it usually gets to the destination in one piece, but about 5% of the time, UPS is SOOOO rough with the box that the weight of the heatsink bounces on the CPU. With the ceramic CPUs this isn't usually a problem because ceramic doesn't flex so there's good support, but the new organic package has enough give that the shock from the heatsink's weight being pushed up against it from a PC being dropped, and then bounced back up again, will smash the silicon die in a heartbeat. It's sort of a trampoline effect where the CPU's package is the trampoline, the die is some small kid just sitting in the middle of the trampoline and the heatsink is a big kid getting his kicks out of jumping over and over again on top of the small kid. >>


Hrm, but in this case, the CPU/HS were mounted to the motherboard, which was in a big box filled with peanuts. It looked well packed to me, and the box it arrived in was in good shape.


<< It's sad but true, but unfortunately, AMD likes their new organic package. The reason why Pentium 4s use the heatsink that mounts to the motherboard with such force as it flexes the motherboard is so it can be shipped and any dropping that occurs to the PC transfers that shock to the motherboard and not into the CPU. Good idea. I think AMD needs to implement it. >>


I think that if they simply put a heat spreader over the top of the core like on the PIVs it would solve 99% of these problems. >>



You can use A:LL OF THE FOAM PEANUTS IN THE WORLD and it doesn't matter. The heatsink and motherboard aren't "moving parts" so the amount of loose fill isn't going to make a duifference. The damage is cause from the shear G's of the product's own weight.

 

[JellyBaby]

I know at least GamePC claims to remove the hsf fan when they ship pretested mobo/cpu/ram kits. This looks to be a must on AMD kits. The new P4 retention system may not require the same careful treatment...?

 

[jh0sken612]

That is ridiculous that they even installed it wrong in the first place... sure it is "tested" ... bam CPU, Mobo, and RAM- it lights up the monitor and I can configure it in the BIOS - TESTED. You paid 9$ for that.

 

[jonnyGURU]

<< I know at least GamePC claims to remove the hsf fan when they ship pretested mobo/cpu/ram kits. This looks to be a must on AMD kits. The new P4 retention system may not require the same careful treatment...? >>



This is a good idea. The old socket 423 heatsinks (the one that bolts through the board into the case) did the same thing, which is why they changed the design. As I said; the P4 heatsink retention pre-loads shock into the fiberglass motherboard. The whole motherboard/CPU/HSF ensemble moves independantly.