Question Dropped CPU on floor, chance that it is damaged?

[LetoAtreidesII]

I accidentally dropped my brand new Intel CPU about 4 feet onto my hard wood floor. It was in partial packaging - basically I opened the box, turned it upside down and shook it until the contents fell out, but instead of falling onto the table, it bounced off and onto the floor. Since it's a real PITA to install, test, and remove a CPU so if there's a good chance it's damaged, I would rather just replace it now than install it in my motherboard and remove it later.

It was in a very thin plastic clamshell which was itself in a small bit of cardboard (I think) when it impacted on the floor, so it had some padding, but not much. How likely is it that the CPU was damaged?

 

[Markfw]

What is the model number ? If its got no pins, then I am sure its fine.

 

[Tup3x]

What is the model number ? If its got no pins, then I am sure its fine.

Brand new Intel cpu definitely doesn't not have pins so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[cfenton]

It's probably fine if it was still in the plastic shell. I think all of Intel's recent CPUs are for LGA sockets, so the pins are on the motherboard.

 

[VirtualLarry]

It's probably fine if it was still in the plastic shell.

This.

 

[Amol S.]

I accidentally dropped my brand new Intel CPU about 4 feet onto my hard wood floor. It was in partial packaging - basically I opened the box, turned it upside down and shook it until the contents fell out, but instead of falling onto the table, it bounced off and onto the floor. Since it's a real PITA to install, test, and remove a CPU so if there's a good chance it's damaged, I would rather just replace it now than install it in my motherboard and remove it later.

It was in a very thin plastic clamshell which was itself in a small bit of cardboard (I think) when it impacted on the floor, so it had some padding, but not much. How likely is it that the CPU was damaged?

The only pieces of computer hardware or related parts, currently today, one has to worry about if it were to fall are the following. :

• Hard Disk Drive.
• Laptop Screen ( Especially if its touch screen).
• Any device or object that is made by Apple (High repair cost (from what I heard, I never personallly owned anything made by Apple), compared to buying a new one again).
• Motherboard clock battery( If it leaks, the battery acid might damage some small portion of the motherboard).
• An entire motherboard. (There couldbe a small crack, that might have disconnected one or more of the countless circuity tracks, of the motherboard).

CPU is not one of them, just like the others have stated, so you are safe.

 

[LetoAtreidesII]

Thanks all. I'm pretty convinced that my CPU is OK. I somehow thought it was more fragile than it is, probably, because it's sophisticated technology engineered at the microscopic level. Also, about 23 years ago, I dropped a hard drive onto my driveway and that clearly damaged it (no external damage evident but huge numbers of bad sectors immediately upon use). But different piece of hardware and technological progress I guess. Like Amol said, hard drive is on the list of things I'd have to worry about dropping but not CPU.

 

[moonbogg]

Just stick it in and hope for the best. That's what i'd do.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Just stick it in and hope for the best. That's what i'd do.

Oh, if this was only in the social forums...

 

[Zor Prime]

Probably fine. I dropped a new Ryzen 1700 when it first came out, rather, I somehow launched it across the room to my horror. Bent a bunch of pins in the process also, which I spent a lot of time in sunlight trying to bend back the right way ... which I eventually did. It worked fine.

 

[UsandThem]

It seems that several people in this thread appear to handle their CPUs rather haphazardly.

Y'all don't happen to work for UPS or Fedex in package handling by chance, do you?

I also hope you are giving the OP the correct info, because if not........

 

[VirtualLarry]

I had "Socket pull-out" with a Ryzen CPU and a stock heatsink. (MX-4 paste, maybe 6 months old, not even the stock paste which does kind of turn to "glue"). When I was prying the CPU heatspreader off of the heatsink. (Not a wise idea, I should have dissolved the heatsink paste with some isopropyl.) The CPU went flying, onto the carpet. Amazingly, NO BENT PINS. Worked fine afterwards. Maybe it was just the "five second rule".

 

[Indus]

Probably fine. I dropped a new Ryzen 1700 when it first came out, rather, I somehow launched it across the room to my horror. Bent a bunch of pins in the process also, which I spent a lot of time in sunlight trying to bend back the right way ... which I eventually did. It worked fine.

LOL.. thanks having a crappy day after City are out of CL but I needed that laugh!

 

[UsandThem]

I had "Socket pull-out" with a Ryzen CPU and a stock heatsink. (MX-4 paste, maybe 6 months old, not even the stock paste which does kind of turn to "glue"). When I was prying the CPU heatspreader off of the heatsink. (Not a wise idea, I should have dissolved the heatsink paste with some isopropyl.) The CPU went flying, onto the carpet. Amazingly, NO BENT PINS. Worked fine afterwards. Maybe it was just the "five second rule".

Heatsinks are much easier to remove if you warm paste up for a little bit before doing it. Warm paste + a small twisting motion while pulling upward is where it's at.

 

[Topweasel]

Thanks all. I'm pretty convinced that my CPU is OK. I somehow thought it was more fragile than it is, probably, because it's sophisticated technology engineered at the microscopic level. Also, about 23 years ago, I dropped a hard drive onto my driveway and that clearly damaged it (no external damage evident but huge numbers of bad sectors immediately upon use). But different piece of hardware and technological progress I guess. Like Amol said, hard drive is on the list of things I'd have to worry about dropping but not CPU.

Not everyone was as lucky as I, but back in the day when CPU's didn't have a heat spreader took a chunk out of a corner of a Duron and it worked fine (well I don't think it ever ran correctly in ME, but 98SE and Win2k it was a champ so I am putting that down as a ME issue). Now I know I was lucky and probably just took out a chunk of the epoxy coating and not the actual CPU. But that's the point. Outside running a ton of voltage and frying the CPU internally, or bending pins to the point you can straighten them (or break it off), it is sooo hard to break a CPU by accident outside the computer.