Help! I think i just screwed up my PC!!

[ors]

uhm.. i don't realy know where to post this so i'm putting i here...

1st of all i don't realy know too much about computer hardware.. basic stuff mostly like how to install ram and new graphics cards.. and oh yeah i'm a first year computer science student by the way...

so basically this is what happened.. couple of days ago i got curious and opened up my pc.. i wanted to know what the p4 looked like... this is my system by the way...

INTEL D850MD motherboard
p4 1.8 (williamete)
256mb rdram

so i decided to remove the default fan/heatsink that came with the p4 so i pulled it out and the chip was taken out along with it! coz it was stuck to the heatsinks thermal paste (is this supposed to happen??) so i panicked and tried to put it back in.. not knowing how to use a ZIF socket.. (stupid stupid!) i tried to jam it back in.. as soon as i realized my mistake i saw that i had managed to bend a couple of the pins.. so i straightened them out with my fingernails.. (should i have done this with my nails??) but i couldn't put it ack in yet coz it was attatched to the heatsink.. so i pried it off (with my hands! isn't there some sort of tool for this??) in the process screwing up the thermal paste connecting them.. and put the chip and heatsink back on..

so basically my concerns are:

1. When i removed the heatsink the chip came out with it.. isn't the socket supposed to prevent this??
2. Handling the chip with my hands... is this ok??
3. Bending some of the pins and straightening them out again with my nails.. will this affect performance in any way?
4. The thermal paste thingie well basically after removing the chip from the heatsink i just but them both back in without putting any new thermal paste..

so far i haven't run into any stability issues and using the intel active monitor to check my temps after some serious 3d gaming i found this:

system temp: high 30's
processor temp: high 40's

is this ok? is it normal? i have no basis for comparison since i never checked the temps before fiddling with the p4..

any help would be appreciated! thank you!!

 

[crasher88]

never heard of that one happening but I wouldn't be too woried about it as for bending the pins I would only do it gently and not often its very very easy to break them just don't do it too much

 

[dazedunconfused]

<<so basically my concerns are:

1. When i removed the heatsink the chip came out with it.. isn't the socket supposed to prevent this??
2. Handling the chip with my hands... is this ok??
3. Bending some of the pins and straightening them out again with my nails.. will this affect performance in any way?
4. The thermal paste thingie well basically after removing the chip from the heatsink i just but them both back in without putting any new thermal paste..

so far i haven't run into any stability issues and using the intel active monitor to check my temps after some serious 3d gaming i found this:

system temp: high 30's
processor temp: high 40's

is this ok? is it normal? i have no basis for comparison since i never checked the temps before fiddling with the p4..>>

1. yes most systmes that you buy have the cpu and hsf pasted together
2. it's ok
3. as crasher88 said I wouldn't do that often unless you want to replace your cpu
4. I would have personally cleaned off the old paste and used new paste or thermal grease but your temps are actually just fine

 

[japetto]

If I could make one suggestion to you, ors: By a cheap older computer (an early pentium or equivalent) and tinker with that. Its a much safer option, and you will settle your urges. You might even see if you know someone (friend/relative) who can just give you one. The last thing you would want to do is ruin your nice new computer! Good Luck