I broke my Mobo. Am I screwed?

[lakefire]

Well, I had put on a new heatsink last night and the temps were running a little higher than I wanted. 55°C idle and I didn't even let it load into the OS to figure out temps under load. So I figured I would reseat it and clean up the artic silver a bit. (I think i put too much on).

To make a short story short, my screwdriver came off the clip and crashed into the mobo when I was trying to get it off. I chipped something off my board and since then the computer wont load. I can hear things running but nothing comes up to display.

Is my mobo screwed and if it is, is any one selling a socket A board cheap?

 

[sswingle]

I would say it is. I've done it before once or twice, but never chipped anything off of the board.

 

[daveybrat]

yeah, your board is definitely toast! I've seen customer's do it before and all you can do is to find a nearby trash can and shoot for 3 points
Look on newegg.com, you should be able to find a decent VIA KT600 or Nforce2 board for around $59 range by a reputable company like Gigabyte, Asus, or MSI.

Good luck!

 

[imported_Bunter]

Afraid I agree with the rest. Next time, try laying something flat and strong enough to absorb a screwdriver hit on top of the board where you are working. If you have something like a telephone calling card or some sort of ID card, that will work.

You are not the first to do this, and won't be the last, either.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Turning a screw driver does not require any force in the vertical component... I don't understand how so many people slip with their screw drivers and seriously damage their mobos...

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: AyashiKaibutsu
Turning a screw driver does not require any force in the vertical component... I don't understand how so many people slip with their screw drivers and seriously damage their mobos...

was the screwdriver's flat tip interfacing with hs' retention spring-like clip..most of these are fairly thin/small and very slick surfaced due to chrome/like plating..

 

[sswingle]

I like how new heatsinks usually have a little raised tab around the edge so it is impossible for your screwdriver to slip. Or better yet, the A64 design. Whoever designed those in the first place needs to be shot.

 

[mdcrab]

Thius is a decent socket A mobo that you probably coud not go wrong with. Plus has onboard 6 ch audio & lan.

mdcrab

 

[mdcrab]

This also is an excellent mobo for a little less money.
I have one of these and you can't beat it for the money.

mdcrab

 

[lakefire]

Well, the good thing was that it was my 2nd (spare) computer. It is a 1.2 t-bird AXIA and I was going to try my hand in OCing. I am in no rush for a new mobo so I will probably wait a little bit to see if the prices drop anymore. I will probably end up turning the 1.2 into a TiVo of some sort.

I've done it a couple of times before as well, but never chipped anything off. Maybe I wasn't meant to put HS's on. Heh. But thanks for all the help. I will probably purchase an ASUS or Gigabyte board. I am done w/ MSI's after this one. (had other bad experiences with other boards I've ownd from them).

 

[Wuzup101]

You could always buy a shuttle SFF if you want to make a TiVo like you said. It would obviously be a bit more expensive but would be a nice unit after you finished it. Also, the AXIA chips are great overclockers. I would be supprised if that chip didn't hit in excess of 1500mhz. I have a 1ghz chip running at 1425mhz at home in my brother's computer. This was a relatively week overclock compared to what some people got on the 1ghz chip. Good luck!