Is the CPU socket pins supposed to look like this? (pictures)

Beace

Member
Jan 18, 2011
41
0
0
I'm having some computer problems, and I'm worried that the CPU socket pins have somehow been bent. I've taken pictures with my camera, but finding it very hard to get good ones. When I look closely with a flashlight in my hand, to me the pins look to be tilted, not just a few but all of them. I've no idea if it's supposed to look like that, and so I hope these pictures might help. They are big, sorry about that, didn't want to risk loosing any detail.

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/520/img0096fr.jpg
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/4098/img0083ow.jpg
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/7813/img0080bn.jpg
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2914/img0073rz.jpg
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/6674/img0070vg.jpg

Does it look ok? The motherboard is an Asus P8P67 Pro if that might make a difference.

Edit: Smaller size pictures, if the ones above are simply too big.

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/7027/img0070au.jpg
http://img814.imageshack.us/img814/5640/img0096dv.jpg
http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/8365/img0073vr.jpg
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2185/img0080gj.jpg
http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/3563/img0083mm.jpg
 
Last edited:

T101

Senior member
Oct 13, 1999
558
0
76
I can not see anything wrong, though it is hard to see fine detail on those photos. I would suggest using a magnifying glass and inspect them very closely. If they are bent beyond what they are supposed to be (which I highly doubt), it should be very visible.
 

SlitheryDee

Lifer
Feb 2, 2005
17,252
19
81
I think the pins are supposed to be at an angle so that they act like springs and exert pressure on the corresponding copper pads on the processor. If they all stood straight up, any tiny variation in height would cause some pins to not rest on the contacts on the processor. If they are bent and have a bit of "play" then pressing the processor down would ensure that all pins came into contact. I think your socket is just fine.
 

WaTaGuMp

Lifer
May 10, 2001
21,207
2,506
126
I have dealt with bent pins, those don't look anything like mine did. Thats a good thing.
 

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
2
81
Bit blurry, but they look okay. Usually bent pins would not result in stability issues, but more like stuff outright not working.

To check for bent pins I use a flashlight at an angle so that the light gets reflected off the pins. Doing this makes it really easy to see pins that don't reflect at the same angle. Note that these sockets usually have (2?) blocks of pins, each at their own angle.
 

Beace

Member
Jan 18, 2011
41
0
0
Thanks for the answers. Sadly if the pins look ok, that means I've still got absolutely no clue what part is causing my computer to not run.

Bit blurry, but they look okay. Usually bent pins would not result in stability issues, but more like stuff outright not working.

To check for bent pins I use a flashlight at an angle so that the light gets reflected off the pins. Doing this makes it really easy to see pins that don't reflect at the same angle. Note that these sockets usually have (2?) blocks of pins, each at their own angle.

It's not a stability problem though. My newly built computer won't POST, it gets stuck early on with the CPU LED shining red. Feels like I've tried just about everything except get a new motherboard or CPU by now. Can read more about it at http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2137227 if you're curious, any help there would be most appreciated.