NB Heatsink removal - HELP

[P4spooky]

I built a computer for my wife using ABIT ST6-RAID and Celeron 1.1A. The machine is overclocked to 133FSB default vcore and is solid. I have MBM and is reporting CPU temps in the range 40 - 44 (Winbond 2 Diode setting). However Sensor-1 (winbond 1) is reporting a temp of 32-37. This I am guessing is the NB temp? So I have ordered a Crystal ORB. I looked at the board and the NB heatsink is puny and is mounted using two spring loaded plastic clips. How can I remove this without destroying the pin. Seems to me the easiest way to get it off is to clip the end off and the pin should come out. This would make this pin will become unusable. Is this the only way to do this? HELP.

 

[mastay]

Unless you have any actual reason, i.e. instability, don't bother removing the NB HSF. If you want to remove the NB heatsink, undo the clip. Make sure there is no glue type material holding NB and HSF together. It is fairly delicate work since I removed a HSF from my KT7-turbo with a lot of pain. So, avoided if you can.

 

[Jhhnn]

Not that your board really needs active cooling for the northbridge, but the way to get the plastic pins out is to remove the board from the chassis. From the backside, you'll see that they're barbed split pins. Squeeze the splits together with an appropriate tool, gently push the pins out the front side of the mobo. The sink may have thermal tape, thermal transfer compound or nothing between it and the chip. Reapply with electrically inert thermal compound if it had nothing, tape or the usual lousy job with the thermal goo. Or get a Zalman northbridge heatsink, they're a lot more reliable than any fan cooled unit. No noise, no moving parts, no need to ever replace it.

 

[P4spooky]

Thanks for the tips. Appreciate the help. Small weekend project while wife is running errands