Removing an Athlon 64 processor from the socket

[PascalT]

About to pack up my stuff and head back home to Canada, so I got a long plane trip to go, and of course I will carry my desktop with me. Last time I removed my processor from the socket it was totally stuck to the heatsink (Arctic Silver) and I had to force so hard to remove it that I was sure i had ruined it.

Should I leave it there this time and carry it like that? or is forcing like that safe?

Should I also clean the chip/heatsink and re-apply Arctic Silver on it?

thanks for any tips.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Try to remove the whole thing from the socket before taking off the HS. I don't know if you would be able to get to the lock lever under the HS, but if you can, just ease it up and out, and twist the processor off the bottom of the HS nice and easy-like. Don't force things though!

 

[swtethan]

care to explain why you remove your cpu if youre going to carry your stuff with you?

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Originally posted by: swtethan
care to explain why you remove your cpu if youre going to carry your stuff with you?

If he has a really heavy heatsink I could see it being important.

 

[UsandThem]

Originally posted by: PascalT
About to pack up my stuff and head back home to Canada, so I got a long plane trip to go, and of course I will carry my desktop with me. Last time I removed my processor from the socket it was totally stuck to the heatsink (Arctic Silver) and I had to force so hard to remove it that I was sure i had ruined it.

Should I leave it there this time and carry it like that? or is forcing like that safe?

Should I also clean the chip/heatsink and re-apply Arctic Silver on it?

thanks for any tips.

If it is a light heatsink (like the stock one that comes with it) leave it on.

If is a heavy one like a Zalman, take the heatsink off. You can leave the CPU in the socket, it doesn't need to come out (less chance of bending your pins).

To remove your heatsink when it is stuck because of the thermal paste:

1. Play games or do something to get your CPU to get warm. Thermal paste gets softer when warm.

2. With a twisting motion, twist the heatsink in a circular motion back and forth (just a little each way at first). Once you feel it start to come lose, you can twist it further until you can easily remove it.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Run Prime95 for an hour. Open your PC quickly and remove the Fan. The rest should be obvious.

 

[TheTeacher]

Just to make sure... You mean when the computer is still running Prime95 right? LOL

 

[m21s]

Originally posted by: TheTeacher
Just to make sure... You mean when the computer is still running Prime95 right? LOL

Yes, run prime to heat up your processor, which in turn should help loosen your heatsink.
Open PC quickly and try to remove. (once you power off the PC)

 

[TheTeacher]

I know. I was making a joke. Removing the heatsink after running prime95 for an hour, while still running prime95 would have incredible results. I think it could pop.

LOL

 

[PascalT]

yea it's the retail HSF so i think leaving the whole thing on might be good? I'll be carrying it in my carry-on bag to keep it close to me.. I'll remove the fan only, it's safer that way.

thanks for the tips.

 

[mancunian]

Originally posted by: PascalT
yea it's the retail HSF so i think leaving the whole thing on might be good? I'll be carrying it in my carry-on bag to keep it close to me.. I'll remove the fan only, it's safer that way.

thanks for the tips.

Remove just the fan? The fan is very light, no point in that.

If you're concerned, just remove the entire heatsink. It's very easy with a stock cooler for an A64.

 

[PascalT]

true.

well i think i'll just put the whole motherboard in my carry-on bag and keep it with me the whole way. safer that way and the heatsink wont do any damage with it being flat and not vertically placed.