Expensive mistake / lesson, due to stock AMD thermal compound

[Vonplaf]

So this was an expensive learning experience..
Got new motherboard, CPU, cooler, RAM, PSU to upgrade my old rig.

So to start i set everything up on the table before fitting it all into my case and also to test if everything was working.
Installed the motherboard with the CPU, RAM, PSU and i oped to  use the stock AMD Wraith cooler while testing on the table.
And everything worked... no problem there.!!  Now i had to take the stock AMD Wraith cooler off so i could fit it all in my case with the AIO cooler there.
So i released the coolers locking taps and so on, but when i tried to remove the stock AMD cooler it felt like something was still stuck to the motherboard.

I kept working slowly and carfully trying to release the stock AMD cooler and POOF!! it was off ......... and so was the CPU, it was stuck to the stock AMD cooler, and several pins where bend.  *BEEP* *BEEPING* *BEEP* 

so after yelling a shit ton and breathing exercises, i locate an scalpel and some very fine tweezers and sat down to try and correct the damage.

*BEEP*  and one freaking PIN at the corner broke completely off the rest i got corrected.
Brand new AMD Ryzen 7 2700X CPU DEAD as a Dodo.!!  All because i did not take the time to remove AMD stock thermal compound from their stock cooler as it will kinda be like thermal compound glue... *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* 

Sooooo  digging deep in my pockets i went to a local store that had a AMD Ryzen 7 2700X in stock and got them to match the price from where i got the first one 1600DKK / approx 235 USD ... and now my new rig is running...

expensive lesson learned...  DON'T USE STOCK AMD thermal compound your CPU will almost be glued to you cooler...
And not likely that AMD or the store i got the CPU at is gonna provide warranty on the CPU that i killed due to the thermal glue sorry thermal compound. 


OHH and on a side note... the NZXT Kraken M22 AIO has a mounting plate that goes on the back of the motherboard... soooo  if your using an Asus ROG Strix B450-i Gaming motherboard that plate wont fit correctly, due to the taps it has for Intel mounting hole and they will on one side of the CPU rest on the soldering spots for you bottom RAM socket and a small chip. this will result in you motherboard not posting when both RAM sockets are populated.
but its fixed by snipping those taps off for the Intel mounting hold on the mounting plate for the Kraken M22..

Again more lessons learned, even as i have been doing this stuff for over 20 years now.

BUT YAY!!!!!! my new rig is running, but *BEEP* *BEEPING* *BEEP* i am beat...

 

Picture... the last pin on the outer row is gone!!! 

[apebanan]

This has been a problem with AMD cpus for years, even happened to me with the FM2 Athlons, but i got lucky 

[Vonplaf]

8 minutes ago, apebanan said:

This has been a problem with AMD cpus for years, even happened to me with the FM2 Athlons, but i got lucky 

YEP i know.... i just wasn't thinking..  I SHOULD have removed the stock thermal compound... and put on something good.
But was just not thinking and wanted to test it all before putting it all together.. DOH!!!

[apebanan]

Just now, Vonplaf said:

YEP i know.... i just wasn't thinking..  I SHOULD have removed the stock thermal compound... and put on something good.
But was just not thinking and wanted to test it all before putting it all together.. DOH!!!

This has happened to me with other compounds too, its just the socket thats the problem 

[Teddy07]

AMDs pin design is such a failure

[Guest]

You should try to remove the cooler when it's hot, the thermal paste wouldn't be as sticky. Also you might be able to RMA the CPU without paying for it twice.

[Vonplaf]

1 minute ago, Darpyface said:

You should try to remove the cooler when it's hot, the thermal paste wouldn't be as sticky. Also you might be able to RMA the CPU without paying for it twice.

Already got a new CPU ... went out a bought a new one... will be eating pasta and ketchup the rest of the year!!!
have send AMD a message but i am not getting my hopes up.. the store here in Denmark wont do anything, have asked them.  

[vanished]

57 minutes ago, apebanan said:

This has been a problem with AMD cpus for years, even happened to me with the FM2 Athlons, but i got lucky 

Yeah I've seen this before.  It's honestly unbelievable that this is still an issue, it's a serious problem that needs to be fixed.  Makes them look like a joke

[Vonplaf]

10 hours ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Yeah I've seen this before.  It's honestly unbelievable that this is still an issue, it's a serious problem that needs to be fixed.  Makes them look like a joke

Agreed... 

One of the reasons i got an AMD CPU this time was the cost, normally it would have been and Intel CPU but here in Denmark it cost double that of an AMD CPU ... well guess I did not save any money this time by going with AMD..... 

[porina]

11 hours ago, Darpyface said:

You should try to remove the cooler when it's hot, the thermal paste wouldn't be as sticky. 

This trick helps a lot. Run a load before shutting down a system for CPU change. Also try to gently twist the cooler as you remove it. It doesn't matter much which paste you use as they all do this. The only other alternative is a graphite pad. No suction with those, although temps will probably be a little worse than a good compound (it was when I tried it on a 3600).

[1van]

11 hours ago, Vonplaf said:

YEP i know.... i just wasn't thinking..  I SHOULD have removed the stock thermal compound... and put on something good.
But was just not thinking and wanted to test it all before putting it all together.. DOH!!!

The problem is not with the stock thermal compound. Many aftermarket compounds get very stiff when cold.

 

As several people replied already, you should have removed the heatsink when it is warm (a short stress test would do), and not by pulling up, but by twisting/sliding first.

 

It's always easy to blame hardware for your own mistakes.

[Dehaka]

i did my 2600 couple days ago, screwed fan installation and had to remove it, felt it was quite glued too but i slid the fan over the cpu a few times and it came off. i think u shouldnt of pulled directly, first create some air bubbles by sliding it left and right. never apply too much force on electronics, if it wont come off maybe get a very sharp blade and stick it in between the fan and cpu.

[Vonplaf]

YES there are a lot of things i "should have done" and I know them all...
BUT i did not, forgot all about it..  and like i said previously it was a personal expensive lessons in remember what to do... and not to do

[WereCatf]

Personally, I always just spin the cooler around until the paste loosens and the cooler comes off easily. I mean, there's always some room to wiggle the cooler around in, so why not use it?

[Brent744]

Every time I remove a cooler on an AMD system the chip always comes with it. Luckily I've yet to permanently damage anything.

[vanished]

9 hours ago, Vonplaf said:

Agreed... 

One of the reasons i got an AMD CPU this time was the cost, normally it would have been and Intel CPU but here in Denmark it cost double that of an AMD CPU ... well guess I did not save any money this time by going with AMD..... 

Oh, don't get me wrong, they are far and away the obviously correct choice at the moment, it's just that this issue is rather embarrassing and unacceptable regardless.

[ShadowChaser]

Pretty sure every single pga socketted chip I've had my luck of using has had this issue - the clamping force on the cpu is tiny compared to that of an lga chip. I've learned to have a razor handy when doing repasting or cooler swapping

The twisting method is great, as is having hot paste, and when I remove a cooler I put pressure on one side while lifting up the other to ensure the cpu stays in the socket. Not possible on older chips without an ihs but for modern AMD cpus that's the best way I've come up with.

[Deli]

23 hours ago, Vonplaf said:

YEP i know.... i just wasn't thinking..  I SHOULD have removed the stock thermal compound... and put on something good.
But was just not thinking and wanted to test it all before putting it all together.. DOH!!!

It isn't just the AMD thermal compound. Others will have the same problem.

 

Twist the cooler until it 's loose before removing it.

[nicksv]

Let the computer run for a bit, need to heat up the cpu/heatsink before removing the cooler. maybe even let it run a bit without cpu fan, just to get it proper hot before removing. Less risk of the paste sticking.

[Vonplaf]

YAY!!! update in the case...

 

The shop here in Denmark will try and push AMD to RMA the CPU at the same time the talk i have had with AMD support... they have approved they will RMA the CPU 

So now the shop will ship the CPU to AMD and the shop also thinks that AMD will either refund or send me a new CPU..
So in any case at the moment it looking good.

SO if you have had this happen to you I can recommend spamming AMD customer service   

[Bravo1cc]

On 11/10/2019 at 11:29 AM, Vonplaf said:

YES there are a lot of things i "should have done" and I know them all...
BUT i did not, forgot all about it..  and like i said previously it was a personal expensive lessons in remember what to do... and not to do

These things happen, i think DIY builds always have the potential to go wrong, i do thing the AMD paste is crap and have never used it once. Personally i would have unhinged the socket retention leaver and been ready to support the CPU. Its not a great solution but its something, i think AMD have failed on their part to not include instructions in that box for removal.

[Vonplaf]

UPDATE:
Freaking AWESOME!!!  the shop that i bought the the CPU from have handled the RMA case with AMD and have issued a full refund.

WHAT are the freaking odds of getting this kind of good news on a Monday morning..

[LeeCope3]

15 hours ago, Vonplaf said:

UPDATE:
Freaking AWESOME!!!  the shop that i bought the the CPU from have handled the RMA case with AMD and have issued a full refund.

WHAT are the freaking odds of getting this kind of good news on a Monday morning..

You have done well Concidering you caused it all yourself. 20 years experience and you manage to snap pins off a cpu. Gotta be pretty heavy handed to bend them let alone snap them off. The stock paste has been good enough for thousands if not millions of people for years and years. Even if the cpu comes out with the heat sink you should not be bending pins. 

[Vonplaf]

On 11/19/2019 at 12:31 AM, LeeCope3 said:

You have done well Concidering you caused it all yourself. 20 years experience and you manage to snap pins off a cpu. Gotta be pretty heavy handed to bend them let alone snap them off. The stock paste has been good enough for thousands if not millions of people for years and years. Even if the cpu comes out with the heat sink you should not be bending pins. 

The pin that broke off what when i tried to correct the bend pins and it was one pin.

[BruceWayneofLosSanto]

Same thing happened to me with my 2600.  I made the mistake of letting the system cool down to room temperature, I had to put it in the oven@60c to heat it up enough to remove the heatsink it comes off pretty easy when it's warm.  Best way to heat it up is to just boot up without the cpu fan plugged in and wait till your idle temps are 60c+, this makes sure the heatsink itself is quiet warm too so you have longer before it cools again.