Socket AM4 repair?

[Bitter]

I see a fair number of AM4 boards being sold cheaply because the socket cover/lever arm/both are broken. How easily repaired is this?

[Zando_]

Not easily unless you have a way to recreate the plastic plate with all the holes that goes over the exposed contacts and then find a way to attach it to the board securely. 

[Bitter]

1 hour ago, Zando Bob said:

Not easily unless you have a way to recreate the plastic plate with all the holes that goes over the exposed contacts and then find a way to attach it to the board securely. 

I would buy a replacement socket and try to transfer over the broken parts. Having never done that myself, is it similar/same as AM3? There's a few youtube videos on AM3. The socket itself is about $8-15 shipped from over-seas though I might be able to find a faster shipped USA stocked seller if I look harder. Not every board is THAT damaged but that one had the clearest photos.

[Zando_]

2 minutes ago, Bitter said:

I would buy a replacement socket and try to transfer over the broken parts. Having never done that myself, is it similar/same as AM3? There's a few youtube videos on AM3. The socket itself is about $8-15 shipped from over-seas though I might be able to find a faster shipped USA stocked seller if I look harder. Not every board is THAT damaged but that one had the clearest photos.

What's the procedure for AM3? I'd assume it's similar here. Also, you're assuming the socket is the only issue the board has. How did the socket get damaged, could the rest of the board be broken as well? Most damaged board I've gotten was my current X99 Micro2, it had very, very slightly bent pins and was confirmed to POST as well. 

[Bitter]

If it's really cheap it's probably worth the gamble. Can you insert and boot an AM4 CPU without the top socket cover?

[Bitter]

Anyone else have any knowledge on this? I'm trying to score some deals for myself and my friend, she's still using a Pentium E2140 system I built her like 13 years ago and obviously having some issues with some games and I'm on Haswell.

[Mark Kaine]

Honestly it looks like it could be easily replaced if you have the right parts. 

But I'm also wondering how it'd even break like that in the first place and if there aren't any other issues with those boards...

 

It's a gamble for sure! 

[Bitter]

I think it can happen when the CPU is pulled from the CPU socket while it's still latched or the lever gets swung too far backward maybe? I'm not sure but it seems to be a fairly common broken part. I think I might see if one of the boards I'm watching stays reasonable and roll the dice, I'll also need to pickup an AM4 CPU. What's the cheapest CPU that's going to be compatible with X470, B450, etc boards? Used is fine.

[Mark Kaine]

10 hours ago, Bitter said:

I think it can happen when the CPU is pulled from the CPU socket while it's still latched or the lever gets swung too far backward maybe? I'm not sure but it seems to be a fairly common broken part. I think I might see if one of the boards I'm watching stays reasonable and roll the dice, I'll also need to pickup an AM4 CPU. What's the cheapest CPU that's going to be compatible with X470, B450, etc boards? Used is fine.

Hmm yeah I see,  I definitely think it's worth a try! 

 

As for CPUs you mean for testing or for actually using them?  I think Ryzen 3 2200G should be really cheap by now and kinda ok actually, on the even lower end Athlon 200GE should also be compatible for example. 

 

 

[Bitter]

4 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

Hmm yeah I see,  I definitely think it's worth a try! 

 

As for CPUs you mean for testing or for actually using them?  I think Ryzen 3 2200G should be really cheap by now and kinda ok actually, on the even lower end Athlon 200GE should also be compatible for example. 

 

 

I meant to edit my post last night, a used Athlon X4 940 or 950 is the cheapest and most compatible CPU I can get, they go for around $35 and should work in ANY AM4 board upto the x470 at least, not sure on the x570 yet. I'll go for a half price snipe on the board I'm interested in which would be a good deal at $75 if I can get it to work for her it would cut her cost quite a bit to extend her budget toward other components like a little more for a better PSU or maybe some new fans. If I find out the sockets are easily repaired like that then I may also build my dad a Ryzen PC instead of the Haswell SFF HP I'm juicing up for him now.

[Bitter]

15 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

Hmm yeah I see,  I definitely think it's worth a try! 

 

As for CPUs you mean for testing or for actually using them?  I think Ryzen 3 2200G should be really cheap by now and kinda ok actually, on the even lower end Athlon 200GE should also be compatible for example. 

 

 

I won the board for $70 shipped, ordered a pair of sockets from China and an A6 9500E from China, it's on the compatibility list and it's 35W TDP with no turbo and only 2 cores/2 threads so I can literally just set a heat sink on top of it with no mounting pressure and it'll be fine to test and install OS's and what not. I think this super budget build is rolling along finally! Once I get the board up and working I'll get the proper CPU for it, a 2600 or a 2700 likely as the gap in price is not huge. I'd love a 3700 but I think I'd stick with X570 for the 3000 series CPU and I'm not quite there yet to spend $150 on an only kind of decent budget board or $200+ on a good one. Anything will make my RX580 the bottleneck though...not that I game much, that might change with a more competent PC but currently I'd like to have something to do video editing a little faster.

[MrPP_DE_ONE]

Do you have a follow up about that board, did it work?

Im about to do the same thing for my system.

[Bitter]

34 minutes ago, MrPP_DE_ONE said:

Do you have a follow up about that board, did it work?

Im about to do the same thing for my system.

I think so, I can't remember what board that was but I'm using an Asus right now I replaced a socket top on and built my friend a new PC with the same repair. There's two brands of sockets, Lotes and Foxconn, parts are not compatible between them and guess where the branding is? Yeah on the socket top at the end with the lever. So if you can't tell, order both brands of sockets and you'll figure it out by looking at them. I did not try to socket and boot without the top installed on either board I repaired.

 

Not sure why the pictures are broken, one loaded earlier...if its' the B450 Steel Legend then that one didn't ever work and I'm kind of sad because it was a cool board.