"Then why can you take it out?"

[AFpheonix]

Heh heh heh.....
I thought my husband would like this story, but he'd already read it on the GS forums.

Good lord, what an idiot. Here's to hoping he'll do something stupid like complete a high voltage circuit with his body and remove himself from the gene pool.

[Shabo]

Sorry, I was under the impression that just the mobo was fried, not the CPU. ^^; However, your explanation is valid in either case. Thanks.

Chances are he ripped the CPU out of the mobo socket when removing the heatsink, probably produced some static discharge into the components because he didn't know he needed to ground himself, and ruined his CPU by bending the pins when he was trying to shove it back in the socket. That alone will cost him easily a few hundred dollars in parts and labor, and could take upwards of a week to be repaired. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to fix an idiot's mistake.

Oh, and here's the kicker: even if it still had a valid warranty before he did this, he voided the warranty by opening the case. So he's going to have to pay for EVERYTHING. That'll learn him!

For those of you who need some help following the techie jargon:


Here is your standard ATX motherboard:
Found Here


A side view of the heatsink is this:
Found Here

In between the CPU and heatsink is a substance that allows the heat to transfer better between the CPU and heatsink, known as thermal paste. Thermal paste is usually good for a few years, but should it dry out, it can act like a glue, thus adhering the CPU and heatsink. So, if that's what happened, and he tried to pry the heatsink off of the CPU, the CPU could have been pried off the motherboard as well.

Most older CPUs have pins (the new Intel Core 2 Duos don't, which is a big relief, but I digress) and look like this on the underside:
Found Here

A closeup of the CPU socket is here:
Found Here

Here is the device that is used to lock the CPU into place on the motherboard.
Found Here
The way it works is you rest the CPU on the socket (it only fits one way), then you use the little lever to lock it into place. It was done to (mostly) idiotproof the job.

So now you all know. And this guy is still a huge moron.

[MadRocketScientist]

but I've never heard of anyone taking out their processor!

I take my processors out all the time.

Of course, I KNOW what I am doing

[MystyGlyttyr]

M: I don't have it because I don't need to call them. Why did you take it out? It's a part that costs five to seven hundred dollars to replace and that's if they even make it any more.

C: *looks at me like I'm stupid* Then how come you can take it out?

"Sir, you CAN remove a human brain from the human. But, as you are very clearly demonstrating, one should NOT."

[Shengirl]

No...No, Shabo, I meant in the anecdote Tigress shared, not in the main story. I'm not that computer retarded. :-p

[jb17kx]

I knew there was a reason that I loved the Slot One design - from a tech perspective it's so simple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pentium_II_front.jpg

It didn't catch on though, probably becasue it was so easy for morons to damage with PCI and AGP slots.

[Lyrax]

C: *looks at me like I'm stupid* Then how come you can take it out?

My ideal response:
Because I know what I'm doing. Duh.

[Nekojin]

By the way, this:

Here is the device that is used to lock the CPU into place on the motherboard.

...is referred to as a ZIF socket (not to be confused with Ziff Davis Publishing). ZIF is short for "Zero Insertion Force," which means you literally line the processor up and drop it into place - you don't have to apply any pressure to put it in. Once it's in place, as Shabo said, you flip the lever down to keep it from moving and to complete the connection.

Now, a ZIF socket is only zero-force for insertion and removal if the lever is up. If you try to remove a CPU while the lever is locked down, you're likely to break pins and therefore destroy the CPU.

[XCashier]

"Sir, you CAN remove a human brain from the human. But, as you are very clearly demonstrating, one should NOT."

Now, why can't we think of those perfect zingers when we need them?!

[Andara Bledin]

I've changed out the CPU on my system a few times, now. Both previously when I upgraded my CPU, and then had to exchange it when the first one I got was non-functinoal, and then recently, when I got a CPU/motherboard combo pack when I did my most recent serious rebuild.

^-.-^

[Shabo]

No...No, Shabo, I meant in the anecdote Tigress shared, not in the main story. I'm not that computer retarded. :-p

No worries Shengirl, didn't think you were. I just wanted to give a point of reference to those who have never dared venture inside their computers before, so they could follow along with all the techie talk.

And thank you, Nekojin. I totally forgot that that socket had a name like that. It's been like 2 years since my computer hardware class.

[Soulstealer]

I'm not very knowledgeable with computers but a little voice in my head started screaming at the mention of bent pins. The funeral for my sanity will be held tomorrow. Who was supposed to bring the potato salad?

[Bluenomi]

Computer cases should come with child proof locks, like the ones on bottles of chemicals, that only children and smart people can open. Might stop really stupid people trying to open them and do some DIY with the insides of their computers. Won't stop them deciding the keyboard and mouse need a wash in the sink with lots of soapy water but might save something.

Of course nobody has invented a completely idiot proof lock yet so some will still get in...

[lordlundar]

Tigress, out of curiosity, how could replacing one part be more than replacing the entire unit? Labor? A mobo model you just can't easily find anymore? Or was more fried than just the board?

Odds are good that in the event of a situation like that where there's enough power going to create scorch marks on a solid connection, the mobo is not the only thing fried. With that much juice, I'd be surprised if even the drives made it out alive.

So not only would he be looking at replacement parts for everything but the case (and if the case had something to do with it, then there's that as well) but also for someone to effectively build it again.

[Dreamstalker]

Tigress, out of curiosity, how could replacing one part be more than replacing the entire unit? Labor? A mobo model you just can't easily find anymore? Or was more fried than just the board?

OEMs tend to use strange parts (such as miniATX mobos that are just a hair off spec from real miniATX, various bizarre connectors, and leads that on first glance work, but when you try to give a OEM computer a new case the front panel leads don't match up at all).

Computer cases should come with child proof locks, like the ones on bottles of chemicals, that only children and smart people can open. Might stop really stupid people trying to open them and do some DIY with the insides of their computers.

Biometric lock keyed to only a few techs? Or might that be seen by some SCs as a monopoly type of thing? I got it, some type of test (similar to the A+ general exam) before a user can add their print/retina scan/etc to the list of approved people.