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Broken cpu pin and fix

Soldato
Joined
24 Jul 2006
Posts
8,876
Location
Hoddesdon, London, UK
Got a 3Ghz Prescott 478 cpu for free from work as my workmate broke a pin off whilst taking it out of the package, dunno how! CPU did'nt post sadly so he wrote it off and did'nt even bother to try to get it replaced or anything, just left it in the draw in a cpu box. Its prolly been there for about 5 months until a week ago we were clearing out and i found it, queried about it and he told me it was a day i was off work, they got a celeron instead on the cheap to replace it, this replaced a stolen NW 2.8 that some kids in the 6th form (we assume) stole from the PC in question. Carried it home and same result, won't post, so i looked at the missing pin, luckily it was an end pin so relatively easy to find in the 478 socket, broke a pin off a dead Wiliamette 1.7, making sure i broke it far enough so that i got it right to the tip with some solder on it, stuck it in the socket with tweezers where the missing pin would go and fired it up, result :D CPU is priming away at 3.7GHz stock volts so far 20hrs :)
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
10 Sep 2006
Posts
400
I've read that you can lose a few pins on some processors and they will still function fully.

Obviously there are certain pins that are critical and if they break then your stuffed.

I have no idea how many\which ones. Just that a few people have reported losing 2-3 pins and the cpu working\overclocking as normal.

I pretty sure that some pins on a cpu are purely for mainting a good electrical signal with the motherboard
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Apr 2004
Posts
5,548
Location
Doncaster, S.Yorks
i broke a couple of pins on my 3500, not a big deal, went and bought the thinnest soldering tip, put a tiny bit of solder down, mini needle nose pliers with pin and put them in, bent them so they all lined up and put it in and it worked....wouldnt work without the 2....so it can be done
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Apr 2004
Posts
5,548
Location
Doncaster, S.Yorks
basically need to be very carefull with the solder and make sure you dont put way too much so it makes a bridge with other pins around, make sure theres not too much making a bubble, and just enough to hold the pin...easy as pie with 5 years soldering..albeit not on things this small :D
 
Associate
Joined
8 Apr 2004
Posts
1,104
Location
Romsey/Hampshire
ernysmuntz said:
I've read that you can lose a few pins on some processors and they will still function fully.

Obviously there are certain pins that are critical and if they break then your stuffed.

I have no idea how many\which ones. Just that a few people have reported losing 2-3 pins and the cpu working\overclocking as normal.

I pretty sure that some pins on a cpu are purely for mainting a good electrical signal with the motherboard

IC will have a great number of power (VCC - Supply Voltage) and ground pins to distribute the supply voltage and decoupling around the chip. If your have the gods on your side, you indeed could get away with broken pins and still have fully functional chip.. operatrion and stability will depend on the motherboard quality.
 
Associate
Joined
16 May 2005
Posts
323
I saw a remedy once, don't remember where, whereby you insert a length of pin sized wire into the appropriate hole in the socket. Then cut it off to just touch the chip with slight pressure when it's inserted (a bit of trial and error here). Push the CPU down when closing the retaining lever and the HSF clamps will do the rest! ;)
 
Soldato
Joined
8 Jun 2003
Posts
4,961
Location
NBO
Bent the inner row pins on a 3000+. Nearly hypnotized myself trying to straighten them out :( Would be good if there was a company that can fix this for you & also the pins on an IDE hard disk :)
 
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