Any hints for removing cpu from heatsink?

Im having some problems with a dell server, I got it in the post and when I turned it on I get the error *processor or vmu mismatch*

Thinking that the cpu had taken a knock in the post I took the 1st one out, it came out with no effort even though the arm was down on the socket and the heatsink was still attached. Aha methinks must have been well loose.

Now my problem is I cant get it back into the socket, as the heatink blocks access to the arm, and the cpu (P4 Xeon) is stuck to the heatsink via the thermal pad I've tried screw drivers and sharp knives but I just cant get in there to prize them apart... I've tried pulling but tbh it dosent seem to be very effective and its also very scary doin that to a xeon



Any hints would be appreciated

Thanks

 

sealed anti-static bag + freezer.

 

Good idea! Have to go clear some space in the freezer tho... agh scary, putting a xeon in the freezer wouldnt care if it was a single amd or p4, but one of a matched pair of xeons.. eeeeek

Thanks for the suggestion

 

Heat up heatsink with a blow dryer and gently (Gloves?) twist the CPU free of the heat sink. Careful with the heat but you want to soften the phase change thermal interface material. Use a twisting motion to shear the bond, not a pull off motion. Best of luck.

 

Its in the freezer now so I'll try the cold 1st and the heat 2nd

Thanks, another good idea

 

Ive also found that a very thin wire will also do the trick. The type that are on cheese slicers.

 

I don't have any cheese wire damn shame because that seems like the least risky idea so far, I will remember that for the future

Nice one

 

So did this heatsink mistakenly come with epoxy on it, or did you put it on yourself, or was the thermal goop just ridiculously sticky? At work we had a batch of heatsinks that had what closely resembled epoxy on them, we had to get rid of a load of P4s because the only way to get them off was to lose the heatspreader

Anyway, the freezer is the best way to get epoxy to loosen up, if it's epoxy (rather than normal goop) all the heat is likely to do is set it even more, but if it's not then the heat will probably work best. If you're just looking to prise the thing off, the best tool I've found is a wallpaper stripper - very strong and thin enough to work into the cracks

 

Couldnt tell you m8, looks like the original thermal pad. I sure as hell didnt do it Probably a dell way of makeing you stay out of there systems I don't think I have a wall paper stripper that will fit in that gap, I like the cheese wire idea if it comes down to it. I'll try the freezer and heat 1st...

 

Well after i few hours in the freezer and a good hard twist it came off
Not only that but reseating the cpu sorted the cpu mismatch problem
Now just a few more things to sort out... but thats it for tonight

Thanks to you all

 

the freezer system for 10-20 min is better solution or install a fun on.

 

Glad it worked out for you. Now I know several ways to get heat sinks off.