Bent Pins

[time]

Had a bit of a shock today - returned an MSI Mini-ITX motherboard that wouldn't boot with RAM in slot 1 of 2. Supplier popped off the CPU cooler and removed the CPU, to reveal TWO BENT PINS!!!

The thing is, they were several millimeters apart and nowhere near any edge. HTF can you bend 2 isolated pins among 1151 by indirectly pressing down with a 40x50mm flat object with 1151 flat contacts?

I promise you that I did not touch the socket with anything other than the CPU, and that was placed ever so gently to align the notches.

At least 3 staff at the supplier admitted that they had experienced bent pins on installations they had done themselves. At the same time as explaining that MSI would have to evaluate the "damage" and get back to me in 3 weeks.

Simple mechanics tells me you can't bend only a couple of random pins with a flat object - unless there is either a structural problem or the pins are already partially bent.

My mind doesn't just boggle, it screams SCAM!

 

[CougTek]

That's the kind of crap that made me quit selling computers years ago. There's no margin in that market anymore so suppliers, most often soul-less chineses and arabs around here, try to rip off resellers buying stuff from them and provide very poor RMA services.

In the future, always check the pins before placing the CPU, just in case. Maybe the pins were already bent when you placed the processor. Or maybe there never was any bent pin and you're just being lied to.

 

[Mercutio]

I bent a few pins on an LGA1366 board some time ago, but I was aware that I did it, saw the impacted pins and was able to bend them back.
This sounds like a scam to me as well.

 

[mubs]

My motherboard is an Asus P8Z77-V. During research before buying, it was clear that many of these shipped with a few bent pins. I bought mine, inspected it closely, and sure enough there were a few bent ones. I had to take it to the outfit doing RMAs for Asus in that town; they admitted it was a common problem, and instead of a replacement board, could they straighten the pins? I agreed, provided they would stick a CPU in there, boot it and make sure everything was ok. This they did, and it's been running without problems since ~ late 2012. I've got all 4 DIMM sockets populated. CPU is an i5.

This was a lesson for me; I'm going to make darn sure to do a thorough visual before installing the MB in the case and putting CPU / RAM / connectors on it. You need a good flashlight and good vision to do a thorough job.

 

[ddrueding]

So glad I don't deal with local re-sellers anymore. Some are good, some aren't, finding out isn't worth it.

 

[Stereodude]

You can also bend pins if you don't place the CPU in the socket carefully.

 

[mubs]

The problem is when the manufacturer does it for you.

 

[sechs]

Why did Intel switch to LGA and AMD stuck with PGA?

Motherboard manufacturers are really far more likely to screw up pins that the processor manufacturer

 

[Chewy509]

Why did Intel switch to LGA and AMD stuck with PGA?

Easy, it moves the issue to become someone else's problem. ergo reduce support costs, therefore increase profits.

 

[time]

You can also bend pins if you don't place the CPU in the socket carefully.

How, exactly? Wouldn't you have to drop it on a corner a couple of times to bend two non-adjacent pins?

 

[sechs]

Easy, it moves the issue to become someone else's problem. ergo reduce support costs, therefore increase profits.

That honestly seems like a reason that AMD should also switch.

The upcoming socket AM4 will also be PGA.