What to do When pins are bent on the CPU or CPU Socket?

Realizing that one or more of your motherboard socket or CPU pins are bent can be a heart-stopping moment. Not only is it isn’t easy to fix the bent pins on the motherboard, but also there is the risk of damaging your motherboard and CPU during the fixing process.

Since the CPU and motherboard is important as well as expensive part of computer, this post will discuss what things you can do safely on your own when your motherboard socket or CPU pins are bent so that you can install the processor while preventing damage to the surrounding pins.

What to do When Your Motherboard Socket and CPU Pins are Bent

First of all, to manufacturer support!

If you have bent CPU or motherboard socket pins, the first thing to see is if it’s covered under your manufacturer’s warranty; if it is, call up your motherboard or CPU manufacturer and ask for their help. Since it’s challenging to put back a pin by yourself, it might worsen things.

If they determine that the bent pins are due to a faulty product, they will usually replace them for free or will fix bent pins for free for a few months after purchase.

In addition, you can go to a local computer repair shop, but this may be more expensive in the long term. Unless the technician has experience with the bent pins on the motherboard, they could damage your motherboard or CPU further while trying to fix it. So, make sure they have expertise before entrusting them with your equipment.

But if your device is no longer under warranty or you have another reason for wanting to fix it yourself, there are a few things you can try. Fortunately, I succeeded, but you may try to fix it, so whatever happens, it is your accountability.

Things to do Fix the Bent Pins on the Motherboard or the CPU.

In any case, the first thing you will have to do before handling any of the two elements is to completely disconnect the motherboard from the power supply of computer, separate the CPU from its socket, as well as remove and clear the thermal paste if applied.

Place it on a suitable flat surface, such as a table, to clear it off objects so that nothing interferes and provide good lighting for the place. You must do all this by making sure you do not have static electricity in your hands; for this, it is recommended that you put on latex gloves or something similar and not touch the CPU contexts with your fingers.

Identify the Right Pin that Bent…

The pin is so thin that you’ll need either a magnifying glass or to use your smartphone camera on high zoom to find the right one.

Looking at the bent pins, you’ll notice that parts glow differently than the surroundings. Magnify that area with a magnifying glass or a camera to see which side the pin is lying on.

If there are too many fallen down, it may be better to give up because it is often impossible to return them tidily. However, if there are only a few, then you can try fixing them yourself:

While proceeding with the alignment of the pin, you should carefully examine the socket using a magnifying glass. In this way, all crooked pins can be identified.

Option 1. Use a thin plastic card (When Pins Aren’t too Much Bent)

The easiest way to straighten the pins is to use any thin and flexible plastic card like an ATM, credit, or business card, which should precisely enter between the rows of pins without pressing on them.

When a suitable plastic card is found, place it in the row where the pin is folded and press it in the direction where you want to put it. Be very careful not to apply too much force.

Once this is done in the rows, you will also have to do it in the columns; repeat the process until you see the processor with all the pins perfectly aligned.

Do this to each bent pin, levering it to straighten it. But always very carefully. The ultimate goal is for the pin to be the same as the other teammates around it.

The advantage of this method is that it is very unlikely that you will damage anything. It’s still worth trying before moving on to more difficult methods.

Option 2. Use a mechanical type pencil to align bent pins (When Pins Aren’t too Much Bent)

For this task, you’ll need a mechanical pencil in which a thin graphite rod extends from a metal tube. The diameter of such a hole should be approximately comparable to the diameter of the pin, which could be about 0.5-0.7 mm.

Naturally, remove the lead from the pencil and then carefully put the pencil on the bent pin from the side where the Bent is visible. Gently push the metal tube towards the motherboard so that the bent pin takes its original shape as much as possible.

You will probably have to do this several times if the pin is too bent before seeing any results. At the same time, it is crucial to be careful and, while straightening the bent pin, do not force and hook the contacts next to it with a pencil. It is desirable to find just such a pencil, the lead tube protruding significantly from the body.

Option 3. Thin tweezers (When Pins Aren’t too Much Bent)

To fully reveal the topic of aligning a bent processor pin, it is necessary to describe another effective method using thin tweezers. If the pin isn’t severely bent and stands out slightly from the socket, then you can try to align it with slim tweezers.

Gently hold the bent leg with tweezers and smoothly straighten it to its original position. To make contact perfectly even, you can use the same credit card or, if not, a mechanical pencil.

Option 4. Set a pin with a flathead screwdriver (When Pins Are Bent Much)

It sounds easy to say, but in reality, it can’t be done without accuracy in millimeters, so it requires a little care, so let’s be careful and don’t rush.

With this method, a small flathead screwdriver is needed; place its tip on top of the bent pin, and press gently until it is aligned with the others. Always be careful not to put too much pressure; if you bend it too much, it will break easily.

Option 5. Sewing needle to align bent pins (When Pins Are Bent Much)

If the pin is bent so far as lying flat, you will need a regular but thinner sewing needle to start straightening it.

Now, something you should be very clear about when doing this procedure. When a pin is bent, the metal it is made of becomes considerably weaker. This means that there is a good chance that when you straighten it, the pin will break.

To straighten it with the sewing needle, insert the tip of the needle between the bent pin and the base of the processor. Then, raise the needle little by little until it straightens out a bit.

When the position of the bent contact is more or less straightened, the situation becomes ideal, using the first or second option. The difference between this option and the above is that you can even bend the pin, which is very strongly bent.

Check if it’s fixed properly..

After you have chosen and applied the method that suits you best, and once the pins are straight, it is time to check if the bent pin is in place.

To verify is everything is working, reinstall the processor back into the socket and see if it boots. It’s better to install Windows to check the operation exactly. Still, it’s troublesome, so if Bios (UEFI) starts up or POST test pass, it’s almost OK, and then enter the BIOS to see if the CPU and Memory are correctly recognized.

If everything works correctly, great. It may happen when starting up some features of the processor that no longer work, such as the dual channel of the green colored circuit board. In this case, it is up to you to decide if it is worth changing the processor for a new one or not.

While in the case of bent pins on the motherboard (on CPU socket) still cannot be aligned at all, the computer function won’t be work, then you will have to replace the motherboard with a new mobo with compatible CPU.

Of course, this is not an ideal solution since it means buying a whole new motherboard when all you need is just a few bent pins. However, the only remaining option to try is to send it to a computer service center.

FAQs

What should I do if I get a new motherboard with bent pins or a CPU with bent pins?

If you ever notice that a motherboard has come with bent pins in the CPU socket or a bent pin processor right out of the box, don’t hesitate to return it and speak to customer service. Always inspect your purchase carefully before taking it home.

What cause the pins to bend?

When attempting to install the processor in the wrong position, it is more likely to cause deformation of the pins on the motherboard chip socket or the processor itself, making it difficult to properly install the processor.

Is it difficult to align the bent pins?

Aligning the socket pins in an original shape is not difficult, but the procedure requires accuracy and care since the contacts are easy to break.

Can you touch the pins on the motherboard or processor? Is it safe?

One should never press on them with your fingers, which could damage the socket fixing mechanism, especially if the LGA sockets, they are extremely thin and gold plated, so they could break very easily.

In my case, it was fixed well, but the success rate is “lucky if it is fixed.” Instead of fixing it yourself, it’s best to rely on the manufacturer’s support first.

Optionally, if you want to share your experience of fixing bent pins on motherboard or CPU, please leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you.