It's never, ever like the manual

[RightSide]

After 2 1/2 years of faithful service, the heat sink in my computer started to fail (fan noisy, temperatures rising) and needed to be replaced.  So I got a replacement heat sink and prepared to install it this past Saturday.

I'd read the instruction manual that came with it, as well as the manual that came with my motherboard.  Replacing the heatsink looked like a straightforward job.  And the heat sink only cost about $45, so the job looked inexpensive too.

Well, it wasn't either straightforward or inexpensive.

Even though I was being careful and gentle, when I started removing the old heat sink, the CPU remained stuck to the bottom of it.  (When they call that stuff "thermal paste," they're not kidding.)  When I lifted the heat sink, it pulled the CPU right out of its motherboard socket despite being locked in place there.  Old thermal paste (which is nonconductive) oozed onto the CPU pins.  I couldn't think of any way to get it off.  That was the end of the CPU--and my only means to access the Internet.

Now how to order a replacement CPU?  Newegg.com and Amazon.com won't take telephone orders.  TigerDirect.com does, but I had to pay more than Newegg or Amazon charges. That set me back $150.  And I had to wait for it to be shipped and delivered.

So I only got everything back together about five hours ago--and a job that should have gone quickly and cheaply cost me $200 and 4 days to complete.

Just out of curiosity, I phoned Best Buy and talked with their "Geek Squad" about how this had gone so wrong.  They told me that thermal paste (used to affix the heat sink to the CPU for a heat-conductive bond) can dry out after a couple of years of continuous use of the computer, making it more likely that the CPU will stick to the heat sink and be difficult to pull apart.  They suggested that I reapply fresh thermal paste every year.

None of the manuals I read had mentioned that little fact.

[MooseMom]

I have never heard of  "heat sink".

I have heard the term "motherboard", but I don't know what it is.

I don't know what "CPU" means.

I've never heard of "thermal paste".

 

[cattlekid]

Wow.  I can't believe that the Geek Squad even knew what thermal paste was, much less suggested that it be freshened every year.  But then again, it's been so long since I stuck my hands inside a computer.  I built one back in the mid 90's but that was it.  Now, I take the cheap and easy route.

[sullidog]

It's a good idea every year to also open up the tower and clean and blow all the dust and grime out of it.