The heat sink for my motherboard is attached by glue and also by two spring-loaded metal clips. The clips are hooked onto two mounting brackets, both of which are little metal half-circles attached to the motherboard itself. One of the mounting brackets has popped off. Because the clips are spring-loaded, simply pushing the mounting bracket back into the holes in the motherboard makes it pop back out when the clip is reattached. What sort of glue should I use to reattach the mounting bracket to the motherboard?
2009-06-27T05:45:35Z
Also, how do I dissolve the glue attaching the heat sink to the motherboard? The motherboard is vertical, so without the clips and the mounting brackets to support it, the heat sink has slid about a quarter inch down the side of the motherboard. But the glue that was holding it in the right place is now holding it in a wrong place. How do I get it loose so I can reattach it in the correct place?
Anonymous2009-06-27T06:03:19Z
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first of all, don't use your computer more than you have to. no gaming. doctors orders. you need to take the motherboard out of the case and lay it flat on a work surface, preferably with a non slide covering. we dont want to break it more, do we? now unclip the heatsink and remove carefully. if you have a utility knife, now would be the time to use it. after you remove the heatsink, use a solvent to clean the chip that the heatsink was on, along with the bottom of the heatsink. for the bracket, i would use epoxy or goop, they are strong and don't conduct electricity. reatatch the bracket, and then spread 2 rice grain sized drops of thermal paste on the chip ONLY. then put the heatsink back on, reclip and your done! links Thermal Paste: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100009&Tpk=Arctic%20Ceramique epoxy: http://www.castlewholesalers.com/SUPER-GLUE-15213-Quick-Set-GelEpoxy-in-Syringe-1oz.html
If you're unable to reattach the lug to the board securely, you may need to get a backplate for the board. This would do away with the push pins and hold the heatsink firmly in place. Check newegg or tiger direct for the right one for your application. When re-installing the heatsink, be sure to use a thermal compound and make sure it is applied correctly. There are several different kinds available, arctic silver 5 is my choice. Here's application instructions for a couple of them. http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm http://www.arcticsilver.com/ceramique_instructions.htm
The "glue" you mentioned is not glue, it is thermal paste. You can buy it at Radio Shack or any computer store. It must be used in a thin layer only. Do not use too much or it will become ineffective. You are going to have to figure out exactly how to fix the clip otherwise you will never be able to hold the heat sink in place. It shouldn't be to hard to fix.