Computer problems

Some computer problems only befall a certain kind of man.

A couple of weeks ago, after doing some cable reorganisation in a tidy up, the computer started hanging during boot.  I opened it up, suspecting some hardware fault - possibly something not cooling and overheating very quickly.  Nothing leapt to the eye, so I started dealing with the accumulated dust.  I eventually spotted that somehow the RAM DIMM was not properly latched at one end.  I think this was the cause.  But this is the MythTV computer, so it runs 24/7 and has done so for a year now, so I completed my spring clean.

The CPU, Heatsink and Fan were hard to clean, so I pulled unlatched the heatsink and tried to pull it free.  The CPU came with it, leaving the 'Zero Insertion Force' AM3 socket empty, but latched.

The CPU seemed pretty stuck to that cooler.  But the funny thing is, you can't put the CPU in the bracket with the heatsink attached. There is zero clearance between the body of the heat sink and the rim, so you can't press the lever to latch it in place after applying zero insertion force.

So my options:
1.  Can I bend the lever low enough to operate it from the side?  Answer:  No.

 What I can do is pop the white face off the mount and break it in two pieces.

You can make out the crack here.  It was a through crack - the pieces were separate, and somewhat distorted.  You can also see one idea on how to fix it.  Rest the body on chip and then just slide it into place.

2.  What if I repair the white face and replace it, and cut off the lever arm, then put the CPU in place and try to generate the same clamping action by forcing it?  (Note that forcing things is how we got into this mess.)

That didn't work either, but it did break the bond between the heatsink and the CPU.  Forcing things pays off!

From there, I just needed some heat conducting grease and to reassemble it as if nothing had ever happened.