How To Fix Bent CPU Pins? Memorable Experience 2023

You could have replaced your processor or cleaned your motherboard by removing all its parts. But while this was done, you Bent CPU Pins by mistake. So, you’re worried and sad about this move, whether or not your CPU will work.

How to fix bent CPU pins that have been bent? Gently straighten them with a mechanical pencil or a fine pair of tweezers.

I know all the answers you need because I’ve been putting together and fixing computer parts for a long time. I spent many hours studying to discover everything I could about bending CPU pins.

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Are Bent CPU Pins Bad For the System?

Yes, most of the time, bent CPU pins can do a lot of damage to your machine. Since the pins of the CPU are the main parts that allow data to enter and leave the CPU, moving any of them can cause the whole system to stop working. It can stop your computer from starting up at all.

Try to be more careful when removing a processor and putting it back into the motherboard.

In terms of pins, a processor is very delicate. They are fragile and easy to break. Pins on a CPU can be bent by damage from the outside, like when you try to take the CPU off the motherboard.

But it usually gets bent when it’s put into a circuit. It can kill you and cause you to replace or buy a new engine.

What Problems Can Bent CPU Pins Cause?

Before discussing the problems, let me tell you that a CPU has three kinds of pins.

• Data Pins: The info is sent to the motherboard by these pins.
• Address Pins: These pins tell the main memory what the address is.
• Control Pins: These pins do everything else, like managing the CPU’s clock speed, tasks, etc.

So, bent CPU pins can cause many problems since different pins are used for different things. Some of them won’t scare you too much if you’re lucky. But most of the time, it causes significant problems.

Here I’m listing some problems that can cause by bent CPU pins:

• Booting Issue: This will be the most common trouble you run into. If any essential CPU pins break, your system won’t just start up.
• Facing Lag: As some CPU pins control the CPU’s clock speed, any bent pins can stop the CPU from running at its average speed. That makes the computer slow down and skip.
• Heating The CPU: If any of the pins bend or break, the CPU can sometimes get too hot. The CPU won’t be able to send the necessary information, which causes it to get too hot.
• Short Circuit The System: In the worst case, bent CPU pins could cause your system to short out. It is risky because it can ruin the whole system. It doesn’t happen often, but it can.

Will a CPU with Bent Pins Work on Motherboard?

It will work well most of the time. But it will only start up if pins are needed for the machine to start up. Aside from that, your computer will start up, which gives the truth.

But the CPU can cause BSOD, and if any pins are needed while you connect devices, your system will show error messages. The blue screen of death can happen sometimes.

Also, check out our separate post on Can I Upgrade CPU Without Changing Motherboard

In simple terms, if the pins on your CPU get attached to the socket on your motherboard, it will work fine. If you do, it will work right. So, if you can’t fix the pins, you must buy or install a new CPU.

Video: How to fix bent CPU pins

What Should You Do if You Fix Bent CPU Pins?

If the pins on your CPU get bent, but not too much, you can fix them on your own. But if the pins are badly broken, you need a professional to replace them. When dealing with bent CPU pins, it’s crucial to approach the task with care and precision.

First, gather the necessary tools: a magnifying glass, tweezers, and a steady hand. Inspect the pins closely, looking for any visible bends or misalignments.

Once identified, gently maneuver the tweezers to straighten the affected pins individually. Take your time and patience, as rushing could lead to further damage. After straightening the pins, double-check their alignment to ensure they are correctly positioned.

Once satisfied, reinsert the CPU into the socket, being cautious not to bend the pins again. Finally, secure the CPU and test the system to ensure it functions correctly. AMD CPUs are notorious for accidentally damaging pins. Fixing bent AMD CPU pins requires a delicate touch and a systematic approach.

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Here are the methods to fix your bent CPU pins:

Use a Plastic Card or Credit Card

It’s a very usual way to do things. This method makes fixing your CPU pins easy because these cards are thin and robust.

Following are the methods to fix your bent CPU pins:

• First, put the processor on a flat, stable surface.
• Run bent pins along a credit card’s or plastic card’s edge in all four directions (east, west, north, and south). This will look like the number “#”
• Repeat the step above until the pins are straight as they were before.
• Try putting the CPU back on the motherboard to see if it fits well. Don’t try to move the CPU down while you’re mounting.

Caution: Be careful as you move the cards through the pins. If you press too hard, you could damage the CPU permanently or even break the pins.

Follow our guide to How to Choose a CPU

Use a Mechanical Pencil

If some pins on your CPU bend here and there, you can fix them with this process. You’ll need a mechanical pencil with a 0.5 and 0.7 millimeters diameter.

How to use a mechanical pencil is as follows:

• First, put the processor on a flat, stable surface.
• Take the lead out of your mechanical pencil to make the tip of the pencil empty.
• Now, use the pencil tip to bend the pins back into place.
• Use how the pencil is tilted as a guide to figure out how straight the pin is.

Be very careful as you do this fix. If you move quickly, it’s easy to break the pins.

Use a Tweezer

A tweezer is another tool that can be used to bend back CPU pins one at a time. You must ensure the tweezers are small, don’t attract static electricity, and aren’t magnetic.

Here are the steps to use a tweezer: 

• First, put the processor on a flat, stable surface.
• Hold the CPU firmly with your hand.
• Using the tweezers, gently grab a pin and bend it back to the right place.

Be very careful when you use a tweezer to bend the CPU pins. If you move your hands quickly, you could even pull the pins out of the CPU.

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For Pins With Their Heads Bent Together

When two pins are bent together, using the pencil trick to straighten them out is more complex. So, we got them ready by splitting their heads with a needle. This made the heads far enough apart that we could use the mechanical pencil to straighten both pins.

Lay the needle flat and slide it between the rows of pins like this, where the “o” is the needle’s point when seen from the end, and the “lines” are the pins that are sticking up: | | | | /o\ | | | | (If the needle is too big to fit between the rows of pins, you need a smaller one.)

Find the spot where the pins catch the needle. Then, use the needle as a lever arm and your thumb as a pivot point to pull apart the pins whose heads are bent together. Due to the bent pins’ resistance, the action’s last part may feel like a flick upward.

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Sweeping straight up is essential because if you tilt to the side, you might bend other pins. Making the same thread-and-lift move might take a few times for the metal to “remember” how to bend.

When the pins’ heads no longer touch, you can use the pencil to fix the pin the rest of the way.

Conclusion

By the end of this piece, you should already know that bent CPU pins are wrong for your system. It can hurt the CPU as well as other parts.

So, if you need to take a CPU from its spot on the motherboard, do it safely. Fixing bent CPU pins requires a delicate touch and a systematic approach.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. We hope you find out everything you need to know. Feel free to ask me anything else you want to know.

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