Bent pins

[OutSider420]

I’ve bent some pins on my XI Formula MB what are my options to repairing them?
Can I RMA and pay a fee to have them fixed or am I stuck trying to do it myself?
Or should I just accept the board is dead and move on?

[Arne Saknussemm]

Kind of depends how badly...how many etc.

A jeweler might have the kit to bend them back into place...

It's certainly doable if you are carefull.

Not sure at what cost ASUS could replace socket

[Rockford]

some people is really good at fixing things like this, even swapping the socket for a new one
but its "amateur enthusiast" from all over the world
if you have the right tools it can be pulled off, but it can also get worse depending on your skills
i have managed to screw up 2 or 3 motherboards in the past trying to fix bent pins, only to make it worse
i believe a RMA will be rejected sadly
youtube have many videos of people fixing bent pins

[OutSider420]

I’m just going to smash this ****ing thing.

Can’t even get the dam cpu mount reinstalled.

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Maybe cut down on the 420

[Rockford]

Hi,
Maybe cut down on the 420

[XYchromosone]

I purchased a Maximus XI Code locally but I had to leave it for about 2 months before I could use it for I had to go to hospital due to an illness. When I got to checkng out the mobo, it already had bent pins, so my guess is that the shop had a returned mobo that they then sold me, or someone from the store used it and bent the pins, because non one else touched that board. Knowing i had little hope proving my case to the shop, or to ASUS [who's guarantee does not include physical damage to the mobo especially the CPU socket] AND due to the time lag of some 3 months i decided to fix the bent pins myself.

I used a large blunt sewing needle and a USB microscope including a 10 X jeweler's magnifying eyepiece and AFTER checking out a few youtube videos on how to fix bent pins, i successfully fixed the pins. The board would not boot before this fix, but it works fine now.

So i'd suggest to give it a shot, for you have nothing to lose, really.

[OutSider420]

I’ll try with the jewelry glass and see if I can fix the pins, also spilled some LM in the socket as well so will have to try to try and clean that as well.

Already started an RMA and admitted I bent the pins, am hoping they can at least replace the socket or offer some trade in value.*
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[XYchromosone]

I'm not sure how you're going to clean out the liquid metal? Actually you could use a suction tube that you could put together using a vacuum cleaner e.g. I've made one in the past by taping a length of a 1/2 inch diameter flexible clear plastic tubing to the opening of a vacuum cleaner hose. I first packed the vacuum cleaner tube with a piece of cotton material while holding the clear tube in the opening of the vacuum cleaner tube, so that the clear tube is held in place nice and snug. Then I used sticky tape to secure the clear tube in place.

But you need to be very careful not to damage more pins. Otherwise it will mean you need to replace the LGA socket if you can not get the LM removed from deep within the pins, because it's conductive, if the LM bridges across more than one pin, it will short out those pins.

[OutSider420]

I’m going to try with a syringe or an empty tube of thermal paste and attach the little needle tip on it and see if I can’t suck it out.

I doubt I’ll be successful, if not I’ll still send it to Asus and see if they can at least replace the socket at least.
The worst the can do is say no. Already consider the board a write off anyways

The vacuum idea sounds interesting I might try that as well .

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