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clip (snap rivet) for Northbridge heat-sink on 2009 Mac Pro 2X2.26
- Thread starter i-rui
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Have you considered making phone calls to the local apple repair agents to see if they have any in their graveyard selection? That's what I've done lots when I've needed 'bits' of a part to get a Mac going when I can't source it normally.
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If you're in the UK I'm going on a scavenge for some bits mid-week, I can add yours to the shopping list.
When I upgraded the CPU in my old Mac Mini, two of the rivets that hold the CPU heatsink in place broke off. I put in two bolts from the back side then screwed in the nuts from the heasink fins down to the base of the heatsink.
I found this on eBay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-PC-Heat...ng-Screw-/121074044779?_trksid=p2054897.l4275
10 pcs for $3.88.
This might not be a good fit but I am gonna give it a try.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-PC-Heat...ng-Screw-/121074044779?_trksid=p2054897.l4275
10 pcs for $3.88.
This might not be a good fit but I am gonna give it a try.
i've seen those before, my concern was they're too big (both length and diameter).
still worth a try though....
It is a bit long but the plastic cover thing should hold it up.
Diameter is the real problem. Hope it would fit.
I would love to try that Alibaba one with 1000 pcs but It seems too complicated with escrows and all.
Here is a scan of the plug clips from the Zalman ZM-NBF47 cooler.
I ordered the cooler and a pack of thermal pads to hopefully be ready for
the problem if it ever happens.
I can't tell if it's right. The ruler comparisons confuse me.
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yes, that looks like the right size. the top is a bit flatter, but that should be irrelevant.
i ordered the same kit from a local computer retailer and will be picking it up tonight. i'll test it out on the processor board and post the results.
costabunny is also sending me the clips from an Akasa kit. When i get those (i expect probably late next week) i'll do the same.
i ordered the same kit from a local computer retailer and will be picking it up tonight. i'll test it out on the processor board and post the results.
costabunny is also sending me the clips from an Akasa kit. When i get those (i expect probably late next week) i'll do the same.
I'm kinda curious what this ASD S3132 thing is as I am buying a used Mac Pro as well and wouldn't mind running this test.
ASD stands for Apple Service Diagnostic, it basically runs a suite of tests on the computer, and hopefully will pick up most hardware problems. the S3*** number changes based on what models the ASD is designed to run on. 3S132 is the one you want if you have a 2009 mac pro.
The ASDs are not officially available to the public, but if you hunt around online you may be able to find them.
the next step will be finding what snap rivet fits best with the apple heatsink & processor board.
i was supposed to pick up the Zalman kit last night, but my local retailer still doesn't it have in stock (even though they quoted me 2 days to receive it...grrr) i probably won't be able to pick it up until the weekend or next wednesday depending on when they get it in and my scheduale. Costabunny has mailed me the snap rivets from the Akasa kit, and hopefully those will arrive soon.
When i get the clips i will try both and report back on their fit. When i decide which one matches the original best i will re-attach the northbridge heatsink with thermal paste, reassemble the processors board and run the ASD tests to see if it passes the TNOD test, and if the IOH sensor is within safe operating temperature.
I imagine terlman will report back on the snap rivets he ordered from ebay.
I'm confident we're very close to a reasonable priced solution to fixing this issue.
i was supposed to pick up the Zalman kit last night, but my local retailer still doesn't it have in stock (even though they quoted me 2 days to receive it...grrr) i probably won't be able to pick it up until the weekend or next wednesday depending on when they get it in and my scheduale. Costabunny has mailed me the snap rivets from the Akasa kit, and hopefully those will arrive soon.
When i get the clips i will try both and report back on their fit. When i decide which one matches the original best i will re-attach the northbridge heatsink with thermal paste, reassemble the processors board and run the ASD tests to see if it passes the TNOD test, and if the IOH sensor is within safe operating temperature.
I imagine terlman will report back on the snap rivets he ordered from ebay.
I'm confident we're very close to a reasonable priced solution to fixing this issue.
Question: What about 2009 machines that have been flashed up to 5.1 (2010 version) ? which ASD would they need?
I also noticed that there are snap rivets on the 2009 Apple Raid card's heatsinks that could possibly fit. They're longer than the original apple northbridge ones, but visually their diameter seems to be the same.
However i did not physically try them as i'm not prepared to disassemble the Apple Raid card, and i don't really see it as a viable solution given the cost of the card.
I only mention it here incase others may make use of that information.
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good question. I haven't tried it out but i imagine a 4,1 flashed to 5,1 would need the 2010 mac pro ASD, which is 3S149.
From what i understand the firmware flash doesn't change some SMC settings, so i'm curious if it would pass all the tests ASD 3S149 runs on the machine as there may be slight differences.
However i did not physically try them as i'm not prepared to disassemble the Apple Raid card, and i don't really see it as a viable solution given the cost of the card.
I only mention it here incase others may make use of that information.
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good question. I haven't tried it out but i imagine a 4,1 flashed to 5,1 would need the 2010 mac pro ASD, which is 3S149.
From what i understand the firmware flash doesn't change some SMC settings, so i'm curious if it would pass all the tests ASD 3S149 runs on the machine as there may be slight differences.
I have a set of 149 - When I get around to googling how to use them (there seems to be a bunch of dmgs) - I may well try
I've got a 4,1 flashed to 5,1 and I was able to use the 4,1 (2009) version of ASD.
I initially thought that I would need the later version intended for the 5,1 Mac Pro, but could not get hold of a copy. So I tried my 2009 ASD, and it worked just fine.
All tests passed just the same as they did when it was still a 4,1.
I worked out a solution for this today. (But FYI An M3 x 10mm nut and bolt looks like it would work. The nut would not interfere with anything on the bottom.)
I decided to use a 3/16" nylon nut and bolt. I put two nuts on the end of one bolt and filed the thread off the top of the bolt so the spring didn't bind. You can just about push the bolts through the hole in the processor board. It seemed to fit very tightly but to be sure I removed the processor board to access the bottom and used the nylon nuts. I put a dab of superglue on the bottom of the nut and bolt to stop it from moving but it didn't seem like it would have come off anyway.
If you only have one broken rivet I think you could get away with just pushing the prepared 3/16" bolt through the processor board.
You will need to remove both processor heatsinks to remove the processor board. (8 core)
NB BE VERY CAREFUL when removing the processor heatsinks. There is no retaining clip for the processors and they will stick to the bottom of the heatsinks. Don't drop them.
Don't forget isopropyl wipes to remove all the old heatsink paste and more thermal grease to replace what you took off. I picked up some Artcic Silver at Radioshack
Running ASD to check as I write this.
Hope that helps someone.
I decided to use a 3/16" nylon nut and bolt. I put two nuts on the end of one bolt and filed the thread off the top of the bolt so the spring didn't bind. You can just about push the bolts through the hole in the processor board. It seemed to fit very tightly but to be sure I removed the processor board to access the bottom and used the nylon nuts. I put a dab of superglue on the bottom of the nut and bolt to stop it from moving but it didn't seem like it would have come off anyway.
If you only have one broken rivet I think you could get away with just pushing the prepared 3/16" bolt through the processor board.
You will need to remove both processor heatsinks to remove the processor board. (8 core)
NB BE VERY CAREFUL when removing the processor heatsinks. There is no retaining clip for the processors and they will stick to the bottom of the heatsinks. Don't drop them.
Don't forget isopropyl wipes to remove all the old heatsink paste and more thermal grease to replace what you took off. I picked up some Artcic Silver at Radioshack
Running ASD to check as I write this.
Hope that helps someone.
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Timely Thread!
I found that my Mac Pro (early 2009) turned off by itself then would not boot. I get power, but all that happens is that the internal graphics card fan runs at 100%, which sounds like an RC airplane taking off. I broke the Mac down and found a detached plastic rivet and spring from the Northbridge chip. In short, I'm hopeful that when I re-seat the chip with proper rivets or rivet substitutes, the Mac will be in working order.
i-rui: I would be interested to learn which rivet you installed when you have that info.
USmacs: I live in the sticks. Assuming you bought them recently, would you have part numbers for both the 3/16 nylon nut and nylon bolt? If you found them online, do you still have the URL? For some reason, I'm having trouble locating these on, for example, Amazon.
FYI: The remaining "good" rivet was so heat damaged that its flanges broke off -- just like the first one -- when I removed the Northbridge chip. One might consider replacing both rivets even if one seems OK, as there is a chance that the "good" one will shear in time.
References for others with this issue:
http://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/...boot,+Graphics+card+fan+running+at+full+speed
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15780402#15780402
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3184175?tstart=0
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1683273/
I found that my Mac Pro (early 2009) turned off by itself then would not boot. I get power, but all that happens is that the internal graphics card fan runs at 100%, which sounds like an RC airplane taking off. I broke the Mac down and found a detached plastic rivet and spring from the Northbridge chip. In short, I'm hopeful that when I re-seat the chip with proper rivets or rivet substitutes, the Mac will be in working order.
i-rui: I would be interested to learn which rivet you installed when you have that info.
USmacs: I live in the sticks. Assuming you bought them recently, would you have part numbers for both the 3/16 nylon nut and nylon bolt? If you found them online, do you still have the URL? For some reason, I'm having trouble locating these on, for example, Amazon.
FYI: The remaining "good" rivet was so heat damaged that its flanges broke off -- just like the first one -- when I removed the Northbridge chip. One might consider replacing both rivets even if one seems OK, as there is a chance that the "good" one will shear in time.
References for others with this issue:
http://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/...boot,+Graphics+card+fan+running+at+full+speed
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15780402#15780402
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3184175?tstart=0
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1683273/
I still think you could consider the Arctic Silver Thermal Epoxy, especially if both clips have gone now. It is not something you will ever have to remove. Just remember to lie the MP flat while the epoxy cures and do give it the full 1H cure time before switching on.
I went to a local hardware store and chose from what was available by sight. I've also already fitted them so I can't even share a photo. They were 3/16" od and about 1/2" long. But the metal 3mm x 10-12mm would work without any problems or modification. I put the metal nut on the bottom of the processor board to be certain it wouldn't interfere with anything. If you're concerned about the metal get a plastic washer for the nut if it makes you feel better 
Went with the screw/nut solution
I was able to find nylon screws and nuts at Ace Hardware as described above.
I removed the logic board and tightened the nuts onto the screws from the underside of the board. The original rivets had springs that provided light downward tension on the heatsink. I slipped these springs onto the new screws, so that they sat between the top of the board and just under the head of the screws.
I used Arctic Silver 1,2 and 5.
The Mac Pro booted right up. No issues with graphics car fan.
I was able to find nylon screws and nuts at Ace Hardware as described above.
I removed the logic board and tightened the nuts onto the screws from the underside of the board. T
he original rivets had springs that provided light downward tension on the heatsink. I slipped these springs onto the new screws, so that they sat between the top of the board and just under the head of the screws.I used Arctic Silver 1,2 and 5.
The Mac Pro booted right up. No issues with graphics car fan.
OK,
Sorry for the delay in posting my results from the 2 snap rivets i was able to acquire. I've been busy over the holidays.
First off, let me say that my initial thought for a solution to this problem was to use a nylon nut and bolt solution. While i'm happy to see that it does work for people who have tried it, there does seem to be evidence that this solution results in the northbridge running slightly hotter than stock :
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1683273/
My guess as to the reason is because there is no movement on the heatsink as the temperatures rise and fall. there is a reason the heatsink is mounted with a snap rivet with a spring. it wouldn't be designed that way if the heatsink was meant to be bolted down.
That is not to say the above solution won't work, clearly it does, but my desire was to find a solution as close to the stock item as i could find.
Special thanks to DanielCoffey & costabunny for their keen eyes in finding snap rivets that match the original apple part. Specifically the Zalman & Akasa Chipset cooler kits. Both of these chipset kits contain snap rivets that are good matches. They are perhaps a bit longer by a hair, but they both fit fine. HOWEVER, the actual spring in the snap rivets use metal that are much thinner than the spring from the original apple snap rivet. This results in less resistance.
The Akasa rivet's spring is slightly thicker than the Zalman rivet's spring, however the Zalman is marginally a better match and also matches the original black colour used on the processor board. I ended up using the springs from the Akasa on the Zalman snap rivets since i had both. I'm confident either by itself will work well.
I have an original 4,1 2.26 mac pro which i compared results with the repaired processor board. The original IOH heatsink was 52ºC and the IOH Tdiode 62ºC at idle. After a 5 min Geekbench stress test that rose marginally to 54ºC & 64ºC respectively.
The "repaired" processor board had the IOH heatsink @ 50ºC and the IOH Tdiode @ 61ºC while Idle. Those temps rose to 52ºC & 63ºC after a 5 min Geekbenh stress test.
So the new snap rivets are actually resulting in a slightly cooler north bridge! At first i thought perhaps this was because of the slightly thinner spring, but I believe a more likely reason is that I applied the thermal paste with more care than an original processor board would have received from Apple.
Here's a couple of links to purchase the chipset coolers that contain snap rivets that will fit the processor board :
http://products.ncix.com/detail/zal...-chipset-cooler-w-thermal-grease-4b-18623.htm
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G7OGZZ2/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I took a picture comparing all 3 snap rivets, but i can't find my SD card reader at the moment. I'll post it in this thread when i'm able to find it.
Sorry for the delay in posting my results from the 2 snap rivets i was able to acquire. I've been busy over the holidays.
First off, let me say that my initial thought for a solution to this problem was to use a nylon nut and bolt solution. While i'm happy to see that it does work for people who have tried it, there does seem to be evidence that this solution results in the northbridge running slightly hotter than stock :
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1683273/
My guess as to the reason is because there is no movement on the heatsink as the temperatures rise and fall. there is a reason the heatsink is mounted with a snap rivet with a spring. it wouldn't be designed that way if the heatsink was meant to be bolted down.
That is not to say the above solution won't work, clearly it does, but my desire was to find a solution as close to the stock item as i could find.
Special thanks to DanielCoffey & costabunny for their keen eyes in finding snap rivets that match the original apple part. Specifically the Zalman & Akasa Chipset cooler kits. Both of these chipset kits contain snap rivets that are good matches. They are perhaps a bit longer by a hair, but they both fit fine. HOWEVER, the actual spring in the snap rivets use metal that are much thinner than the spring from the original apple snap rivet. This results in less resistance.
The Akasa rivet's spring is slightly thicker than the Zalman rivet's spring, however the Zalman is marginally a better match and also matches the original black colour used on the processor board. I ended up using the springs from the Akasa on the Zalman snap rivets since i had both. I'm confident either by itself will work well.
I have an original 4,1 2.26 mac pro which i compared results with the repaired processor board. The original IOH heatsink was 52ºC and the IOH Tdiode 62ºC at idle. After a 5 min Geekbench stress test that rose marginally to 54ºC & 64ºC respectively.
The "repaired" processor board had the IOH heatsink @ 50ºC and the IOH Tdiode @ 61ºC while Idle. Those temps rose to 52ºC & 63ºC after a 5 min Geekbenh stress test.
So the new snap rivets are actually resulting in a slightly cooler north bridge! At first i thought perhaps this was because of the slightly thinner spring, but I believe a more likely reason is that I applied the thermal paste with more care than an original processor board would have received from Apple.
Here's a couple of links to purchase the chipset coolers that contain snap rivets that will fit the processor board :
http://products.ncix.com/detail/zal...-chipset-cooler-w-thermal-grease-4b-18623.htm
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G7OGZZ2/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I took a picture comparing all 3 snap rivets, but i can't find my SD card reader at the moment. I'll post it in this thread when i'm able to find it.
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