Ruined my CPUs?

[Jtporter9]

So I very, and I mean very poorly de-lidded (first time) my X5690 CPUs (see images, link below)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ngVQKvjwX9tPd5rm8

I accidentally scraped off or damaged most of the capacitors on one of the CPUs, and both I accidentally scrapped the PCB.

Would either of these cause the CPUs to not work? When I inserted them I get both CPU LED constant red, and fans spinning, no boot.

Basically, I'm just trying to see if I can salvage these or even one of them. I'm sure many of you will cringe at my work, which is okay because I know it's terrible. Any help is very much appreciated! Thanks

 

[MIKX]

I would say. . yes, definitely for at least one of them.

I made a guide here
POST #3
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/easy-4-1-dual-cpu-upgrade.2134474/#post-26394754

Read the bold text ( 5th. line from the top ).

It's really, really important to work slowly, even if it takes you 2, 3 or 4 sessions.

 

[Pressure]

Do you really need our opinion on the matter? I think the pictures are quite self-explanatory.

 

[Jtporter9]

I would say. . yes, definitely for at least one of them.

I made a guide here
POST #3
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/easy-4-1-dual-cpu-upgrade.2134474/#post-26394754

Read the bold text ( 5th. line from the top ).

It's really, really important to work slowly, even if it takes you 2, 3 or 4 sessions.

Any way to test the one? I threw the one that still has all the capacitors in CPU A, without CPU B installed, but still getting the red CPU led on the CPU A side.

Also, I've seen people use non-de-lidded CPUs on the 2009 model. What is the downside to this? or is there any?

Thanks.

 

[handheldgames]

There are plenty of methods documented in this thread. Good luck.

 

[Macschrauber]

afair you can start with CPU B only

 

[Jtporter9]

afair you can start with CPU B only

No luck, red CPU B led, and cpu fan spinning. Tried this in CPU A as well

 

[Flocarino]

I never endorsed delidding. I install the CPU’s lidded and take my time at carefully tightening the screws down. I NEVER overtighten an CPU, undertighten, yes, but this is OK

 

[Jtporter9]

I never endorsed delidding. I install the CPU’s lidded and take my time at carefully tightening the screws down. I NEVER overtighten an CPU, undertighten, yes, but this is OK

Did you buy extra thermal pads for the heatsinks?

 

[Flocarino]

Did you buy extra thermal pads for the heatsinks?

Yes, I had a sheet of thermal pad from which I cut with an Xacto, a strip thick enough to compensate for the gap from the lidded CPU’s.

 

[AliGT83]

Or you know... buy already de lidded cpus

 

[alphaswift]

I accidentally scraped off or damaged most of the capacitors on one of the CPUs, and both I accidentally scrapped the PCB.

Intel puts extra capacitors on all the time so the CPU looks extra fast. but they're not actually needed. It should work fine. Did you turn it off and then back on? That fixes everything.

 

[Jtporter9]

Or you know... buy already de lidded cpus

Thought about it but double the price..
[doublepost=1538958558][/doublepost]

Intel puts extra capacitors on all the time so the CPU looks extra fast. but they're not actually needed. It should work fine. Did you turn it off and then back on? That fixes everything.

I also read this, so I thought it would be fine, but I can't get the red CPU A and B LEDs to go away. And yes I promise I tried that. as well as every other reset option.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ngVQKvjwX9tPd5rm8
You can see the damage in the link above.
[doublepost=1538958614][/doublepost]

Yes, I had a sheet of thermal pad from which I cut with an Xacto, a strip thick enough to compensate for the gap from the lidded CPU’s.

Thanks if I can't get these to work at all I might just do this, or drop some more money for pre-delidded CPUs
[doublepost=1538960423][/doublepost]Sorry correction, it's not the heatsink fan running at full speed, it's the gpu in combination with the red LED light on CPU A

 

[Troy2000]

Had these CPUs been tested prior to deldding? Did you perform the necessary firmware update prior to installation of the delidded CPUs?

The missing decoupling capacitors are not a problem, however it is entirely possible that you have broken several hundred traces.

 

[Jtporter9]

Had these CPUs been tested prior to deldding? Did you perform the necessary firmware update prior to installation of the delidded CPUs?

The missing decoupling capacitors are not a problem, however it is entirely possible that you have broken several hundred traces.

They were not tested I got them from AliExpress, then delidded them. And yes I do have the 5,1 firmware update installed. Or is there another firmware update I need? Thanks

 

[Bubalight]

The caps under the lid on xeon cpus are critical. even one missing and it will never boot. The ones on the bottom seem to appear to be somewhat redundant, and most of the time it seems like a cpu will work fine with a bottom one missing.

 

[skizzo]

man I took a much safer approach to doing this a few weeks ago.

I bought 4 practice Dual Xeon CPUs (2.26ghz 4cores - sorry don't recall model #) and first of all, checked them with the IHS on them still in a single CPU tray. These are cheap, I think I only paid $8 for all of them and that included shipping. Then I delidded them using the "vice method" and checked again in a dual CPU tray, they all worked fine. Then I went to the intended CPU, X5680s, delidding went flawlessly. Very quick method also, just a couple of mins of cranking a vice tight enough to pop off the IHS.

So should you choose to do stuff like this I recommend working a little more methodical. You missed a crucial step by checking that they were working OK with the IHS on them. Now they are modified, you don't know 100% if you ruined them or if they came ruined. Yes the photos look pretty gnarly, you likely ruined them, but my point is troubleshooting methodically would give you a more definitive answer if you ruined them, or if they arrived messed up.

 

[Jtporter9]

first of all, checked them with the IHS on them still in a single CPU tray

When you did the test run with the IHS still on did you cut the fan connectors so that they reach? Can you run the CPUs without the fans installed?

 

[skizzo]

No fan connectors cutting required, or recommended.

Let me clarify since the hardware I have available may not be the same to you. I have both a single CPU tray, and a dual CPU tray for the 2009 cMP. The single CPU trays use CPU's with IHS's on them. The dual CPU tray uses CPU's without IHS's. So I was able to individual test each CPU with their IHS still on them in the single CPU tray prior to delidding them and testing them in the dual CPU tray. So if you do not have a single CPU tray, this testing/troubleshooting method would unfortunately be unavailable to you.

You could try putting the IHS CPU's in the dual CPU tray for testing prior to delidding, but you run the risk of overtightening and not only ruining the CPU but also the socket, which more or less ruins the entire CPU tray.

I am guessing you used the method that involved razors and some source of heat given your shaved off some components? Regardless of the method you used I was not that impressed with those type of methods until I came across a video of someone popping these in a vice. This is the first method that I personally thought was sound and pretty quick too. Here is a link to the video. They clearly tell you how to position the CPU in the vice and it's also good practice to use your hand to over it catch the CPU and place something soft underneath as a safety net incase it drops down.

One thing this video did not go over, and I made the correct assumption to do was that you need to remove the solder left on the CPU. I just used a razor blade to do this. Removing that little layer of solder will take longer than delidding in the vice will actually lol

 

[TinyWorkshop]

The vice method is the safest an easiest

 

[Macschrauber]

Has someone tried heating the Iridium Soldered CPUs in the vice, should gives less stress to the die ?

I tried the vice thing with a 4x2.4 Ghz, it was the soldered type and it needed a lot of pressure till it popped off.

 

[TinyWorkshop]

Has someone tried heating the Iridium Soldered CPUs in the vice, should gives less stress to the die ?

I tried the vice thing with a 4x2.4 Ghz, it was the soldered type and it needed a lot of pressure till it popped off.

Yes a little of heat on the lid helps, I used a little catalitic butane torch

 

[Jtporter9]

Awesome well I'm pretty sure those CPUs are toast. But I'll try the vice method seems much safer. And I dont really wanna cut the can connectors. Let me know if anyone knows of some good deals on some X5680's or X5690's ( if you don't sang them first ). I'll buy some CPUs to practice the vice in first, and I'll probably apply a little heat as well. Thanks for all the input!
[doublepost=1539065709][/doublepost]Also you guys think it's eorwo to spend 80 - $100 more for a pair of X5690s? The bench marks on the X5680s are so close and much cheaper, I feel it's a better value. Thoughts?

 

[skizzo]

Awesome well I'm pretty sure those CPUs are toast. But I'll try the vice method seems much safer. And I dont really wanna cut the can connectors. Let me know if anyone knows of some good deals on some X5680's or X5690's ( if you don't sang them first ). I'll buy some CPUs to practice the vice in first, and I'll probably apply a little heat as well. Thanks for all the input!
[doublepost=1539065709][/doublepost]Also you guys think it's eorwo to spend 80 - $100 more for a pair of X5690s? The bench marks on the X5680s are so close and much cheaper, I feel it's a better value. Thoughts?

IMHO, I opted to purchase two X5680's for $100 instead of two X5690's for $200. Maybe you will find some some ebay listings at say $190 or so but for double the price, I didn't think my workflow would benefit from the small .1ghz clock speed increase. (3.46 vs. 3.33)

for practice Dual Xeons, use these. They are the cheapest model
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-2-I...8MB-5-86GT-s-CPU-Processor-SLBFD/222806896368

 

[F1Mac]

[doublepost=1539065709][/doublepost]Also you guys think it's eorwo to spend 80 - $100 more for a pair of X5690s? The bench marks on the X5680s are so close and much cheaper, I feel it's a better value. Thoughts?

I have (very) recently upgraded my mid-2012 cMP with two X5680s. I don't think paying twice the price for X5690s is justified. It is, like you said, a much better value imo.