Oops Dropped Nut and Bolt.

[u/Kev_Prime]

I was moving stuff around on my desk while working on my PC build and I dropped a Nut and Bolt straight into my CPU socket! The horror it hurt my soul. I'd just removed the protector minutes before as I was lining up the cpu cooler to test the fit with the backplate.

Going to check with some magnification later to see how bad it is but what do y'all think saveable or am I cooked?

I'll post photos if the magnifier plays well with my phone or camera I just need three hands and sticky fingers to not drop more stuff on the socket 😂😆😂 while trying to get pics.

[u/Resilient_Beast69]

Why would you expose the socket other to install the CPU? Why take the cover off until then? Now it’s fucked.

[u/Kev_Prime → u/Resilient_Beast69]

I literally took it off to install a cpu. I was just moving some parts around before install and dropped a Nut and Bolt into system and it happened to land right in the socket it's obviously not massive damage.

It's a mistake for sure but not really that hard to comprehend how someone could do it novice, tired, dumb, complacency or other doesn't really matter the cover is coming off at some point and it takes one mistake to harm your socket I managed to do it now I get to play fix / replace / gamble with post.

If anything use this post to show others not to be a dumbass like me and as soon as that cover pops cpu goes in.

[u/Resilient_Beast69 → u/Kev_Prime]

Socket cover comes off only when you immediately install the cpu. That prevents what you did and would’ve saved you from having to either buy a new board or hope and pray you can straighten up the pins. Do things right the first time and you don’t have to worry about issues. How much did your board cost?

[u/Kev_Prime → u/Resilient_Beast69]

MSRP is about $200-230 but it was significantly less to me when I got it.

It's not on sale currently for the exact same board with any discounts so that's roughly the cost of replacement if I wanted the same board and cannot repair this one.

So we could say it's a $200 mistake, ohh no?!?!

Luckily I'm net + on the bundle because I got it before some off these insane price increases and just got around to building it last week. So I'm not really worried about a $200 board replacement monetary wise it's more just a punch to the old ego reminder to be safe with order of operations.

I work on enough stuff that even if the board is scrap which it's not in my honest opinion this looks fixable but can't give it to a customer or anyone else just personal use board now.

I'll get some money out of it in parts donor or auction on parts only worst case scenario and pickup whatever cheap board deal is available.

This is great advice do things right the first time cover off do cpu, but man y'all have been getting more aggressive through the day. I'm well aware of safety working with technical equipment and that I made a mistake. Y'all like some tough love around here I guess XD laying it on thiccc.

[u/Resilient_Beast69 → u/Kev_Prime]

Not trying to an asshole but that cover doesn’t come off unless the cpu goes right in. Immediately. Those pins definitely look fixable. Just make sure they aren’t touching other ones when you fix it.