Question about bent/broken pins on Intel Socket 1155

[majica8]

Hi there,
 I purchased a Gigabyte motherboard from Eclipse Computers in Coventry (stay away from them!) last Friday. When I got home I found some broken and bent pins so I took it back to the store on Monday. They refused to do anything so I am going back today along with a copy of my consumer rights. These say if it's less than 6 months old it's up to the store to prove the item wasn't faulty when it was sold, over 6 months and it's up to me. It's obviously less but I know Eclipse and they will try to get out of doing anything if they can so I have a question:
Has anyone ever known 1 single CPU socket pin to get spun round 180 degrees (just spun round, not bent, not broken, perfect apart from facing the wrong way) while leaving every single pin around it where it should be and in the condition it should be, from incorrect installation of the CPU? Or even from dropping the CPU on it for that matter? (Not that I did either)

My view is that those pins are far too small and close together for something as big (relatively speaking) as the CPU itself to only damage 1 while leaving others around it in perfect condition, especially to damage one in a way that would require a sideways force.

Many thanks, and speedy answers would be great as I'm heading out in a few hours.


(And I'm already trying various routes to get this sorted, I've contacted Gigabyte but haven't heard back, I guess Xmas backlog, and I've also contacted Consumer Direct but again no response yet. Next step is letters to Eclipse and probably a chargeback through the bank.)

[Dark Mantis]

Hi and welcome.

These CPU socket pins are very easy to damage and there have been very many cases of this on the forum. Of course it is hard to prove once taken away from the store that it was their fault and not something you have done.

Did you find the bent pins just on an initial checking of the board before installation ?

I wouldn't think that  a single pin would be possible to be bent by installation of the CPU, especially turned 180 degrees if that is what you are describing.

I assume that this motherboard was purchased in the proper box and untouched prior to being bought ?

[majica8]

Hi and welcome.

These CPU socket pins are very easy to damage and there have been very many cases of this on the forum. Of course it is hard to prove once taken away from the store that it was their fault and not something you have done.

Did you find the bent pins just on an initial checking of the board before installation ?

I wouldn't think that  a single pin would be possible to be bent by installation of the CPU, especially turned 180 degrees if that is what you are describing.

I assume that this motherboard was purchased in the proper box and untouched prior to being bought ?

Yes I found them before instalation. The store said they would have checked the socket before selling it (I assume when it first arrived) however that doesn't mean 1) they actually did or 2) wouldn't sell it anyway. This store apparently has a reputation for selling things they know are faulty and then refusing to do anything when customers bring things back. When I asked them on Monday to prove it wasn't sold to me like that they just said "We wouldn't have sold it like that"

I'm not an expert by any means, but I know what I'm doing when it comes to building a PC. It just seems to me that to damage one pin that way but leave everything around it in perfect condition would be almost impossible unless you were actually trying to do it.

[Aussie Allan]

  If they sold you a M/B with the seals not intact..... there in breach of Gigabytes sales policy I would have thought.

  Aussie Allan

[Ben]

Sorry to hear about your plight, hope things work out for you.

I have learned the hard way insomuch that I now have the salesperson open up the box in front of me & check all components.

As DM said, the pins are easily damaged, but to be turned 180 degrees would require tweezers methinks.

I just can't see how the CPU could have caused this.

Ben.