How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

[larrymoencurly]

I mean those sockets with the sharp leaf spring contacts for newer Intel CPUs with no lads on them.

I have to test some motherboards but don't have spare CPUs.

[Topcat]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

I've had some that I've swapped the CPU dozens of times, never seemed to hurt them. I'm sure at some point they would fatigue and start falling apart....but that would take a ton of cycles...

[Gariarto]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

Be careful this doesn't happen to your cpu !

The kid that brought me this non booting Dell Dimension said he allowed his "friend" to borrow his CPU while a new one arrived to replace his buddy's last one. Too kind.
Said "friend" claimed it should be fine "it was working OK in mine".

I don't suppose anyone knows how to re-deposit a layer of gold on the damaged pads ? Without having access to Intels' fabrication plants that is !!

[Topcat]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

^
ohh wow.....I really wonder how that happened..... Too much socket removal and reinstall could explain maybe one or two like that.....but there's a lot of damage there. Poor handling would be my guess.

[Gariarto]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

^
There's a lot of damage there. Poor handling would be my guess.

That or he decided to shine it up with a scouring pad ! Shame, about $200 in the can..

[Pentium4]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

What proc was it?

[Per Hansson]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

Actually the sockets are only rated for 20 inserts and removals I think. (Can't find source of this)
And there where some problems in the past with the sockets themselves, making poor contact and thus burning the CPU's contacts pads due to arcing... (Just like the pic above)

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2859

[eccerr0r]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

I thought those ZIF/PGA sockets were only guaranteed for 20-odd insert/remove cycles, but I have no clue for the LGA sockets. I always wondered how reliable the LGAs were... I'd guess they'd be less than the ZIF-PGA sockets...

[larrymoencurly]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

I feel better now. I was worried that LGA sockets were designed for only 1-2 reuses and would cause me to ruin the donor motherboard.

[ratdude747]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

I thought those ZIF/PGA sockets were only guaranteed for 20-odd insert/remove cycles, but I have no clue for the LGA sockets. I always wondered how reliable the LGAs were... I'd guess they'd be less than the ZIF-PGA sockets...

IIRC LGA 775 is rated for 11 insertions... Not sure about the other LGA's.

[mariushm]

Re: How many times can an LGA socket be reused?

The Inquirer circulated the figure of 20 insertions guarantee from Intel for the LGA 775:

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/...-20-insertions

Fudo pointed out here the halls of Computex Taipei, are bristling with complaints from Intel's mobo partners and its LGA-775 socket.

These sockets are ludicrously fragile.

Across several articles we have expressed our own - and the mainboard manufacturers - concerns, over how ludicrously fragile these sockets are. Some motherboard manufacturers think that Intel is only providing a warranty for twenty uses, or misuses of the chip.

Apparently, after twenty insertions and removals, Intel won't guarantee an LGA 775 socket has integrity.

Some Taiwanese chick who works for Intel said she didnt't know. "I can't raise someone who can talk about this".

Only Intel really stand to gain by switching to its proprietary LGA-775 sockets, and the 20% ‘Intel processor bent pins' returns figure Fudo related earlier is being dumped straight onto the mobo makers. These mainboard manufacturers and their distributors and resellers all work on very tiny margins.