This kinda sounds stupid, but everyone I’ve looked up say “grab CPU by the sides and take out”. Thing is, the CPU is in the socket, the sides are surrounded by the socket “walls”, I can’t exactly grab the sides.
I mean, kinda same thing for putting CPU in, but for putting it in, I can just let go a bit above, and have it fall down into the socket.
Maybe this motherboard is like that, and other motherboard are different, but I don’t know.
The only thing I can grab is the heatsink (which you apply thermal paste to) on the top, but I can’t get a good grip on it.
I can keep grabbing and pull the CPU to the side on top, but I might bend a few pins doing that.
This is AM5 socket btw.
Edit: I built this PC from parts, I put the CPU in, so I know I have to remove the cooler and pull the lever up.
Could you provide a picture? Something sounds off, like you’re conflating the CPU with something else, or you’ve missed a step such as opening the CPU “cage”.
AM5 socket is similar to many other sockets, and it basically goes like this:
Note that if there’s an excessive amount of coolant paste that has dried up, some components might seem stuck.
So I might be missing something, but it’s not these. I built this PC from parts, so I know all these steps.
I would post a picture, but honestly, the PC is built and in the case right now. I might want to swap the motherboard soon though (and last time I tried removing the CPU from this motherboard, I faced this issue and gave up), which is why I am asking.
MSI B650 Gaming Plus WIFI is the motherboard, it sounds weird yes, it sounds like there shouldn’t be something surrounding the CPU, but the CPU literally goes in the “hole” and is surrounded by it.
I just looked up that particular motherboard, and it looks a bit finicky to grab the CPU after install, so I have no advice other than trying again, maybe you can grab it by the heatsink top?
I used this video for reference, so not sure if your CPU looks exactly like that: https://youtu.be/kbUCZgC2CGE
And this video shows removal: https://youtu.be/cltgIYiGtWY
Just gonna throw this idea out there since you’ve addressed all of the potential mistakes. It looks like if you can grab the CPU by the top, then you can pull it out, right? If so, anytime in doing a construction project and need to do this sort of maneuver, I just put something adhesive like tape it got glue on the top of the part I need to extract (the CPU in your case), then that gives me something to grab onto so I can pull the thing out.
Glue or suction cup might work, yes (though with glue, I’d be scared of damaging something if the glue for example grabs something wrong too).
Also, someone mentioned about the gaps on the sides of socket for fingers to fit that I did not know, so that might work too.
It should come out easy enough that a loop of tape around your finger pressed to the back of the cpu should let you lift it right out.
Wipe the back with rubbing alcohol to get the tiny bit of adhesive and you shoukd be good to go.
Definitely. Yeah, even magnets might help you out of you’re just trying to pull the CPU up (just keep the magnets away from HDDs and whatnot of course). Best of luck with it all 👍
Once the retaining bar thing is out of the way you should have basically full access to the CPU. The PCB probably isn’t grabable but you should be able to grab the CPU by the heat spreader and pull it out.
If it’s covered in thermal paste then redo the retainer and lock it in place, then scrub the CPU clean, then try taking it out again.