I know this might sound stupid but my friend is worried that since he removed his processor from the packaging, he dropped the processor on the floor twice as it seems the clamshell packaging containing the processor sucks ass :sad: . I work as a tech and he refuses to believe that since it contains no moving mechanical parts, the processor should function w/o error /issues. (might be a bit scratched and or slight blemish or dent, minor bump but should have proper functionality) any other comments, remarks on this issue? post up
I have to disagree with you. The silicon is held in place by a ceramic coating. Both the ceramic coating and the silicon itself could be damaged by a swift impact like that. Only way to know would be to try.
What surface was the floor and from how high did it get dropped?
Twice? TWICE?? :wtf: Ever heard the expression “even the stupid mule does not step on the same stone twice”?
Perhaps folks should learn to be careful with expensive hardware. I do hope your friend isn’t one of these people who screams at innocent store clerks when they tell him his warranty is void due to end user stupidity.
On topic: it would be very unlikely that the core of the CPU itself would be damaged. But there are 775 small traces connecting various inputs and outputs of the core to the pins of the CPU base (which in turn connect the CPU to the motherboard). A single hairline crack in any of those could render the CPU useless.
And once again, any technician worth his paycheck would spot such a thing, and tell you the warranty is void. Read the warranty terms on both Intel’s and AMD’s websites: both companies will refuse warranties based on user error and damage.
I do hope your friend never gets drafted into the military where he must load crates of explosives.
What he said. 
I didn’t specify core vs traces, but same diff. Test it, but don’t be suprised by instability or failure here.
have to disagree with you. The silicon is held in place by a ceramic coating. Both the ceramic coating and the silicon itself could be damaged by a swift impact like that. Only way to know would be to try.
What surface was the floor and from how high did it get dropped?
he said from pockets length as in he pulled it out of his pocket. it fell onto a tile floor like those reminiscent of a restaurant restroom (this was the second time when I announced what a dumbshit he is) 1st time was from what I recall he mentioned that when he was in the kitchen he had it in his pocket shirt and looked for dishwasher soap and it fell out; im guessing maybe 11-13 inchs from the floor while seconf time seems more harsh. u figure, pockets lengtj standing, yowza. He’s hoping that it stillworks but is a bit hesistant to try it out on his new board (some bfg 680i dual sli deal, havent checked it out yet but i’m thinking it’s the one we have at work, i might be wrong)
Chozen1:
Rather than carrying it around (hopefully not for gloating purposes…) he should have immediately placed it in a safe place. Not his shirt pocket, not his pants pocket…
Carelessness, silly guy…trixs are for kids…
~Goodbye
You are going to have a hard time damaging the processor this way, depending on how high it was dropped.
You would have to melt the pins or use some electricity maybe even a large amount of static. Even bent pins shouldn’t cause any major problems, you can bend the into place again if you are carefull.
If anything is cracked or even a pin broken off, he needs to get another.
Are these the processors with the metal backing, if so all the stuff like the traces and hardware shouldn’t be damaged.
NOTE: Does anyone one know if you can actually use graphite pencils to make new signal trace lines, I’m sure you can’t for processors since they are too small, but I heard you could do it for mother boards.
The pins are on the motherboard (in this case).
Yeah, if you’re familiar with ZIF socket cpu’s (socket 7, super socket 7, LGA sockets, etc) you’re barking up the wrong tree. These cpu’s are just a silicon wafer with a ceramic coating. The ceramic coating is full of traces leading to the two cpu cores inside.
If that ceramic coating is cracked, he’s in trouble. Also, when someone mentions silicon, sand comes to mind. What do we melt sand to make? GLASS. silicon isn’t much more capable of taking an impact than glass is. :\ Usually shock absorptive qualities of pastic casings etc make a solid state item able to take hits. Dropping a cpu core exposed like that on a tile floor, TWICE…I count him lucky if it works.
As you said, not for anything small.
For larger stuff it’s possible, but has a high failure rate and a bad tendency to rub off over time. Remember that graphite (and carbon) have a hard time sticking to things, and even minor vibration and movement over time cause your pencil-traces to fall apart.
But why use pencil when there are tools out there to do this? Any hobbiest electronics shop will have “PCB Pens” that let you draw traces on PCBs with a conductive “ink” (not ink at all, just a solvent, paint/glue/polymer, and high metallic ion count). And that stuff will stick until the end of time.
But again these are designed for macro electronics. You might be lucky and use this stuff to fix an arcade PCB or even PC motherboard, but there’s no way you’ll do a CPU with it.
Cool , I didn’t know that.
Thanks, I knew you couldn’t do it for cpu’s but thanks alot for the info.
Are these the processors with the metal backing, if so all the stuff like the traces and hardware shouldn’t be damaged.
yes it is the metal backing
If that ceramic coating is cracked, he’s in trouble. Also, when someone mentions silicon, sand comes to mind. What do we melt sand to make? GLASS. silicon isn’t much more capable of taking an impact than glass is. :\ Usually shock absorptive qualities of pastic casings etc make a solid state item able to take hits. Dropping a cpu core exposed like that on a tile floor, TWICE…I count him lucky if it works.
well again, i checked it out and there seems to be no apparent cracks, primarily more like dents (minor) in this case. nothing chipped/broken, no signs of wear/tear, and have YET to try it out on his mobo.
Why would you put a bare CPU in your pocket… That’s just asking for trouble.
If he dropped it on the IHS, there’s a little shock absorption from the adhesive (not thermal compound).