Is this possible?

[siggma]

Is this damage possible from a heat sink?



Does the photo below match the photo above?



Are they even the same CPU?
Looking for an unbiased opinion.

-Tom

[CPUShack]

They appear to be the same CPU
The damage is typical of improper heatsink removal (or installation)

The damage appears to be in both photos as well.

[siggma]

Where is the damage on the dark photo?

[CPUShack]

upper right corner of the die, appears to be possibly LESS damage but really hard to tel in the fuzzy pic.

[FDIV]

Edges and corners of the die chipping from heat sinks being installed and uninstalled on these chips is common. That is what your pictures look like to me.

[siggma]

That wasn't the question. Minor chipping along the edges of a cpu won't generally cause it any harm. Some people go to the trouble of lapping the die itself to get better heat transfer so it's doubtful a tinge of chipping will destroy a CPU although it could reduce it's life if severe. The actual circuit is deep in the center of the die.

Note the dark bonding agent around the chips in both images. In the fuzzy photo the bonding goes around the end of the CPU. In the top photo it does not. Also there is a huge discrepancy in the quantity and color of the thermal paste. Also it's common on these CPU's to find a black factory applied epoxy around the edges of the CPU.

See that huge divot in the chip on the first image?
Where is that same divot in the second image?
Can the flat of a heat sink designed for this CPU (socket A ZIF) even cause that much damage?
It has a three hole keyed catch on one side and a spring clip on the other. That plus the clearly visible mounding pads on the second image lead me to believe these are not the same CPU.

I've been around electronics a long time and never seen anything like that huge crater. I assumed that much damage would crack the entire die. It looks intentional to me. It kind of resembles the end of a pair of needle nose pliers. There is no way that kind of damage can occur from a heat sink alone.

Also note the huge color difference between the two photos.

[debs3759]

I agree that they do not look like the same CPU to me, unless the top photo was taken first, the CPU wiped with a cloth then the second photo taken with a lower quality camera (or phone).