I was mounting the AIO cooler and I put too much force on the screws because for some reason they didn't tighten (I then realized that I had the cooler in a wrong position, 180° flipped and didn't think it would matter, and I still can't understand why I didn't think this was the problem and not that the screws needed more force to enter the hole, and I bent the socket pins (Intel LGA 1700 Asus Mobo, i9 14900k CPU).

I took the mobo to a technician that tried to bend the pins back to their position with a microscope and tweezers but he failed because the PC still didn't POST.

The irony of this is that it isn't my PC but I was building it for a friend of a friend for free and now I losed 475 Euros (355 new mobo + 120 Eur for the technician that didn't solve anything).

I learned a lesson the hard way: don't do these kind of favors if you're not prepared to the consequences of something going wrong.

I will not ask for some money to the PC owner because I don't find it right to ask him money for my errors
but at the same time I feel totally stupid for having put myself in this situation where I could simply don't offer me to build his new PC.

I was feeling too much confident after having successfully built dozens of PCs in 22 years and I simply made a noob error that costed me a LOT of my hard earned money.

Sorry for the rant, it helps me to calm down: very stressful day today

 

ooof that sucks, but eh lesson learned it sounds like! hey for what its worth even though it didn't turn out so well you had your heart in the right place, doing a favor for a friend.

 

damn that's gotta suck, however it does show that your human in this time where AI is so prevalent. can't you just send the mobo back as RMA? if it's just the pins then it should be possible to replace the socket, as a former RMA manager for epox europe i have seen many boards that needed a socket replacement. ofcourse it wont be warranty but it could still be cheaper than buying a new one, that is if they are willing to do it.

 

That sucks man… They say no good deed goes unpunished for a reason. I’ve had similar things happen to me in the past after offering to help someone out. Here’s hoping some money falls into your lap. Good luck

 

You did the right thing. +XP
Universe sends our shit back and you did the thing but then the right thing.
I always analyze 4 times before it becomes second nature. Then it doubles, but it happens faster.

 

Maybe it would be possible but I think that the "customer" would not feel satisfied and comfortable with the thought that his new PC isn't immaculate and there's the time factor too: I don't want him to wait for days if not weeks for the socket replacement. Maybe I can try to have it resocketed and then I could sell it to get some money back. I just feel idiot now but it will go away

 

We're all human. 22 years of successful building won't be affected by that one accident.
And without running into issues, how would we learn what not to do?

 

What I find idiotic in a certain way is how I didn't think I could damage the socket applying that force to the board and the socket.
The answer is that I didn't stay calm and that is the first time that it happens to me when doing these kind of works.
Thanks guys for your words, much appreciated!

 

hey buddy, I build PCs since 1996 (yes, I'm old) and did the same mistake last year when I disassembled my music producer machine to clean like I did every year.

When I saw the shit I did, I cried like a baby, literally, with tears and everything.

I understand and I feel so sorry for you

 

Damned, this is annoying AF. No matter how hard we try, we're not safe from making mistakes - sadly. I hope you'll recover from your financial loss soon.

 

yeah, shit happens. take your time and think about what you are doing.
I fucked a few things up with dc power - wrong polarity, fortunately my lessons were fast and the smell of smoke reminds one, they are not perfect.
now I triple check everything, and put a meter on ground when I'm not sure - before plugging anything in.

good luck and 1 good fuckup in 22 years is way above average, so mount that thing on the wall and call it the Art of Failure, and move on..

 

last year i lost my new cell phone because i was drunk and forgot it on the cab on the way back home...
i feel stupid to this day, but i guess its life

 

Those times are over for me. Experience has taken its toll. I've broken other people's devices twice while trying to do my friends a favor. It cost me over $1,000 and damaged my reputation. Now, I don't even attempt to whitewash my room by myself.

 

The best way to recover from financial losses is to download from AZ.

 

If you truly learn from your mistakes, it's a good thing. Later on, you realize the worth of the mistake.
Failure is the most impressionable thing on the mind besides love. And love is perceived so weirdly.

Also. you have to be gentle. Building is foreplay. Turning it on...

 

Last edited: Mar 15, 2024

Sadly, this alone won't earn you any money.

 

that shit'll work forever if you blow it out with air like once a year, disassembling it is not worth it

 

Everyday is a school day. That's really unfortunate that the Mobo is goosed. But as you said, you won't do it again. Thanks for sharing your mishap.
A lot of learning to be had from this. We are human, born to make mistakes.

Peace!

 

We learn from our mistakes, but when it costs a lot we become more cautious. I made a mistake once also but the replacement part was only $75. never made another mistake after that.

 

On the positive side, you have built dozens of PCs without making a serious error like this.

Statistically speaking, it was bound to happen, and also now it's much less probable it will happen again.

Great idea to keep the mbo, resocket it and sell. That way you will cover at least part of the loss.

Cheers!