It is curious how much the needs of people affect brands and how often they take time to react by launching products that meet those needs. With AMD and its AM4 socket it is well known that precisely its retention of its CPUs is not something that can be described as its strong point. This has drawn criticism for years, but now, just as the socket reaches its death, a product is released that avoids creating CPU damage: a retention bracket for AM4.
Having an AM4 processor and after time installed trying to remove the heatsink or block and take the CPU with it has become a problem that on many occasions ends with bent pins. AMD has not at any time offered a solution, an update or simply a tool to alleviate this and has not accepted the criticism of a lack of pressure on the anchor. Therefore, the brands, although late, have a solution.
Retention bracket for AM4 CPUs, your processor is now safe
Removing an AM4 processor after installed time, with a dubious quality thermal paste and after suffering heat from using the stock AMD heatsink has horrible consequences if we want to replace any of these components.
Poor quality thermal paste dries out, causes the CPU and heatsink to stick together and when pulling the last one the first one pops out of the socket, so if the turning angle when removing it is not correct, the pins end up bent. and more than one with a micro heart attack.
The CPU is already damaged and in some extreme cases it is irreparable, and in the worst it has died because the PCB and the pins suffer internal micro breaks. How to remove a heatsink or block without dying in the attempt and not damaging the CPU? It gives for an article of course, so we will treat it separately, but so that this does not happen, GELID has created a safe removal tool that is beginning to become popular.
The big manufacturers are already working on a similar idea
The system or tool is nothing more than a piece of metal with the shape of the socket anchors, respecting the IHS and allowing the CPU not to move when withdrawing and exerting vertical force, by means of the pressure of the screws, not allowing to get out.
In this way, when we apply the thermal paste and place the heatsink or block we will not be afraid of its removal later. There will be no pin problems or the like, the CPU will remain firmly attached to the socket and everything will be safe, but as in all history not everything is always magic.
There is a drawback that has to be dealt with and where this tool suffers: it adds a few millimeters to the height of the heatsink. The system is designed to be placed BEFORE anchoring the heatsink or water block.
Depending on the nature and system of the latter, we will have a problem of height and contact of these with the IHS. That is, if the heatsink or block anchoring involves lateral retention systems that have to be installed ABOVE the GELID reinforcement, this will imply that the height rises and it is possible that the heatsink / block will not come into contact with the IHS, leaving the the CPU on air and without cooling.
Therefore, we have to take this detail into account and that is why the manufacturers, upon seeing the innovative idea, work on their own solutions that solve this problem, in order to be able to sell this retention system in a unitary way and that does not imply worse or null contact of the heatsink. / block with the IHS of the CPU.
Should AMD leave PGA and switch to LGA taking advantage of the jump to AM5?
It is not that PGA is a wrong system to create CPUs based on a socket, but it is true that it is much more difficult and expensive to create the pins on a substrate or PCB like that of a CPU compared to the substrate that represents a motherboard. with their respective layers.
If AMD does not improve the anchor with AM5 and remains in PGA, the criticism will rain everywhere, because in the first place the disposition and pressure exerted by said anchor on the CPU are much worse technically speaking than those of Intel. Going to LGA and opting for a more square anchor would improve pressure using less distance, allow manufacturers to integrate solutions with better results, and hardly imply a change in the dimensions of the processors.
In addition, they could use a simpler system than the one used in Threadripper, but with a similar philosophy, guaranteeing a correct anchoring of the CPU with the motherboard. This would end all the problems at once, they would equalize Intel in that section, they would pass the responsibility of the pins to the motherboard AIBs, they would reduce manufacturing costs of their processors, they could include a greater number of pins and they would have the users happier overall with the restraint system.
At the moment, practically nothing is known about AM5 , but if you have or are going to buy an AM4 motherboard, this tool will undoubtedly interest you. First for security for your CPU, second for avoiding problems in the clamping system and third because for what it currently costs it is worth it.
On the contrary, the general compatibility as specified, so it will be interesting to see the manufacturers’ options for their corresponding products and how they solve the height problem, since in many cases the anchors are very aggressive with this parameter and are adjusted. to the millimeter so as not to put too much pressure on the IHS.
This prevents the motherboard from bending, improving the general contact of the IHS and the heatsink / block, because many users have a bad habit of tightening until the thread reaches the limit of being about to go over, thinking that this will improve precisely the contact, but avoiding the above mentioned.
This CPU retention bracket would prevent that to a large extent as well, so it’s an option to seriously consider.
