Adventure: Running 8/9th gen Coffee Lake CPUs on Z170 motherboard (ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger)

[itsakjt]

Hello Itsakjt,

Would you try plugging in a mutant CPU into this socket or would it be too risky? It seems like the previous owner damaged some pins but since the Mutant CPUs come with so many pins blocked out I am trying to find out if it might still be okay. Everything else in the motherboard appears to be like new.
There is a missing pin that is not needed, a missing pin that may be required but I am not sure.
One pin is heavily bent but I could straighten it. Then there are multiple pins that look like they overheated, but may still work.

I marked each area A and B for easier location
Click link for a very high quality photo of the QTJ1: QTJ1 High Quality Image
View attachment 342121
Whole Socket
View attachment 342117
Area A damage:
View attachment 342124
View attachment 342122
My assessment: Neither of these pins are needed, but the bent pin must be straightened or cut to prevent short with the neighboring pin.

Area B damage:
View attachment 342125
View attachment 342123
My assessment: Unfortunately this missing pin is needed, and the area looks damaged, but two nearby pins would not be needed?
Any thoughts? xD

Hello @BobbyBoyGaming,

For area A, try bending the pins back to place with a tweezer or pin. Even if you end up breaking them, it won't matter as they are Vss (ground pins). One of those pins are bent to the point such that it can potentially short a DDR channel pin which might cause issues.

For area B, the broken pin does appear to be related to a memory channel/slot. As for the bent pins near it's vicinity, they are bent very little but just try to bend them back before putting the CPU in the socket so that they are not permanently bent to the point, it makes them difficult to bend them back.

After that, try putting in the CPU. Given the fact that there is a broken pin associated to a DDR data/bus line, it is likely that one channel or slot is not going to function. So try all the RAM slots one by one.
You can attempt to fix the broken pin by salvaging a spare pin from a broken motherboard and inserting it to where the broken pin is and orient it, such that it makes proper contact when the CPU is inserted. All the best.
As for the CPU, it looks perfect and the feeling you get thinking the contacts might have overheated is due to the traces and the design itself. If you look closely, the areas where it look perfect have a solid copper trace going around them and hence they appear "brighter" than the rest of the pins.

 

[crazyfrog]

I suggest you post some higher quality photos so that when he sees it he doesnt have to ask you for a better photo

Lol what a spoon. Taking photos of sub milimetre resistors and parts in low light isnt easy and whats here is perfectly usable.

Hello there. BIOS modification look fine.
Issue seems to be with SKT_OCC mod, both with respect to symptoms and photo of the board near the super IO.
The SKT_OCC mod seems to have been done by shorting the pull up resistor which would not work. Pin 102 of NCT 6793D needs to be grounded and the way it can be verified is - Remove CPU from board, take multimeter and switch to continuity mode, connect one probe to ground and another probe to pin 102 and it should give a beep. I am providing a photo which shows the correct SKT_OCC mod.

Hope this helps.

I've done the mod the way you said to assuming the point I soldered to could have just had low resistance to ground while off but no luck. My 'Asus z170 gaming pro' has its NCT6793D mounted opposite way up to yours so there’s obviously some difference in the circuit.
I've added footage this time using Amtech NC-559 flux and a Ts-100 iron to make the board tacky and easy to work with small components. That video goes through losing the copper wire and having to resolder a joint after it didn’t initially attach. Hopefully someone finds this useful even though it didn’t work for me.

Bad Soldering.mp4.mov

drive.google.com

 

[itsakjt]

Lol what a spoon. Taking photos of sub milimetre resistors and parts in low light isnt easy and whats here is perfectly usable.

I've done the mod the way you said to assuming the point I soldered to could have just had low resistance to ground while off but no luck. My 'Asus z170 gaming pro' has its NCT6793D mounted opposite way up to yours so there’s obviously some difference in the circuit.
I've added footage this time using Amtech NC-559 flux and a Ts-100 iron to make the board tacky and easy to work with small components. That video goes through losing the copper wire and having to resolder a joint after it didn’t initially attach. Hopefully someone finds this useful even though it didn’t work for me.

Bad Soldering.mp4.mov

drive.google.com

Hello,

Please join the wire to the point from the resistor end connected to pin 102 to ground side on the capacitor above it. It will be a diagonal wire.

 

[crazyfrog]

Hello,

Please join the wire to the point from the resistor end connected to pin 102 to ground side on the capacitor above it. It will be a diagonal wire.

I've done that. Thats the content of the video and probing pin 102 checking for ground connection.
Theres no solder bridges to ground either I checked.

 

[itsakjt]

Hello,

Please join the wire to the point from the resistor end connected to pin 102 to ground side on the capacitor above it. It will be a diagonal wire.

Alright looked at your video. Pin 102 seems to be connected to the capacitor below that resistor if you follow the track. Just join that capacitor.

Alright looked at your video. Pin 102 seems to be connected to the capacitor below that resistor if you follow the track. Just join that capacitor.

Also, you can remove that wire you soldered. That point is connected to 103 actually if you follow the trace.

 

[crazyfrog]

Alright looked at your video. Pin 102 seems to be connected to the capacitor below that resistor if you follow the track. Just join that capacitor.

Also, you can remove that wire you soldered. That point is connected to 103 actually if you follow the trace.

It looks like it but when I've actually probed I get continuity to pin 101 RSMRST, as I'm asking for help I've made the modification here instead and it's worked.
I think its worth going back and probing your own board.

 

[itsakjt]

It looks like it but when I've actually probed I get continuity to pin 101 RSMRST, as I'm asking for help I've made the modification here instead and it's worked.
I think its worth going back and probing your own board.

Awesome. Also, if you check my marking in the post before yours, I have marked the same spot. So congratulations.

 

[BobbyBoyGaming]

Hello @BobbyBoyGaming,

For area A, try bending the pins back to place with a tweezer or pin. Even if you end up breaking them, it won't matter as they are Vss (ground pins). One of those pins are bent to the point such that it can potentially short a DDR channel pin which might cause issues.

For area B, the broken pin does appear to be related to a memory channel/slot. As for the bent pins near it's vicinity, they are bent very little but just try to bend them back before putting the CPU in the socket so that they are not permanently bent to the point, it makes them difficult to bend them back.

After that, try putting in the CPU. Given the fact that there is a broken pin associated to a DDR data/bus line, it is likely that one channel or slot is not going to function. So try all the RAM slots one by one.
You can attempt to fix the broken pin by salvaging a spare pin from a broken motherboard and inserting it to where the broken pin is and orient it, such that it makes proper contact when the CPU is inserted. All the best.
As for the CPU, it looks perfect and the feeling you get thinking the contacts might have overheated is due to the traces and the design itself. If you look closely, the areas where it look perfect have a solid copper trace going around them and hence they appear "brighter" than the rest of the pins.

I think I will attempt to replace the entire socket, I found some videos of it online. And I have a heat gun with a big nozzle on it. The sockets are sold on AliExpress with the solder balls already attached.
I already bought the socket replacements "Foxconn" brand.

I might still attempt this method (1 RAM DIMM at a time) but if I can repair the board completely that would be great too

 

[itsakjt]

I think I will attempt to replace the entire socket, I found some videos of it online. And I have a heat gun with a big nozzle on it. The sockets are sold on AliExpress with the solder balls already attached.
I already bought the socket replacements "Foxconn" brand.

I might still attempt this method (1 RAM DIMM at a time) but if I can repair the board completely that would be great too

That's great. I would suggest to try working around the existing socket first because replacing a CPU socket has some risks and I doubt if a heatgun alone will be enough to reflow the new socket and while making sure the solder balls are properly aligned to the pads.

 

[Solaris17]

I dont care about reddit mods, how many crayons you eat or whatever this rediculous argument was.

Be cordial or write in a diary instead of the forums.

 

[jxdking]

Anyone tried this cpu (CC150)?

Intel CC150: The Strange Case of the CPU With 8C/16T and no Turbo

A Chinese forum user has seemingly benchmarked this CPU that strangely lacks turbo boost.

www.tomshardware.com

It is pretty cheap on AliExpress right now. It will be fantastic if it can be overclocked to 5GHz.

 

[itsakjt]

Further enhancements to ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger (Z170) with Coffee Lake.
So far, I have been able to
1. Add TPM 2.0 via add on card.
2. Enable Resizable bar by further modding the BIOS and including the Resizable bar DXE driver

And now:

2nd NVMe slot:

Got a PCIe x4 to NVMe adapter.

Improvised on the thermal design by putting thermal pad for cooling NVMe controller

Installed on the bottom PCIe x16 slot (electrical x4)

How it looks overall. Hard to believe this board is now more than 8 years old.

In action. That LED is very annoying but functions as an activity LED.

Connected and operates in x4 mode

SSD rated speeds. It is an Intel 660p 512 GB NVMe that I had lying around.

Getting speeds as expected from the SSD.

 

[dumaster]

2. Enable Resizable bar by further modding the BIOS and including the Resizable bar DXE driver

Hello friend @itsakjt , how are you ??

I saw that you managed to activate the ResizeBar , would it be possible on my Z170 Maximus VIII Hero ??

I ended up being absent and I don't know if you made a tutorial to modify the BIOS and activate the Resizable Bar , if you could send the step by step or the link to the page if you have already published it I would be very happy !!!

1. Add TPM 2.0 via add on card.

I also had success in activating TPM 2.0 through a TPM module that I bought on AliExpress, I wanted to share the seller's link here as the price is very affordable, I don't know the seller and I had never bought from him, I chose by seeing the reviews and how I I was successful if anyone wanted to buy I will indicate it here so there is less risk of a problem!!!

You have to choose the module correctly because each motherboard can have a type of connector and each manufacturer also, you have to check both the manufacturer and the motherboard model!!!

Product Link: https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/1005005818923318.html

Below are photos of the installed module and the BIOS screen where only TPM was not present, after I installed the module it enabled TPM in version 2.0 correctly and with several configuration options, within Windows I ran TPM.MSC and Windows reported that Everything is correct with TPM version 2.0, I also used WhyNotWin11.exe which is a Free App created by a GitHub user to check if the hardware is compatible with the minimum requirements of Windows 11 and everything turned GREEN indicating full compatibility!! !

I hope to help anyone who is in doubt about activating TPM 2.0 after making the CoffeLake Mod!!!

Below are images: