Bent Pins on Motherboard

[Gmr_Chick]

I recently sold my Asus Z490-G board on Ebay. Once the buyer finally received it, I was notified by Ebay that he had opened a dispute against me regarding the condition of the item. Said there were quite a few bent pins on the socket, and provided several pictures of the damage that, up until then, I had no prior knowledge of. I saved the photos for my records:





I'm...not even really sure how I managed to screw up so badly, but there it is. I can't return the board to Amazon because it's way past the return window (I tried) and all they could tell me was to contact Asus and see if I could send the board back to them (essentially an RMA) for repair or replacement. However, given the current pandemic, and all the horror stories I've read about Asus' RMA process, I'm not sure I want to go down that route. But the only other solution I can think of is fixing the pins myself, and given my vision (even with the help of a magnifier) I'm all but certain such an attempt would backfire.

Can someone help me?

 

[jaggerwild]

I recently sold my Asus Z490-G board on Ebay. Once the buyer finally received it, I was notified by Ebay that he had opened a dispute against me regarding the condition of the item. Said there were quite a few bent pins on the socket, and provided several pictures of the damage that, up until then, I had no prior knowledge of. I saved the photos for my records:

View attachment 184722View attachment 184723View attachment 184724

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I'm...not even really sure how I managed to screw up so badly, but there it is. I can't return the board to Amazon because it's way past the return window (I tried) and all they could tell me was to contact Asus and see if I could send the board back to them (essentially an RMA) for repair or replacement. However, given the current pandemic, and all the horror stories I've read about Asus' RMA process, I'm not sure I want to go down that route. But the only other solution I can think of is fixing the pins myself, and given my vision (even with the help of a magnifier) I'm all but certain such an attempt would backfire.

Can someone help me?

If you want to send it to me, I'll do my best(I used to earn extra money off E bay buying these boards and saving them). No Cost you pay shipping Both ways.......No guarantees!! PM me i can send my info.

 

[bobbybluz]

This is why I always take pictures of things I sell on Ebay and include them in my ad, especially Intel motherboards and their CPU sockets. I also make sure the CPU socket cover is on and take a picture before sealing the box I'm shipping it in. I sold an Asus Z87 Sabertooth a few years ago and the seller tried pulling the same stunt with me. I disputed his claim, had dated pictures of the CPU socket in my ad plus dated pictures of it being packaged for shipping. I won and he got to keep the motherboard he damaged.

That being said some of the pins on yours are badly bent while others aren't too difficult to repair. Others here have offered to help you and that's your best option as far as price goes. I have no idea what the cost of replacing the socket would be but a safe guess is not cheap. Asus is a nightmare to deal with for RMA's and repairs. I have horror stories of my dealings with them over the years. Good luck to you and next time document everything when selling on Ebay.

 

[Caring1]

Yep, taking pics of the socket before sale is the best way to fight a dispute.

Edit, I just looked at your for sale listing here and unfortunately you have the socket protector on so a comparison before and after can't be made.

 

[biffzinker]

Some of those misaligned or bent legs look like the bottom of the CPU was pushed around, and the corners of the CPU package were poked into the legs. Are you sure it was you? Not that it will change anything now, and you knew to put the plastic protector back. Is there anyone with enough hardware knowledge you can ask for help to straighten the pins back?

 

[Regeneration]

I don't understand. Was it damaged before? or happened during shipping?

There are professionals capable of replacing the entire socket.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

If you want to send it to me, I'll do my best(I used to earn extra money off E bay buying these boards and saving them). No Cost you pay shipping Both ways.......No guarantees!! PM me i can send my info.

Thank you SO much! I'll be in touch with you shortly

Some of those misaligned or bent legs look like the bottom of the CPU was pushed around, and the corners of the CPU package were poked into the legs. Are you sure it was you? Not that it will change anything now, and you knew to put the plastic protector back. Is there anyone with enough hardware knowledge you can ask for help to straighten the pins back?

I'm not sure it was me, that's the thing. My short term memory is complete shit. All I remember is making sure to put the socket cover on before taking my pictures, that way I wouldn't forget to include the cover when/if the board sold.

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone with enough hardware knowledge to even attempt to straighten out the pins. That's why I posted this thread.

I don't understand. Was it damaged before? or happened during shipping?

There are professionals capable of replacing the entire socket.

I can't remember if it was damaged before I sold it. It didn't happen during shipping though, that much I know. Had a 10700K running in it without issues.

I'm sure there are professionals capable of replacing the entire socket. But actually paying one to do so would probably cost damn near what I sold the board for (buyer offered me $180; was asking $220 for it) or even what I originally bought it for ($240 thereabouts)

UPDATE:

Much thanks to everyone in regards to my issue, with special thanks going to @weekendgeek for offering to take the board off my hands. You guys are awesome

 

[jaggerwild]

For now on, always take a picture of the item and the Serial number. I hope you checked to make sure you even got the same board back!!! If you have the original box it will have the serial number on it as well....Ive seen the Ebay switch trick before.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Don't worry. I made sure to check that it was the same board. It was

 

[Vario]

I think the buyer sabotaged the board. They may have either swapped it with a defective board or they damaged the board inserting their CPU. It's also possible they have buyer's remorse but don't want to pay return shipping so they damaged the board to produce a claim.

However, it is impossible to prove as you did not photograph the socket. Even if you had photographed the socket, there is no guarantee you'd beat buyer fraud. Every time I have sold a motherboard on eBay, I have considered myself lucky that I didn't have a buyer pull one of these stunts.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Rookie mistakes on both ends of the sell.
Intel mother board seller should of post an image or two of the socket pins
Buyers not too bright for not asking for one.
50-50% chance it was shipped like that but 100% your liability so it makes no difference even if the buyer caused the damage.... live and learn.

 

[bobbybluz]

I think the buyer sabotaged the board. They may have either swapped it with a defective board or they damaged the board inserting their CPU. It's also possible they have buyer's remorse but don't want to pay return shipping so they damaged the board to produce a claim.

However, it is impossible to prove as you did not photograph the socket. Even if you had photographed the socket, there is no guarantee you'd beat buyer fraud. Every time I have sold a motherboard on eBay, I have considered myself lucky that I didn't have a buyer pull one of these stunts.

I had a genuine idiot buy an ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX Professional mobo from me on Ebay two years ago and claimed he couldn't get Windows to install with it. I even shot a video and posted it on YouTube of me installing Win 10 on it and sent the link to Ebay. They sided with him and I thought I was screwed. When the board came back he included two new BIOS chips for it (somehow he trashed the one that was in it when I sent it to him). I was pissed because I was out the shipping fees but then I relisted it and it ended up selling for twice what I'd gotten on the first sale. I was so happy I included the 5.02 Ghz 8150 I'd always used with it as gift to the new owner. He gave me a glowing review plus thanked me for including the unmentioned CPU. Some extremely rare times these things end up resolving themselves in your favor. I also still have the extra BIOS chip if anybody needs one., will work for a 990FX Extreme9 too.

 

[maxfly]

I think the buyer sabotaged the board. They may have either swapped it with a defective board or they damaged the board inserting their CPU. It's also possible they have buyer's remorse but don't want to pay return shipping so they damaged the board to produce a claim.

However, it is impossible to prove as you did not photograph the socket. Even if you had photographed the socket, there is no guarantee you'd beat buyer fraud. Every time I have sold a motherboard on eBay, I have considered myself lucky that I didn't have a buyer pull one of these stunts.

That and his opening a dispute without ever contacting you directly seemed awfully crooked as well.

Glad you were able to get it squared away tho.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

That and his opening a dispute without ever contacting you directly seemed awfully crooked as well.

Glad you were able to get it squared away tho.

Not to mention, in the dispute he wrote to Ebay, he accused me of knowingly selling the board with bent pins, but not listing the item "For Parts" because, quote, "he knew nobody would buy it for parts"

Once he knew he was going to be getting a refund, at one point during our brief correspondence he tells me "once I get my refund I'm just going to buy a board from Amazon so I can play some games."

 

[thesmokingman]

After looking at those pics, I'm not sure how one could mess up so many different areas?

 

[Gmr_Chick]

After looking at those pics, I'm not sure how one could mess up so many different areas?

Not sure myself. Maybe I'm gifted?

 

[biffzinker]

Not sure myself. Maybe I'm gifted?

Shaky arm, and blind gifted or the sabotage kind of gifted?

 

[tabascosauz]

I think one would have to try unfathomably hard to bend that many pins when removing an LGA CPU...

Pretty sure you got scammed by a scumbag here. My super damaged short-term memory can probably give yours a run for your money, but I think I wouldn't be able to forget dropping a CPU corner-first back into the socket half a dozen times, even if I wanted to forget.

So unless you accidentally installed the plastic cover on the inside of the socket lid the first time (does it even snap into place that way??), leaning towards someone trying to cover for their own (drunken?) mistake, or straight up trying to scam you.

 

[R-T-B]

You got nuthin' on me. I'm the gifted one around here...

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Shaky arm, and blind gifted or the sabotage kind of gifted?

Shaky hand, and blind gifted. The shaky hand thing is ironic because I tend to draw a lot, lol. I can keep it straight when drawing, but around a damn CPU socket, my steady hand turns into a jitter fest

I think one would have to try unfathomably hard to bend that many pins when removing an LGA CPU...

Pretty sure you got scammed by a scumbag here. My super damaged short-term memory can probably give yours a run for your money, but I think I wouldn't be able to forget dropping a CPU corner-first back into the socket half a dozen times, even if I wanted to forget.

So unless you accidentally installed the plastic cover on the inside of the socket lid the first time (does it even snap into place that way??), leaning towards someone trying to cover for their own (drunken?) mistake, or straight up trying to scam you.

I can remember being confused about how the plastic cover went back on the socket...and I did try to install it on the inside the first time. Didn't work; the socket cover wouldn't close all the way. After some minutes of fumbling around with it, I finally figured out the proper way the plastic cover went on.

Dear lawd, I dun fucked up big time

 

[tabascosauz]

Shaky hand, and blind gifted. The shaky hand thing is ironic because I tend to draw a lot, lol. I can keep it straight when drawing, but around a damn CPU socket, my steady hand turns into a jitter fest



I can remember being confused about how the plastic cover went back on the socket...and I did try to install it on the inside the first time. Didn't work; the socket cover wouldn't close all the way. After some minutes of fumbling around with it, I finally figured out the proper way the plastic cover went on.

Dear lawd, I dun fucked up big time

I'm trying to remember what the LGA115x cover looks like without opening my box of old CPUs...but it's not promising to hear that you did indeed try that.

If the 115x covers are anything to go by, the 1200 cover probably also has plastic tabs that would probably protrude into the socket if installed incorrectly.

I was confused as to why there were a few bent pins at the top that weren't on the edge. I think there are hook-like tabs in roughly that location on the cover.

edit: even worse, it looks like some 1200 covers have round posts on the inside

 

[Gmr_Chick]

In my defense, I've never actually had enough "experience" with Intel as far as having to replace the plastic socket covers. Only Intel CPU I've had besides Comet Lake was Haswell, and that CPU is still in the motherboard

 

[ThrashZone]

You got nuthin' on me. I'm the gifted one around here...

Hi,
Yeah trying to make things better can turn bad quickly