Please help identifying part in my computer!

[teresa_lynn]

I added new memory to my computer successfully. However, when I opened the computer a part was loose. This part looks like a weird lego piece to me, except it's metal and silver. It is a square, about 2"x2"x2". The back of the square is solid, but the front has a lot of things that look about like tines of a fork sticking out, about as long as fork tines too. This piece was mounted to the computer with something sticky that isn't holding now. There are also 2 pieces of wire, about like a paper clip that stick out on either side, that I think should be clipped to something, but I couldn't figure out what. Does anybody know what this is and what will happen if I don't reattach it? I couldn't find it by googling. Thanks for any help! Teresa

[sretnup]

hey,

could you tell what material the unknown object is made of?
it could be some heatsink from mobo or graphic card 's chip

Cheers,
Jake

[sretnup]

oh yeah if it is a heatsink, then i guess u have to find the chip that it have drop off from as it is to spread out the heat from the chip it is attached to prevent overheating.
- check the chips on the mobo or graphic card which have the size like the square.
- see if the surface have some sticky or rough surface left behind by the sticky side of the square.
- clean up the both surface, then apply thermal paste and attach them back

hope these help but if is not a heatsink then i have no idea what it is then..

Cheers,
Jake

[sassie05]

How about if you post a picture of the object? I'm sure someone will be able to tell what it may be.

[odannyboy000]

Well the way you described it its Obviously the heatsink that covers the chip (Northbridge I believe). You should see some hooks poking out of the motherboard where the "paper clip" thing you described goes under.

If you don't see the little "rainbow" shaped hooks then its likely the "paper clip things sticking out" got shot out due to pressure.

[Mini-Me]

I agree with odannyboy000.

DO NOT run your PC until you have reattached this heatsink correctly.
If the northbridge chip is not heatsinked when it should be, it could cook itself to death, and that adds up to a dead motherboard!

Here are two common types of heatsink for these chips:

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/3549/nbxq3.jpg

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/5017/sbnw5.jpg

[ARMYUK]

Thats what it is repaired one recently the clip was broken used superglue still going strong