P55 overclockers...check your sockets

Atech

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http://anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3661

Anand has some interesting reading, Anand says this applies only to overclockers, bu no one really knows the long terms effects of bad contact on the socket/CPU.

So please...check you socket/CPU for pin marks if you own a socket 1156.
 
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Looks like part of the problem is cheap sockets.
 
Blargh. I have a Gigabyte P55-UD4P. Anyone know where their sockets are from?
 
Damn that's nasty. Not just those burns, but the lack of contact on so many pins

Thanks for sharing
 
wow. Thanks for the link.
Foxconn probably supplies most of the manufacturers. damn.

From raju (who is obviously Rajinder Gill @ AT):
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=4064446&postcount=205

Raju post at XS said:
I don't have full model specifics because every vendor seems to have some boards in the channel with Foxconn sockets.

So far, DFI have dropped Foxconn on 1156 until further notice. But there are some boards out there from early batches using Foxconn.

EVGA are using a mixture of TYCO AMP, LOTES and Foxconn. I was told future batches will focus on using TYCO AMP and LOTES.

ASUS, so far I have only seen Foxconn from them (not heard anything back at all)

Gigabyte, they are using Foxconn too.

MSI have some boards which use LOTES sockets, from budget to GD80.

It's a little hit and miss all round at present.

I should add though that not everyone has issues. It's a case of checking that most pins touch if you have a Foxconn socket. Just a bit dissapointing that there can be a significant amount of unconnected/poor contact pins.

later
Raja
 
Wow that sucks, what happened to some QC before sending out a product?
 
http://anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3661

Anand has some interesting reading, this does not apply to none overclockers.

I think non-overclockers should still be wary though. This isn't just a few pins that aren't making contact. It's a large number of pins that aren't making contact.

If you read the comments on the article there have been reports that some motherboards haven't been able to POST and is most likely related to this issue.

Bottom line is the Foxconn sockets are faulty and need to be avoided.
 
Yeah but barring the high-end eVGA boards, how can you be sure of avoiding them? I wish we had a Gigabyte rep on this board to see if they are going to update the sockets across the product lines. It looks like a 50/50 gamble with MSI and without paying top dollar, you are gambling even with the eVGA product line.

I know we got a eVGA rep on this board, maybe he can say something on the matter.
 
How do you check to see if the pins are all making contact? Or check to see if the socket/LGA is a Foxconn product?
 
How do you check to see if the pins are all making contact? Or check to see if the socket/LGA is a Foxconn product?

Heh you should have seen it when you were installing your backplate. *oops you do have an MSI, you might actually have a LOTES then.
 
D'oh, and the motherboard in the i7 contest is an ASUS, so most likely it's a Foxconn socket. :(
 
Heh you should have seen it when you were installing your backplate. *oops you do have an MSI, you might actually have a LOTES then.
Well that's why I'd like to check, I just started OCing this week. haha. I'd love to make sure I have something other than a foxconn before too late...
I've never looked when I've placed an LGA chip in to make sure everything was making good contact. lol
 
How do you check to see if the pins are all making contact? Or check to see if the socket/LGA is a Foxconn product?

You can see from the picture at the link, its done by examining the CPU contacts

Any pins that made contact with the CPU will leave marks on the CPU contact patch. Any contact that looks perfect without any contact point marks on it indicates that it didn't made any contact with the pins

The pins are support to sort of poke some marks on the CPU contacts
 
i'm guessing there is no temporary fix for this? i cant imagine how there would be but just making sure.
 
You can see from the picture at the link, its done by examining the CPU contacts

Any pins that made contact with the CPU will leave marks on the CPU contact patch. Any contact that looks perfect without any contact point marks on it indicates that it didn't made any contact with the pins

The pins are support to sort of poke some marks on the CPU contacts
Aaaah, thanks. I didn't follow the link because I'm at work. I'll check our the thread fully at home and check out the CPU. Thanks.
 
Huh. I wonder if this applies to P55 boards with 'auto-overclock' buttons? TO VOID YOUR WARRANTY, PUSH THIS BUTTON.
 
this sucks. I have a gigabyte on the way. I almost want to send it back unopened.
 
thanks for this post,i have been thinking of making the jump to p55,will back off for now.
 
Sigh...my gigabyte UD2 is on the way...guess it is going back. Talk about a kick in the shins.
 
I just looked at the plastic protective socket cover that came off my Gigabyte UD4P . . . it's a Foxconn, unfortunately. I'll pull my 860 later and check the contacts. I'm not running a crazy overclock right now—just 3.8GHZ—but still, it's worrisome.
 
I just looked at the plastic protective socket cover that came off my Gigabyte UD4P . . . it's a Foxconn, unfortunately. I'll pull my 860 later and check the contacts. I'm not running a crazy overclock right now—just 3.8GHZ—but still, it's worrisome.

My biggest worry is not what happens "short term", but long term. It really is a ticking timebomb of not "if" it will fail but "when". That is why i'm pissed.
 
the way I am reading it that some of the mboard makers are using mulitple vendors so even if the newegg pics show one socket your board might not have that socket.

My biggest worry is not what happens "short term", but long term. It really is a ticking timebomb of not "if" it will fail but "when". That is why i'm pissed.

+1 even if I was not going to OC I worry although they are talking in that thread that its only extreme OCing that could lead to this problem.
 
I went home and checked mine.

The results are interesting to say the least.

In the upper left hand corner the pattern is quite regular. However in the bottom right hand corner it is a little messed up.

A bunch of the pins are doubled up. More are doubled up than are not. There are also missed spots between the ones doubled up. This has only been put in a socket ONCE and never removed. What you see is from a single insertion. I don't overclock and the system is 100% stable. So I guess I don't really know what this actually means to me...

Link to PIC since it is pretty huge. Sorry about the corner lost to the flash. I could only get good enough contrast to show the pin holes with the flash on.
 
the way I am reading it that some of the mboard makers are using mulitple vendors so even if the newegg pics show one socket your board might not have that socket.

.


ya the evga p55 ftw i posted on newegg shows LOTES but on evga site shows FOXCONN
 
Ugh, I may have to check tonight - just so I'm not thinking about this. I'll probably take multiple pics as well, guess we'll see how well my P&S handles this.
 
I went home and checked mine.

The results are interesting to say the least.

In the upper left hand corner the pattern is quite regular. However in the bottom right hand corner it is a little messed up.

A bunch of the pins are doubled up. More are doubled up than are not. There are also missed spots between the ones doubled up. This has only been put in a socket ONCE and never removed. What you see is from a single insertion. I don't overclock and the system is 100% stable. So I guess I don't really know what this actually means to me...

Link to PIC since it is pretty huge. Sorry about the corner lost to the flash. I could only get good enough contrast to show the pin holes with the flash on.

Ouch...that dosn't look good...I will change the wording of my OP...this applies to all as I see now :eek:
 
Ouch...that dosn't look good...I will change the wording of my OP...this applies to all as I see now :eek:

This is going to be a time bomb for OEMs. They run perfectly fine now, but what about in 2-3 years when many computers are still under warranty and have been running with compromised power connections the whole time.
 
This is going to be a time bomb for OEMs. They run perfectly fine now, but what about in 2-3 years when many computers are still under warranty and have been running with compromised power connections the whole time.
I wonder if we can RMA the boards in the near future if the manufacturers get enough proof/complaints or something. Frying a $300+ processor is NOT something I look forward to and the mobo manufacturers should certainly fix this.
 
I just checked the EVGA FTW I picked up at Fry's In Atlanta Monday (got the combo with the i5). I got lucky, I think, and got a LOTES one. Hopefully, I don't have to drive 6+ hours back to return it (I was there on a business trip). I'll know as soon as the DDR3 gets here and I assemble.
 
I don't think it's clock speed so much as the pin contact that we should all be concerned about here. Even at stock speeds, I'm not at all confident anymore. I'm gonna check my CPU tonight, and assuming no damage, may begin looking at another mobo. You know what - I might even head over the MC and check their eVGA stock. I guess it depends on whether they let me open the box or not to see if it's a LOTES socket. This is just ridiculous though.
 
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Ok just to get things straight:

A) Do all Foxconn sockets have the same issue?
B) If you have said issue, is it OK to keep the processor at stock? What about a minor OC? Anand did take theirs to 5+ GHz and claims that it's an issue for extreme overclockers. Has something like this happened before and what were the long terms results?
C) Typically, do all pins make good contact?

I'll have to check when I get home. My heart kind of dropped at work when reading this. The Newegg MSI P55 GD65 shows a glaring FOXCONN...
 
Ok just to get things straight:

A) Do all Foxconn sockets have the same issue?
B) If you have said issue, is it OK to keep the processor at stock? What about a minor OC? Anand did take theirs to 5+ GHz.
C) Typically, do all pins make good contact?

I'll have to check when I get home. My heart kind of dropped at work when reading this. The Newegg MSI P55 GD65 shows a glaring FOXCONN...

A) Don't really know
B) I don't think anyone knows the long term effects at stock speed with bad contact.
C) They do with "Tyco AMP / LOTES 1156 Socket Installation" sockets, look at the picture on the first page of Anand's article:
http://anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3661
 
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