heatsink

[DAVIDCOOKE1]

he device is not working but there is 12v at the MOBO
Is the winged device overlying the CPU the heat sink?
I have tried to remove it but there are no screws and it is firmly attached to the MOBO
I was trying to do this to renew the thermal paste
I've attached an image with an arrow from the Internet
please advise

 

[Black Hole]

You are correct, it is a heatsink. However, it is bonded to the device and not a good idea to remove.

Why do you think the heatsink is responsible for the unit not working? If that were the case, you could expect the unit to work for a substantial time after start-up from cold, and only fail as it got warm.

 

[DAVIDCOOKE1]

thank you for the advice - I wont try and remove the heatsink
The problem with the device was initially intermittent but now there is no functionality - the problem coincided with the failure of the fan which I assume was the cause
could the CPU have 'fried' - if so it's probably not worth trying to repair

 

[Black Hole]

could the CPU have 'fried'

It's not very likely. Function would normally degrade rather than completely die, and the SoC is designed for passive cooling.

Fault finding can be horrendous to impossible. Once you've eliminated bad connections, it's a case of trying repairs which have a history of working: replace all electrolytic capacitors; try re-flowing solder joints in an oven or with a heat gun.

Or just source another on eBay.

 

[DAVIDCOOKE1]

It's not very likely. Function would normally degrade rather than completely die, and the SoC is designed for passive cooling.

Fault finding can be horrendous to impossible. Once you've eliminated bad connections, it's a case of trying repairs which have a history of working: replace all electrolytic capacitors; try re-flowing solder joints in an oven or with a heat gun.

Or just source another on eBay.

thanks again
I agree- acquiring a used device on EBay looks like the best option - repairing the old one looks like a difficult intellectual exercise

 

[Black Hole]

repairing the old one looks like a difficult intellectual exercise

Rarely worthwhile for consumer devices.

 

[prpr]

It's probably been bu**ered by trying to remove the heatsink if it was partially working before.