i am replacing a stock p4 cooler with a new one. Unforunatly, the cpu came out of the socket with the cooler when i removed it. I am wondering if anyone knows good tricks for getting it apart

thanks

I hope you didn't twist it when you pulled it. Otherwise you may have some bent pins. So the fan housing is off and the CPU is stuck to the bottom of the heat sink. It's probably stuck more with suction than actually glued on there. I use a very gentle twist with the CPU still in the socket to break the bond. Try setting the heat sink down with the bottom and the processor facing up. Use a plastic credit card and just work it underneath on one corner carefully avoiding the pins. It should pop off. Make sure you are grounded when handling components. You will need to clean off what ever is stuck to the CPU and bottom of the heatsink. Some people use rubbing alcohol. I use denatured alcohol because it evaporates quick and leaves no moisture. When you have the CPU clean, then you are going to need to prepare the bottom contact surface of the new heatsink before applying a thermal paste. I use Arctic Alumina because I'm cheap , but Arctic Silver5 is what most people use. Here is a link on how to prepare your surfaces and apply the paste before you assemble it back on the mobo. Make sure you buy thermal paste and not epoxy. That's used for gluing heat sinks to NBchips

http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_s...tions_big2.htm

I'd run the computer for an hour to warm up the cpu. So the cpu wouldn't get stuck on the HSF.

Rubbing alcohol can be bought at drug stores.

Uh, must have used The Force then? CPU sockets have locking mechanisms, and the heatsink is larger than the socket (usually), so did you just rip it off? If so, better hope the CPU still has all pins left (if it is socket 423 / 478).