I tried to take it off but it`s not coming out easily so I was wondering if it was wrong to force it. Or should I just leave it as it is even though it`s not secured by the latches (it seems pretty secured by the paste).
And another question- could I have potentially ruined my cpu by not being really gentle when placing it into the mobo or is that unlikely?
Before I start: If you are not ok with possibly breaking your computer and having to spend around $100-$300 in parts, I would stop and take it to a professional. If you are ok with that possibility, then by all means this will be a good learning experience.
Leaving the heatsink not fully attached will make your CPU overheat and shutdown your computer unexpectidly. It must be attached properly.
I would say that the heatsink may be broken by forcing it so I would buy a new one. As for the CPU, as fragile as people make them out to be, they are actually very durable.
Also, do you have silver heat sink compound to put on the heatsink to make a good seal on the CPU? While it isn't 100% required, it helps keep the CPU as cool as possible.
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