Removing the processor cartridge from the Pentium II

The processor is enclosed in a black coffin.  This is not good.  I've removed the coffin from my processor.

The actual processor, cache, and cache controller (along with sundry capacitors and resistors) lives on a PCB inside the cartridge.  The processor and cache live on one side of the processor, the cache controller on the other side.  The cartridge is made up of a plastic cover and an aluminium plate.  The aluminium plate -- the thermal plate -- is on the side with the cache and processor.  The plastic cover encloses the other sides (except the edge connector, obviously).  The thermal plate is attached to the PCB by a number of short rods that extend from the plate and pass through the PCB, where there are two spring clips holding the plate tight against the PCB.  The plastic attaches to more pins, held on by the fact that the ends of the pins are bigger than the holes that they're in.

1. First, I removed the heatsink from the processor.  This was not as easy as it could have been.  It is fastened with things called Rivscrews^®.  These get popped on like rivets, but are threaded like screws, hence can be unscrewed.

   They have Torx #8 heads; if you have a Torx screwdriver that's fine.  If you don't, then you can force an Allen key into them and use that to unscrew them.  They are very stiff at first (though easy to unscrew once you've broken the seal).  If you are using an Allen key, be careful.  The shafts of the Rivscrews are hollow for their entire length; if you push the Allen key in too far then you'll hit the processor PCB, which is not a good thing to do.  They can safely go in about 7mm; it's probably wise to mark 7mm with some masking tape wrapped round the key, to stop it going in any further than 7mm.

   Two of the Rivscrews came out easily with Torx screwdrivers.  The other two weren't so friendly.  Their heads just disintegrated completely, so they had to be (very carefull) drilled off, with a hoover ready to catch any bits of swarf that might have found it amusing to go into the processor.  As I want to keep the heatsink, I removed one of the drilled Rivscrews with an Allen key down its shaft, and the other had to be completely drilled out.

2. Next, I removed the plastic part of the cartridge.  As described earlier, it's held in place by four metal pins which fit into holes in the plastic.  With a little bit of leverage the pins can be extracted from the holes.  To do this:

   Insert a flat head screwdriver carefully between the plastic and the metal at the points indicated on the photo. Legend PCB Thermal Plate Plastic case
   Then lever up the metal with the screwdriver.
   Then rotate the head of the screwdriver to pop the peg right out of the hole.
   There will be a vomit inducing snapping sound as the peg finally pops out of the hole, but it should be just fine.
   Then repeat the process for the other pegs