Processors

[rishabh2011]

My motherboard started showing the CPU fail LED yesterday. So, I decided to remove the processor from the motherboard and re-seat it with new thermal paste. Unfortunately I was naive enough to remove the heatsink directly. As a result, the processor came off with it. Now it seems to be stuck to the heatsink and I am not sure how to get it removed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzlwyWj05L4

This video suggests using a hair dryer to heat the cpu and then pry it loose with with a prying tool. But I have read elsewhere that heating can cause damage to the cpu so I am really unsure as to how I should proceed. Any help would be appreciated. The heatsink was attached to the cpu using the stock thermal paste that came with the heatsink. Also a few pins on the cpu are bent. I guess I can straighten them after getting it loose.

[colesdav]

I had the same problem on a Ryzen 3600 CPU on a PC build I did. 

The Ryzen 3600 come with a pathetic Wraith Stealth cooler. 

The person I did the build for complained that the CPU temps were high, the fan was running at maximum and the PC would cut out.

So I tried to replace the heatsink but it was stuck solid to the top of the CPU. 

I removed the fastening mounts for the cooler to the motherboard. 
I used a thermally controlled heat gun to heat up the area between the top of the CPU and the heatsink to about 105'C. 
It eventually came unstuck. 
Do not try to simply pull it off as it may get removed from the CPU socket and you might end up with bent CPU pins.
Try to slide it off using sideways force.
 
Good luck.