I have a Dell Dimension 4600C and am recieving the message "Alert! Chipset Heat Sink Not Detected. System Halted!" After doing a little research and calling Dell to no avail, I have figured out that I am getting this error because I am missing the solder-down anchor that connects my Chipset Heat sink to the motherboard. Because of this, my chipset heatsink (black plastic square) is separated from the motherboard, and my computer will not let me boot. I have an Intel 865G chipset. Here is a link to a picture and documentation of what I am referring to: http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/applnots/29226901.pdf It starts on page 11. You may also want to refer to this prior forum. We have/had the same problem. http://www.computing.net/hardware/wwwboard/forum/28145.html My question is where can I get one a solder-down anchor clip. Dell has no idea what I am talking about, and I imagine that this is a really simple thing to correct. Please help me. I am lost without my computer at home. Thanks for any help you can give. Lauren

Hi after having a read of the pdf as i understand it the clip that broke holds down the heat sink that cools the processor? is that correct? if so its probably a trip to your local electronics company who might attempt to resolder the clip point. the reported fault occurs because your motherboard has built into it (i dont know where) a temperature monitor which switches off your pc when it gets to 50C+ so as to protect it from overheating. check to see if there is a thermistor missing off the mobo , small piece of wire that would connect to the heatsink. like this; http://www.mycableshop.ca/sku/STK-THERM.htm has your heatsink got a fan attached? (i cannot see or know of any monitoring devices that can tell if a clip has broken its unlikely but its an intel) so i would suggest if the repair is not available then you should get a replacement motherboard (is it still under warrenty??) check with local pc shop are there any zalman replacement products that would do the job without the broken clip? eg: http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/Kustom_PCs_Shop_CPU_Quiet_Coolers_16.html if all else fails..... you could try attaching the heatsink to the cpu using !permanent! araldite glue yes its drastic measure and its a one way trip. once bonded it wont come off , hence dispensing with the clip mechanism. A very thin coat of araldite will ensure the heat sink still operates as it forms a glass like resin and thin enough to allow heat transfer. the above should only be attempted IF there is no other solution, if u do the latter ensure the heatsink is pressed down while drying use some books or something 2lb max. (i said it was drastic)you have to get the heat sink to bond to the cpu with minimal gap between HS and Cpu. im only suggesting the glue method as it used to be used on old pcs with passive cooling (no fan)yrs ago ,i used it on a northbrige a while back & its fine, really depends on how desperate you want the pc running as it is. I would try the warrenty route first then the repair. post back any info / u want. regards.

Thank you for your help, and I can clarify things a bit. There is a heatsink underneath my fan, but that is not the one that is giving me problems. The heatsink underneath the fan is metal, and I purchased a replacement one from Dell, but that is not the problem. According to previous posts and my research, the computer has a built in sensor that recognizes when the z-clip (on the heatsink) is detached from the solder-down clip. Because this connection is gone (because the clip is detached from the mobo), it is not allowing me to boot my system. My system is a month out of warranty, so I unfortunately can't do anything regarding that. I will try a local electronics store, and hope that works. On a side note, this is the most that I have ever known about the innerworkings of a computer. What all is involved in replacing the motherboard and how much of an expense is it normally? It just seems like so drastic a measure for one lousy clip that someone out there has to have. Thanks for all your help and information. Lauren

Here is a detailed picture of what the part looks like. According to this, it is called the northbridge heatsink. Notice that the fan/heatsink assembly would be placed in the top right corner of this picture. The piece I am missing is the clip that is attached to the motherboard that the heatsink (black plastic square) z-clip hooks into. Maybe this will help clarify and maybe I have been calling it the wrong thing. http://media.hardwareanalysis.com/articles/large/10302.jpg Lauren

Hi again the picture says a 1000 words, the z clip mount point is broken on the northbridge, im suprised this has caused the pc to error , im wondering is there some voltage across the clip thats how it knows its gone hence errors? i cant see how any other way other than via a heat sensor , so im going to assume that(dangerous i know) its an over heating issue not electrical. you could check by looking at the clip mounts do they appear to have any electrical connections , gold pathways or are they purely structural, give Dell a ring. 1 month out of warrenty and they dont care hmmm ask for a supervisor , tell them to look at this post !!! email them. (any one else here got the same mobo?) if dell says its structural ie holds the heat sink in place only then you could go ahead and try a repair, otherwise its a new mobo , how much depends on shop price, look on newegg if USA or novatech.co.uk (uk) give them a call . got a local pc shop? ask there. replacement HS (not the issue) http://www.dvhardware.net/review61_SwiftechMCX159.html i know thats not really an answer but it is an odd one. regards.

Thanks for your follow-up. I guess my persistence paid off, because Dell gave me a call, and they are replacing my motherboard free of charge. I appreciate all your help. Thanks again.