Q:

Touched CPU-slot-pins on motherboard. Is the motherboard broken now?

I just bought some parts to build my own computer, as I tried to open the CPU socket, i accidentally touched one or two of those small pins with my fingernail and it seems like they are now a little twisted.
Here's a picture:

Now my question: Must I stop setting up my PC and send the motherboard back to the dealer, or can I fix this somehow? Could it be that it isn't that bad at all and I can still finish my setup without trouble?

A:

First thing: Your system won't work properly even if one pin is damaged, unless it is unused in your CPU, which is very unlikely. You will likely suffer painful crashes assuming it even boots up.
There is no way you can claim the warranty. The only thing you could do is to take a magnifying glass and a sharp pin or needle. Then try to straighten up the pin. You can also try to pull it up with something like a small hook. However, I would be wary of putting my processor in there from fear of damaging it, so if I were in your place, I would trash it.

