I recently needed to remove the heatsink/fan from my H61M-HVS motherboard to reapply thermal paste to it for the first time since it was bought almost a decade ago. After removing the heatsink/fan combination, cleaning the CPU and reapplying thermal paste to it (I used Arctic MX-2), I had a lot of frustration getting the heatsink's plastic push-pins to go back into the slots on the motherboard, and in the process broke the end of one of the pins, making it no longer possible to push it down to lock it.
This isn't my picture, but the pins are identical to those seen here:
I managed to rotate and push down the other three pins, and the heatsink doesn't budge when moved, but I'm concerned that this missing pin will mean the heatsink isn't flush with the CPU, and by extension, the thermal paste.
I'm also planning to install a third, 7200 RPM hard drive soon, which will only increase the heat in the system and make it even more necessary that the heat dissipation of the system isn't compromised to a dangerous point.
Help threads online for identical scenarios recommend that the entire heatsink be replaced for a new one, but I don't want to do this unless absolutely necessary since I'm on a very low income.
Do I need to buy a new heatsink, or will 3 out of 4 secured pins be enough to make sure the thermal paste doesn't run and that the system doesn't heat up more than it should?
This is the heatsink/fan combination in question: