Just had an idea for a hold-down, may or may not work depending on what the spec says for clearance around the outside of the socket. I know this isn't quite perfect, and I think it might have problems with the ends curving up away from the MB when pressure is applied - but maybe someone else can think of a good solution to that part.
Anyways - what if you had a plastic U-shaped piece (thin but very stiff, might have to be made of metal for strength) where the hollow inside the U shape fit exactly around a socket so you have to slide it on from the side and it can't be lifted straight up (perhaps have little teeth on the ends so it clips around the edge of the socket, though probably not needed) On the 2 vertical sides of the U there would be a hole drilled at the top and at the bottom - forming our favorite array of 4 holes in a square around the socket. The holes would be drilled not quite all the way through (to prevent screwing down into the MB) and would be threaded. Or - drill all the way through and screw stand-offs into it where the threads of the standoff aren't long enough to damage the board, and screw the block into those. This would pull the U-clip up against the socket tabs. Preferably, the open end of the U would be on the side with the socket lever so the CPU can still be removed. Also - the holes could be arranged to be in the same place as older Socket-A boards to be backwards compatible with older blocks.
I just worry about the whole U twisting - but if it was made out of aluminum instead of plastic and then coated in something non-conductive so it can't short the MB it's sitting on, it should be ok.
Hmm..., going away for the weekend, leaving in about an hour. I expect you to have solved all problems relating to this hold-down device and to the fan-style WB by the time I return
