Another Failed Delidding Attempt on an i5 4670k

[Personal User]

Long story short, I was feeling lucky and wanted to attempt delidding my beloved 4670k that I've owned for, ehhh, I'd say more than 3 years. Closer to four, actually. Anyways, the primary razor I was using was a bit too thick, causing issues of not being able to make any headway. Additionally, the gap between the PCB and IHS is actually really small, which as my research has told, is good because it means there's better contact between the die and IHS. But, well, I literally went at it from every angle I could, and was very careful the whole way through. However, I definitely have scratched up a side or two trying to make it to the IHS adhesive, and I'm thinking I might've also scratched up the PCB on those sides a bit as well. Not to mention the relatively large nick visible in the bottom-left of the CPU. This one in particular reveals a wire, I believe, so I think that's the issue. After researching other failed delidding attempts, similar scratches to the PCB can effectively kill the CPU, so that's the scenario I believe to have occurred here.

So I stopped after I saw I wasn't making any headway, and after putting everything back together, the computer wouldn't boot, not even to BIOS. So after many re-installations of the CPU, I still haven't fixed the issue. The only thing I could think of having happened is that scratching the PCB a bit has rendered it useless. So for others looking at delidding their CPUs, I'm definitely not going to advise against it, but I will advise going with a fool-proof solution like the Rockit 88 Delidding Tool (http://rockitcool.myshopify.com/) or similar tools. There's the BreakFree tool (https://www.entersetup.com/) that certainly looks balling, but I've been waiting for it to come back in stock since summer last year, so I'm honestly not sure what's going on with that project. Additionally, there's multiple delidding tools that a person can 3D print at home for pretty much free, although I haven't looked at them myself, so I can't vouch for their success rates. But I thought I'd include that option anyways. I'll personally be using the Rockit 88 tool with my replacement CPU, so I should hopefully be able to give my impressions on that.

Thus, the only thing left for me to do is to deal with my loss and buy another CPU. And no, I'm not financially ready to do that, but oh well. I guess I'll take some money out my personal college funds for a new CPU, and I'll use my GPU money in my Amazon account to buy the Rockit 88 tool, some Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra thermal paste, and a Silverstone PWM fan hub for my fan-header-deprived Asrock Z97E-ITX/AC. That way I can have more than two fans in my system, and thus possibly get into overclocking my first CPU. Yes, that's right, I never overclocked my original 4670k for the 3.5 years I've owned it. That's why I must do it with my replacement, and I must go hard! In loving memory of my dear old friend... Hmm, I need a need for it, don't I? Guess I have time to think about that now... Any suggestions would be nice too!

(http://imgur.com/a/H7aFV) Here's a picture of the CPU.

 

[Boeing77W]

Are you able to borrow a Haswell CPU to test the rest of your rig with? I'd start there if its possible.

 

[Personal User]

Are you able to borrow a Haswell CPU to test the rest of your rig with? I'd start there if its possible.

I have a friend with a 4590, but that'd be too much work. I think it's clear I killed my CPU, as that's the only thing that's changed out of the whole system. So the only option is to put down the cash for another one... No way around it.

 

[alec10]

I would try another CPU in your machine first and see if you still have the same issues. In the future I would recommend not delidding as you only get a few degrees cooler in terms of cooling. Not worth risking your CPU.

 

[Personal User]

I would try another CPU in your machine first and see if you still have the same issues. In the future I would recommend not delidding as you only get a few degrees cooler in terms of cooling. Not worth risking your CPU.

I don't have access to another compatible CPU, so that's out of the question. Anyways, I'm confident it's the CPU that's the problem.

With the replacement CPU, I'll be using a Rockit 88 delidding tool that's guaranteed to work safely. After cheaping out on this attempt, thinking I'd be able to save $30 by using a razor, I'll not make the same mistake again... My beloved CPU will not go down in vain!

 

[ChipDeath]

I would try another CPU in your machine first and see if you still have the same issues. In the future I would recommend not delidding as you only get a few degrees cooler in terms of cooling. Not worth risking your CPU.

I don't have access to another compatible CPU, so that's out of the question. Anyways, I'm confident it's the CPU that's the problem.

With the replacement CPU, I'll be using a Rockit 88 delidding tool that's guaranteed to work safely. After cheaping out on this attempt, thinking I'd be able to save $30 by using a razor, I'll not make the same mistake again... My beloved CPU will not go down in vain!

So you've never even attempted to oc anything, don't think you have adequate case fans as it is, don't mention any temp related issies... but your first thought is to attempt to pull your cpu apart, whilst repeatedly mentioning a particular tool for this express purpose and oh look your attempt failed if only you had bought the tool! Sorry, call me a cynic but this sounds like BS and reads like a terrible attempt at marketing.

 

[Personal User]

I would try another CPU in your machine first and see if you still have the same issues. In the future I would recommend not delidding as you only get a few degrees cooler in terms of cooling. Not worth risking your CPU.

I don't have access to another compatible CPU, so that's out of the question. Anyways, I'm confident it's the CPU that's the problem.

With the replacement CPU, I'll be using a Rockit 88 delidding tool that's guaranteed to work safely. After cheaping out on this attempt, thinking I'd be able to save $30 by using a razor, I'll not make the same mistake again... My beloved CPU will not go down in vain!

So you've never even attempted to oc anything, don't think you have adequate case fans as it is, don't mention any temp related issies... but your first thought is to attempt to pull your cpu apart, whilst repeatedly mentioning a particular tool for this express purpose and oh look your attempt failed if only you had bought the tool! Sorry, call me a cynic but this sounds like BS and reads like a terrible attempt at marketing.

Let me clarify. I have overclocked my graphics card before, and I certainly have done my research on how to do so for both CPUs and GPUs. It wouldn't be that hard. Yes, I don't have adequate case fans for overclocking my CPU, but that's why I'm preparing for it by attempting to improve my temperatures with a delid and adding more case fans soon. However, delidding was not my first thought at doing just that. That'd be silly. I've owned the CPU for close to four years, so it's certainly not the first thought that came to mind. The reason I mentioned the tool was not for marketing, I mean I'm not even being payed by anyone, it's simply there because I want to provide advice for others possibly looking to delid their CPUs, and for them to not screw up majorly like me. I mean I mentioned things like how I had too large of a razor and that the gap between the PCB and IHS was extremely thin on my CPU, so I already mentioned my mistakes in the project. I mentioned the delidding tool because I know it would've been a much safer option of the already dangerous task of delidding a CPU. So I don't know why you're implying that I'm setting up some kind of advertisement for Rockit 88 or whatever it is you think I'm selling here. I just want to provide a safer and more successful method of delidding CPUs so that others don't end up making the same dumb mistakes as me. Plain and simple.

 

[ChipDeath]

Fair enough, just seemed a bit fishy that anyone would go straight for such a drastic measure unless they'd definitely hit a wall through "normal" means... It's very much a "final frontier" procedure in my eyes - massive risk with pretty minimal gains. And i speak as someone who blew up their radeon 9800 pro many years ago by soldering a variable resistor on to let me tweak the vCore and then eventually pushing it a wee bit too far, so I'm definitely not a "leave it as stock" type puritan

 

[burnhamjs]

I would try another CPU in your machine first and see if you still have the same issues. In the future I would recommend not delidding as you only get a few degrees cooler in terms of cooling. Not worth risking your CPU.

I don't have access to another compatible CPU, so that's out of the question. Anyways, I'm confident it's the CPU that's the problem.

With the replacement CPU, I'll be using a Rockit 88 delidding tool that's guaranteed to work safely. After cheaping out on this attempt, thinking I'd be able to save $30 by using a razor, I'll not make the same mistake again... My beloved CPU will not go down in vain!

Silicon Lottery will delid, apply Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra, and reseal the IHS for just a little more than the delidding tool.

 

[RealBeast]

Agree with above poster to let a pro do it if you must, although interesting that you would do so without other cooling measures first. How high is your OC again?

Just be advised that once you delid, the corners of the CPU are at high risk of breaking with the slightest uneven pressure, which will again kill your CPU as the IHS is mainly for protection, so best to replace the IHS after the new compound ASAP.

Interesting recent delid testing at [H] on Kaby Lake -- result was good temp drop but no increase in overclock. Net result for KL is just to make a much more fragile CPU/potential damage until the IHS is reapplied.

 

[Personal User]

I would try another CPU in your machine first and see if you still have the same issues. In the future I would recommend not delidding as you only get a few degrees cooler in terms of cooling. Not worth risking your CPU.

I don't have access to another compatible CPU, so that's out of the question. Anyways, I'm confident it's the CPU that's the problem.

With the replacement CPU, I'll be using a Rockit 88 delidding tool that's guaranteed to work safely. After cheaping out on this attempt, thinking I'd be able to save $30 by using a razor, I'll not make the same mistake again... My beloved CPU will not go down in vain!

Silicon Lottery will delid, apply Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra, and reseal the IHS for just a little more than the delidding tool.

Wow, after looking at them, it looks mighty interesting. Not to mention that they seal it back together. It is $10 more than the tool, but after the same after including the cost of the CLU paste itself. Although that means I won't have any CLU paste of my own. Oh well. Thanks for the recommendation! I'm definitely thinking about going through them.

 

[Personal User]

Agree with above poster to let a pro do it if you must, although interesting that you would do so without other cooling measures first. How high is your OC again?

Just be advised that once you delid, the corners of the CPU are at high risk of breaking with the slightest uneven pressure, which will again kill your CPU as the IHS is mainly for protection, so best to replace the IHS after the new compound ASAP.

Interesting recent delid testing at [H] on Kaby Lake -- result was good temp drop but no increase in overclock. Net result for KL is just to make a much more fragile CPU/potential damage until the IHS is reapplied.

I haven't overclocked the CPU before, but running AIDA64 with the stock turbo boost of 3.8GHz led to temps around 70 degrees. Now, that is with my somewhat limited airflow in my case, but it's the Bitfenix Prodigy, which is essentially a windtunnel. So I felt it'd be good to delid the CPU in preparation for more case fans soon.

 

[RealBeast]

Those temps when not overclocked are due to one or more of several factors: poor thermal paste application, inadequate HSF, poor case ventilation. The very last thing you ever would do is a delid. I would try to solve all the other factors first.

 

[burnhamjs]

I haven't overclocked the CPU before, but running AIDA64 with the stock turbo boost of 3.8GHz led to temps around 70 degrees. Now, that is with my somewhat limited airflow in my case, but it's the Bitfenix Prodigy, which is essentially a windtunnel. So I felt it'd be good to delid the CPU in preparation for more case fans soon.

What CPU cooler are you using? I agree with RealBeast - I would look for more unobtrusive ways to bring the temps down. A better CPU cooler (combined with good case cooling and proper TIM application) should provide greater cooling that the delid anyway

 

[TMTOWTSAC]

If you're at the point of buying a new processor now, and you're talking about spending ~$40-50 for delidding tools plus TIM, not to mention an aftermarket cooler, and possibly a new case + fans in order to squeeze a little more performance out of a Haswell...maybe you should compare that cost to migrating to a stock clocked sky/kaby lake platform and calling it a day.

 

[Personal User]

If you're at the point of buying a new processor now, and you're talking about spending ~$40-50 for delidding tools plus TIM, not to mention an aftermarket cooler, and possibly a new case + fans in order to squeeze a little more performance out of a Haswell...maybe you should compare that cost to migrating to a stock clocked sky/kaby lake platform and calling it a day.

That's out of the question. I'm not made out of money, as much as my decision to attempt a delid may otherwise contradict that. I already have a great itx mobo, a great case with plenty of airflow options, and I have a huge Phanteks dual-tower cooler cooling the CPU. I've been preparing for this, the moment I overclock my CPU. So I'll simply get another replacement and get Silicon Lottery to delid and reseal the CPU for me. I'll grab a fan hub as well to connect more fans in my system, and then I'll be on my way. Simple.