How To How to Delid Your Processor and Why it's Worth It

abryant

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Delidding, the process of removing your CPUs integrated heat sink and replacing its thermal paste with better material, is fairly easy with the right tools. Read more here.
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ZAK STOREY
Zak Storey is an editor at Tom's Hardware specializing in system-building, liquid-cooling and overclocking.
 
A very nice story with all the caveats.
For a non enthusiast user, you can have this done professionally with a warranty for about the same cost as the materials described here. Silicon lottery, for example.

Worth is somethin only YOU can decide.
 
From what I've read, it would be idiotic to delid any AMD Ryzen processor because unlike Intel they (1) already have good thermal paste; and (2) have elaborate power-management sensors attached to the lid. You'd be crazy to destroy the PrecisionBoost circuits for the tiny gain (if any) of a delid.

In fact almost no one will benefit from even overclocking a Ryzen since doing so will turn off PB. You can get faster clocks but at a huge power cost. Let AMD's superior technology (which BTW you paid less for) do its job.

Toms should be well enough informed to know - and make clear - that this whole story makes sense only for Intel CPUs... if anyone is still buying those dinosaurs.
 
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Delidding, the process of removing your CPUs integrated heat sink and replacing its thermal paste with better material, is fairly easy with the right tools. Read more here.
Thanks for this. Rather overdue, I think, but I welcome more of this sort of coverage.

I once tried delidding with the razor blade method, but chickened out early on. So far, I've only gone as far as lapping (there's another article idea for you, BTW).

I do think it would've benefited from a list of recent CPU models with solder TIM. At the very least, you could've provided a more prominent warning that people confirm their CPU is not soldered, before attempting this.

I also think you could've mentioned direct-die cooling, but maybe you're saving that for its own article.
 
what about the Skylake-X refresh? Anyone know if they are soldered? I'm interested in getting a Core i9 9920X or 9940X

With its refreshed Skylake-X CPUs, Intel has resumed soldering the die to the integrated heat spreader (or IHS).

quick google search lead me to this link with the above statemnt


so i think tis any 9000 series is soldered.
 
With its refreshed Skylake-X CPUs, Intel has resumed soldering the die to the integrated heat spreader (or IHS).

quick google search lead me to this link with the above statemnt


so i think tis any 9000 series is soldered.
A blanket statement that all 9000 series Intel CPU SKUs will be soldered is likely as it is with Ryzen. They're all soldered, until they aren't. It's doubtful Intel is soldering to please customers, rather, they probably needed improved thermals at the top end to accommodate the dials they turned up. Intel told Tom's the i3-9x "F" parts won't be soldered (last paragraph.)
 
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A blanket statement that all 9000 series Intel CPU SKUs will be soldered is likely as it is with Ryzen. They're all soldered, until they aren't. It's doubtful Intel is soldering to please customers, rather, they probably needed improved thermals at the top end to accommodate the dials they turned up. Intel told Tom's the i3-9x "F" parts won't be soldered (last paragraph.)
TBH "f" sku shouldnt even exist <_<

and i know they likely did it for thermals (as even with solder they run warm)
 
Delidding, the process of removing your CPUs integrated heat sink and replacing its thermal paste with better material, is fairly easy with the right tools. Read more here.
1.jpg

ZAK STOREY
Zak Storey is an editor at Tom's Hardware specializing in system-building, liquid-cooling and overclocking.
Delidding, the process of removing your CPUs integrated heat sink and replacing its thermal paste with better material, is fairly easy with the right tools. Read more here.
1.jpg

ZAK STOREY
Zak Storey is an editor at Tom's Hardware specializing in system-building, liquid-cooling and overclocking.

You should have started this article with your comment right t the end: The current 9th generation cpu's all have solder-based TIM.
Still, that begs the questions:
1: Even with a 9th gen cpu, could replacing the stock TIM with liquid metal offer any improvement?
2: Could it even be done?