[SOLVED] Liquid metal application

Ygovec Jason

Honorable
May 13, 2017
64
0
10,630
I have delidded my 7700k and seen 15 degrees in improvement under load. I’m currently using se226, and wondering is it worth applying liquid metal on the ihs to se226. First concern, will it react with the base of se226 and corrode? Second concern, will it have another 5-10 degrees drop? Thank you if anyone is able to answer me
 
Solution
It won't, I tried that once and the temps were about the same, the only difference was just how much faster it cooled down, which still wasn't by a lot. Stick with thermal paste for the IHS. It's also not a good idea because the gallium in the liquid metal could corrode the copper of your cooler if it uses a copper heat plate, wouldn't be a pretty sight. And to put the cherry on-top as to why it's not a good idea, the seal between the CPU IHS and cooler isn't the best environment to keep the liquid metal in place, especially since your motherboard is most likely vertical. There could be a small chance of liquid metal falling onto your motherboard components and shorting it out.
It won't, I tried that once and the temps were about the same, the only difference was just how much faster it cooled down, which still wasn't by a lot. Stick with thermal paste for the IHS. It's also not a good idea because the gallium in the liquid metal could corrode the copper of your cooler if it uses a copper heat plate, wouldn't be a pretty sight. And to put the cherry on-top as to why it's not a good idea, the seal between the CPU IHS and cooler isn't the best environment to keep the liquid metal in place, especially since your motherboard is most likely vertical. There could be a small chance of liquid metal falling onto your motherboard components and shorting it out.
 
Solution
Second concern, will it have another 5-10 degrees drop?
Most likely, no. In Tom's assessment of thermal pastes for this year, liquid metal only managed to beat the best non liquid metal TIM by about 3C. It's important to note that liquid metal isn't some magical TIM that sucks out all the heat from a part. I have a laptop with a liquid metal TIM and it gets plenty hot still.

If that's worth it to you, then sure, go right ahead and get a liquid metal TIM.
 
I delidded my 8700k and used Liquid Metal between the chip and solid copper IHS i had bought. Between the IHS and CPU cooler i used Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut.

I used the Rokit delid kit with their solid copper IHS. Been on for almost 5 years now without issues or loss of temps, using a cryoric r1 ultimate cpu cooler


Copper and Nickel Plating seems to be ok you just get staining, aluminum will pit badly.
 
Most likely, no. In Tom's assessment of thermal pastes for this year, liquid metal only managed to beat the best non liquid metal TIM by about 3C. It's important to note that liquid metal isn't some magical TIM that sucks out all the heat from a part. I have a laptop with a liquid metal TIM and it gets plenty hot still.

If that's worth it to you, then sure, go right ahead and get a liquid metal TIM.
Have your liquid metal dry out?