Delidding your CPU

jvickers · May 16, 2024

Delidding your CPU just sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

PerpetualCycle · May 16, 2024

Depends.

There are good tools to do it, but some CPU are risky and some are not. I delidded two of my 10th gen cpu, which did not have any surface mounted components under the IHS. Got 10c reduction in temperature.

I have a 13900k now and it really runs hot. I wi probably not delid it because it has surface mounted capicitors under the lid which can be ripped off delidding if you are not careful or have bad luck.

With delidding, after you remove the Intel solder and replace it with liquid metal, you can either put the IHS back on, or leave it off and put your cooler directly against the LM coated die. This gives you even better reduction in temperature.

jvickers · May 16, 2024

PerpetualCycle said:
Depends.

There are good tools to do it, but some CPU are risky and some are not. I delidded two of my 10th gen cpu, which did not have any surface mounted components under the IHS. Got 10c reduction in temperature.

I have a 13900k now and it really runs hot. I wi probably not delid it because it has surface mounted capicitors under the lid which can be ripped off delidding if you are not careful or have bad luck.

With delidding, after you remove the Intel solder and replace it with liquid metal, you can either put the IHS back on, or leave it off and put your cooler directly against the LM coated die. This gives you even better reduction in temperature.

Good to know! I saw some delidding tools on Amazon. My AMD Ryzen 9 5900X runs a little hot - between 45C-80C (playing a game). I'm not sure I want to attempt to delid it, though.

Do you put thermal paste directly on the die, then?

PerpetualCycle · May 16, 2024

jvickers said:
Do you put thermal paste directly on the die, then?

No, you put the liquid metal on the die an put the cooler's cold plate directly on that. But you need a special frame around the CPU that is compatible with the cooler in order for them to properly mate. I never did direct die, just relid.

One of the hardest parts is scraping off the solder from the die and IHS after pushing the IHS, then polishing the die.

jvickers · May 16, 2024

PerpetualCycle said:
No, you put the liquid metal on the die an put the cooler's cold plate directly on that. But you need a special frame around the CPU that is compatible with the cooler in order for them to properly mate. I never did direct die, just relid.

One of the hardest parts is scraping off the solder from the die and IHS after pushing the IHS, then polishing the die.

Oooh. That sounds beyond my motivational level. It's good information to know, though. Thanks!