Thanks to Der8auer for the guidance! Here is the article, for those who prefer it: www.gamersnexus.net/guides/3068-how-to-delid-intel-i9-cpu-and-apply-liquid-metal You might also like our 7980XE & 7960X review & delidded thermals: ruclips.net/video/gz9HBVh57T8/видео.html
I always clean off the substrate and the IHS and reseal it with automotive RTV silicone, you can use the socket clamp to hold it in place while the silicone cures, just make sure to compensate for the slight lateral movement of the IHS when engaging the socket lever. Also, if liquid metal makes you nervous, Thermal Grizzly's Kryonaut TIM works exceptionally well and achieves virtually identical results(it's also much more forgiving with respect to application).
Hey quick question... I am about to do the same here but why didn´t you use tape to cover the transistors off so there will never be any problems of the two contacting themselves? Like a few strips of tape on all sides of the CPU core to cover the resistors.
*Gamers Nexus* Thank you for the useful tutorial. Will you be using any of the de-lidded processors regularly and/or do you have any long-term stability & performance testing planned on this topic? I'm interested to see if this modification is viable as more than just a tool for overclockers and PC hobbyists. On a related note, have you (or any one you know) every tried to DIY solder and IHS? That would be a cool feasibility experiment. Obviously that would be one of those "do not try this at home" situations.
+Gamers Nexus How are current cpu's with respect to IHS' "needing" to be lapped? I've lapped my Q9550 (obviously i'm in dire need for an upgrade. Afaik the LGA775 cpu's were especially bad when it came to "IHS flatness"), and for me it certainly lowered my temps by about 4-5°C, but more importantly, brought all 4 cores are within ~5°C of each other across the whole temp range. I was curious how todays CPUs hold up. :)
I know this vid is 5 years old but I used it to delid my 7900X 5 years ago (for some reason the vid popped up on my feed again today. After 5 years lol). My CPU has run perfectly for 5 years, no re-delidding and no further work involved. Temps have been stable and exactly the same for 5 years. I also used liquid metal between the CPU and the EK block and haven't even taken that off for the 5 years. Still perfect, still rendering houses on a decent overclock (5.7 all cores) and saving me heaps of time. So thanks! Last week I made a new system with a 13600k to replace it so watching this again took me right back to the good old days of having to work to get decent performance. Now I can get a 3rd tier CPU and not mess with it at all. I sort of miss the pain which makes the gain more cherished. But that's getting too deep so I'll finish the comment here. Thanks again and I love that your Mandarin is so perfect. Cheers from New Zealand.
Is anything where you use LM on in contact with something by copper?? AFAIK you either need to cure the copper or reapply it after about a month, after that you can use it for a couple of years.
I noticed while spreading it that it can sometimes be easy to uncover a piece of the die again. Maybe I didn't clean the die properly and get all the oils off or something, but what helps is to press a bit harder on the qtip, to really get it to bond with the surfaces. Then once I have a thin film, i collect the small excess amount into the center to lower the chance of air bubbles being trapped.
I’m delidding my 7980XE this weekend. I plan to clean all of the old residue off, and reseal the CPU. I am going to do this the right way, the very first try. I’ve delidded quite a few CPU’s in the past. But never something this large with so many small SMD’s I’m very thankful we have Gamer Nexus and his helpful video here. The tips are very helpful, even for experienced PC enthusiast like my self. I definitely do not want to burn out my brand new 7980XE. But, I really want the low temperatures for long term daily usage out of my $1,000 dollar processor!
I would definitely recommend applying your coating before liquid metal. But the actual liquid metal application was well done. I like how you showed what too much looks like. A word of caution when using nail polish, is I found some brands don't like to stick to the substrate very well and will peal a short time after application.
If re-lidding with silicone, I would suggest a type/brand called "Ultra Black". This can be found at any auto parts store. The reason for the "Ultra" in its name, is due to it being Oxygen sensor safe. Regular (Non-Ultra) silicone on a fuel injected vehicle can ruin the oxygen sensors. The reason I bring this up is, if, when heated, the regular silicone emits fumes which can damage a sensitive electronic measuring device, this may also relate to a high heat situation on a CPU. The "Ultra Black" will not emit fumes which can damage electronics. Install the Ultra Black with a toothpick.
Funny, I actually found the correct type then a while back. This is the one: Permatex 82180 Ultra Black Maximum Oil Resistance RTV Silicone Gasket Maker, 3.35 oz. Tube I delidded 2 cpus with it, and it looks EXACTLY like original Intel seal material
you sir are 1000000% right ;) im a mechanic and when we need to seal places/joints where there are o2 sensors, Map/Maf sensors we always use ultra black in fact its the only one we use for everything now less issues with it, it can take heat better and doesnt degrade as much. basically its strong enough to even close medium pressure water leaks upto 110psi dont ask me how i know that.. but i do
Pro tip from Buildzoid is to squeeze a small amount of liquid metal onto the Q-tip rather than onto the CPU directly, you apply pressure with the Q-tip to the nozzle which will prevent the liquid metal from gushing out.
It might help to warm up the CPU before applying the liquid metal. I noticed in a linus tech video that he was surprised how well the liquid metal spread out after he had heated up the motherboard to dry out a coolant spill.
Nice video, thanks! I have one suggestion for people watching in the future - use the metal tip supplied with the liquid metal, not the plastic one as in the video. The plastic one is for sucking the excess back in. That may also explain why you spilled too much during the first try
@@sucknfuckmanager163 wrong u can have a cpu like the new i5 9600k thats goes up to 4.6Ghz in turbo mode thats means it will not get out of warranty but u will need to get a good heat dissipator if u want some decent stable thermals
I did this on my 6700k a few months ago, it wasn't difficult you just have to be really careful. I used scotch tape to keep from having any spillage of the liquid metal...but the nail polish trick was cool, didn't know about that.
I delidded my 6700k and it was super easy. I used a different delid tool but it worked great. I used clear scotch tape to cover the pcb so no liquid metal would run over. I used a tiny brush that was included with the kit but i cut the tip of the brush to prevent the liquid metal from slinging around. I got a 16c drop in load temps.
Good to see you've comms with VSG m8, I wasn't aware you knew of him when I suggested this in your foray into watercooling. The two of you have a similar (scientific as you can make it) approach to your testing.
Thanks Steve, such a great tutorial that I unfortunately don't have the balls to do myself, so instead I just bought my delided 7900x from silicone lottery, oh and Der8auer is such a master. :)
Gone for AMD Threadripper. There you have other problems. :/ 50 seconds POST, thermal issues although it's soldered. Needs just optimization in the BIOS settings but oh boy, it's really frustrating. :C Still better than delidding, though.
I'll side with anyone who argues that Intel should be using the most optimum solutions available when manufacturing it's $2,000 chips. However, the 'TIM vs solder' narrative has devolved into the ridiculous insinuation that Intel's current process is somehow insufficient from a functional standpoint. That is grade-A internet echo chamber bullshit. The reality is this is a chip that can be overclocked out-of-the-box to AT LEAST 4.1GHz across 18 processing cores with an AIO cooler while remaining under maximum operating temperature. I say "at least" because a lot of folks are seeing higher overclocks than that with similar AIO cooling solutions (up to 4.6 GHz stable). That sounds pretty damn sufficient to me.
I like your usage of pci covers, I always use those breakaway covers to open boxes and such as they are sharp enough to cut through tape and I always happen to have a few laying around.
What's pathetic is how much these CPUs cost and Intel used thermal paste instead of soldering the IHS on... Der8auer proved when he delided a ryzen CPU that when a IHS is soldered on the thermal transfer is much better and deliding is pointless and doesn't need to be done.
Gamers Nexus I've been subbed for a while now and have to say your videos are so good! Easily my favorite tech channel! No bias or bullshit! Just here's the facts and do what you will with them! Keep it up! You deserve way more subs! I know this tutorial is going to help a lot of people delidding or working with liquid metal for the first time because it can be nerve wracking. Also I'll never understand why people fanboy over companies, I see all the Intel haters below... I have a delidded 7900X with an nVidia GPU and I love it but that doesn't mean I hate all things AMD. Threadripper and Ryzen are so awesome! I hope they roll out some awesome GPU's soon too! Vega was a little lackluster... I don't care who is on top in the market as long as there's good competition! Why does it have to be one or the other? It's not like they care about us they just want our money! I'm just a big enthusiast when it comes to PC's and I want all the snobbery to end!!! We are all in the PCMR whether you're on a pentium or 1950X I still love your system either way!
Couple of questions. Will the liquid metal attack the nail polish over time? And how long will the nail polish last subjected to heating cycles? P.S great video and tutorial as ever. I'm eyeing up Coffee Lake and maybe this will still be the best option.
I was thinking the same thing. What if due to continuous heat, the nail polish film cracks and LM gets in between. Maybe there's another chemical agent that's better suited.
May want to look into conformal coatings, been used to protect circuit boards for years and can be sprayed or brushed on with many different types. You can protect sections you want to apply liquid metal to with tape then spray over. You can even use it to help protect motherboards and components in the event of a liquid cooling leak as long as you are careful what you use it on, don’t want it in your sockets. Slight disclaimer, it tends to be UV reactive which can be great for seeing if you have missed a spot but may not be the look you want if you use UV LED lights in your rig. That’s unless you really like absolutely everything glowing even your motherboard.
I already know the answer if you’re not going to use liquid metal then don’t bother deliding. High end paste might net you a max of 5c over the stock TIM. Liquid metal is 20-25c cooler.
In my experience LM isn't worth it when there are premium TIMs on the market like Kryonaut that achieve virtually the same results. I used Kryonaut on my last 7700k de-lid and reduced temps by the same 20ish degrees that LM does. Obviously LM will perform slightly better, but for most use cases high quality TIM is the better choice I think, especially considering the risks involved with LM and it's tendency to "flow" if over-applied.. I'm really interested in the results of GN's testing on this to see if they confirm my experience.
On one hand - Intel screwed up and videos like this shouldn't be necessary. On the other hand - I get to watch a 16m video by Gamers Nexus of a concept that I REALLY like. :P
I bought this copper IHS from rockit cool. I took it one step further and sanded the ihs starting with 1000 grit and working my way to 3000 grit by intervals of 500. Got the 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 grit sandpaper off eBay for about $10. Only took me about an hour from start to finish. Pics can be found here.
I remember back in the day everyone said when you wanted a heater you should get a AMD FX-9590 and 4 GTX 480s, but now it is like everyone who wants a space heater should get a i9-7980XE and 4 RX Vega 64s. :)
Thanks GN for this informative Video showing gamers how to get the most OCing headroom from their Intel Skylake X i9, using Der8auer deliding tool makes it much easier but it's still a bit of a gamble for first timers. At stock we get about a 4.4/4.7 GHz Stable OC with a good cooler and that's all we recommend, but for those who want max OC this video is a must. Intel needs to up their OCing headroom game on their K CPUs with a better TIM/LM/Solder solution, but again OCers who want to delid need to watch this guide before FUBARing their expensive CPU. I'm looking forward to seeing what Coffee Lake's max stock OCing GHz vs Delidding is, GN will be my go to for OCing Coffee Lake Facts.
i appreciate your efforts here after watching it a few times. i still don't have plans to do it. i can't see needing to delid an i5 or i7 unless you're running a gtx1080ti or more than one of them. this is considering that one is just gaming.
i overclock all my k chips, but my idea of stable is a lot different than running cinebench a few times which i know that gamer's nexus goes further than that. i use Noctua air coolers and am really just a few degrees off from the mainstream AIO's, but i max my OC to where the cpu temp will max about 74-78 degrees under prime95 load for about 48hrs or so. i don't feel that 80 degrees and above is good for the chip. i have made a rule for myself that this is the chips' limit. i'm just talking about from a pure gaming machine point of view. i don't think you should go to these measures unless your cpu is holding the gpu back. a core i5 7600k is really the not weak point until you start getting into gtx1070 territory and the i7 variant will handle up to a gtx 1080ti and beyond possibly. maybe in the future when the chip is old and you can't upgrade i can see it, but i would probably still just upgrade my platform. you also have to think about the price of the liquid metal, a "proper" delidding tool, the warranty, and the risk of damaging the chip which will make it non returnable and non salable. i haven't seen any info on how long this liquid metal is good for or if it dries out and when.
small design flaw, the pivot point of the lever could be changed so that the bolt has to push against it from the other side, meaning the head of the bolt wouldn't be next to anything and could have a permanent crank arm rather than messing around with a fiddly allen key.
Actually the cap screw being in a poor location could be considered a design feature. As it may keep some real boneheads from over cranking the mechanism.
great video! When u put the CPU back in the motherboard do you place normal thermal paste on top of the CPU before putting on the monoblock/ AIO ??? or do you use the same liquid metal???
I prefer cellphone tools with deliddin and cleaning. its perfectly safe to use plastic to scrape off old sealant. Just be careful. I recommend to wear vinyl disposable gloves and *DON'T* use finger to speard LM or TIM. Also I wouldn't use any other "solvent" than IPA.
I did it on two 290 and AC Accelero III. I used Coollaboratory Liquid Pro, and it gave me about 10c less on the top card than MX-5. Bottom card didn't change much.
Very informative video ^^! If you use small ammount's of LM like here, it looks kinda stable and unable to spill imo (I hope so, I'm trying to do the same on my Alien 17R4 xD).
That tool would NOT delid your 4770K.. Your 4770K is an i7 These are i9's LGA 2066 and have components on the substrates like capacitors and resistors. This tool is specifically for the LGA 2066. Which Steve even says in the Video.
frankmoolah So then what was the point of your post? you said "w/o the need of that tool" or did you mean without need of a dedicated delid tool? For the i9 LGA 2066 using razor blades or hammer/vise method would highly likely destroy this CPU.
In theory, the CPU is not having any electricity running through it, so even if you have an accident, you can just clean it without any damage. But why not to protect first.
If you watch closely you see Steve actually applied the nail polish twice (probably to be on the safe side) once before he fully spread the liquid metal to the corners of the CPU (10:20) and a second time after he finished spreading the LM (16:00).
I had someone delid my 7900X a while ago, and just did replacement TIM, but now I need to apply LM... God am I terrified. But I have liquid electrical tape, which one of my enthusiast overclocking buddies recommended, so hopefully everything will be alright...
I will probably never do this, but it was fun to watch and pretend that I would one day. Fear of wife's anger over wasting money is greater than the need for better thermals.
HI Steve, that was my comment on the last vid about the clearance distance between the die and IHS also being part of the issue. I made that comment based on my knowledge of using Liquid metal on GPUs and the fact that you do not get 20 degree improvement in that scenario, not because I have expertise in delidding SkylakeX chips. Have you ever tested, or could you please test how using normal TIM on a delidded chip that has reduced clearance distance between die and IHS to see what if any improvement you get and the difference between a top TIM and liquid metal? If these chips operated at stock 15 degrees lower than what they are running actually at now, I am guessing that there would not be the same outcry about TIM that we have been seeing since the release of Kaby Lake. If the clearance is 75-80% of the problem, then a campaign for Intel to tighten up their manufacturing clearances and use a thinner layer of adhesive in manufacturing is something that stands a chance of being adopted as a running change. Intel wins because they save money by not using as much silicon while making millions of chips and we win because these chips don thermal throttle any more.
Hi thanks. Why not spread LM over more area of the lid than the die? I spread mine a bit further and my temps are good but I wonder if more exact area LM coverage of die to lid would have better temps.
Could you try to leave off the IHS and apply something like a CLC directly to the die itself? Like, I get that you would want to be very careful with the force you apply, which is why you probably shouldn't do it with one of these super expensive chips, but maybe try it with the overclockable kaby lake i3? Would love to see the difference between IHS and no IHS.
Usually nickel plated copper. The nickel plating reduces/removes possible galvanic action that occurs between two mixed metals. (i.e. between copper ihs and aluminum heatsink)
That's the whole purpose of the lid, to protect the die. The only reason to bother not using the lid would be if you were doing extreme overclocking where even half a degree in temps could be the difference between a stable overclock and unstable plus you want it as cold as you can get it.
is this a one time thing, or do I have to change the LM from time to time? if yes... I'll live with the basic TIM, because screw doing all this shady shit, I ain't a reviewer with 12 CPUs hanging around that I didn't pay for. but still. thanks for the info GN, great video.
If you do use paste you'll have to use something like gelid extreme. It's good for long term stability on cpu dies. I can't remember the name of the prolimatech stuff, but they make stuff that's good for direct die applications as well.
Hi Steve, have you ever heard of Boron Nitride? I heard that ROG Phone 6 has that as a thermal compound, also its somewhat cheap too. Just curious anyway
Any thoughts on how long to let the nail polish dry for? My understanding is that it's highly flammable in it's liquid state and only get's less flammable as the acetate dries out. I read that it takes 24 hours for nail polish to fully dru.
i know it is an old video, but you should not use normal qtips to apply this. the fibers will probably come loose. If anything use electronic qtips that has a tighter thread than standard qtips
VERY BAD IDEA. Not only is mercury conductive, but mercury dissolves aluminum. You'd have a pile of rust sitting under your cooler by the end of the first night... rust isn't the correct term but it's corroded aluminum that becomes soft enough to break with a Q tip.
Intel should solder the ihs to the heat spreader just like amd there is no advantage of useing tooth paste (i mean thermal paste) to make the contract with heat spreader, soldering makes thermals better........ Maybe soldering needs more money than useing tooth paste (i mean thermal paste of intel) ............
Intel claims that solder can crack over time and because it's so hard you can't take it off to re apply it safely. But it's a pretty sad excuse because as long as your CPU is running at less than 100C solder will last 10-15 years. The TIM they chose was due to stability, it doesn't need to be reapplied like most performance based thermal pastes will
The "stable" excuse is a lie. Most heavy users on Ivy Bridge should experience around a 5 degree increase in temps. My 3770k is on almost 24/7 as build server, and it idles around 40 degrees c in winter on liquid cooling - it used to run 30-35.
It won't crack over time, that's a misunderstanding of what intel said. They said it can crack on very small dies after many thermal cycles, but thermal cycles here are defined as going from -55C to +125C. The normal "thermal cycles" us consumers will put them through (going from room temp to max load temp) isn't going to do shit to the solder. Also, Skylake-X dies aren't exactly small... If solder cracking was such a big problem you would think there would be tons of complaints about the millions of soldered CPU's out there. There are millions of 10+ year old soldered CPU's still being used every day. Where are all the angry Sandy Bridge owners with dead/degraded CPU's from solder cracking? If it was a real thing, every tech forum would have people posting about their cracking solder. But there's nothing, just a bunch of intel fanboys qouting that "truth about CPU soldering" article every time someone brings up the issue of intel using shitty TIM.
I believe that was caused by some heatsinks using too high of a mounting force when Intel switched to a thinner substrate. I never reglued my 6700k and it didn't have an issue with warping.
apart from the risk of messing it up, what are the drawbacks of using LM? In another video you mentioned that it has to be replaced, if I remember right. Do you know how often it needs to be replaced when it's in a fully productive workstation running at full power most of the day?
what nail polish did you use for this? i can't find anyone giving a specific product to purchase other than clear nail polish, would you maybe have an amazon link to a polish that would work for this or the one used in this video?
Could you mabe do a comparison of different liquid metal? E.g. thermal grizzly conductonaut vs coollaboratory liquid ultra/pro? Because there isn't much coverage of that on youtube.
Question: How often do you need to change the liquid metal once you've applied it? - Some people online are saying it's only good for 1-2 years in a system.
People say that but I think it normally shouldnt need a change but you will see with the performance drop if it happen, the truth is that its so much worth it that even tho youd need to replace it after 2 years, it just doesnt matter in the end
Like I stated in a previous video, this step should be very optional and not how it is now, pretty much a required step. I’m comfortable with building and handling components for PCs but I have to say I would even be extremely timid and apprehensive having to de lid and potentially damage such an expensive part. I don’t understand how components like this can even pass testing and be OK’d for sale. O.o
How much liquid metal would you need in total for applying both underneath and on top of the IHS? Would a single tube of 1gr be enough or should one get more to be safe?
lap the ihs* if you don't you ain't gonna see full liquid metal performance...Go direct die and use Kryonaut if you're not comfortable applying liquid metal. If you want liquid metal then use some nail polish, or if you don't know what nail polish you should use just pvc electrical tape to cover the smd capacitors around the die.(that's what i did. just let the die exposed)* Apply 2 drops on the die, spread it equally and place the ihs. don't squeeze it! just enough to see where the liquid metal leaves a mark on the other side of the ihs to applyat the same size. Then apply on the ihs one drop and spread it. you don't need a pool on the ihs. if its running on the sides when you turn it then its too much. scoop it towards the center of the die more and be careful not to move it when the ihs is in place. once the ihs is in place and you lift it just a bit you need to re-do it. good luck
So my only question is after you delid and put on the stuff and put it back together do you still need like thermal paste between the cpu and AIO? you would right? cus that is were the heat is being dissipated?
when you delid and using Liquid metal, can you use none conductive thermal paste to (Noctua NT-HT) to cover up any capacitors/transistors next to the Die? instead of nail polish. Any Pro's - Con's to this?
Thanks to Der8auer for the guidance! Here is the article, for those who prefer it: www.gamersnexus.net/guides/3068-how-to-delid-intel-i9-cpu-and-apply-liquid-metal
You might also like our 7980XE & 7960X review & delidded thermals: ruclips.net/video/gz9HBVh57T8/видео.html
I always clean off the substrate and the IHS and reseal it with automotive RTV silicone, you can use the socket clamp to hold it in place while the silicone cures, just make sure to compensate for the slight lateral movement of the IHS when engaging the socket lever. Also, if liquid metal makes you nervous, Thermal Grizzly's Kryonaut TIM works exceptionally well and achieves virtually identical results(it's also much more forgiving with respect to application).
Yeah, said that about the excess LM already. That's why we talked about shorting caps so much. You can remove super glue with an acetate.
Hey quick question... I am about to do the same here but why didn´t you use tape to cover the transistors off so there will never be any problems of the two contacting themselves? Like a few strips of tape on all sides of the CPU core to cover the resistors.
*Gamers Nexus* Thank you for the useful tutorial. Will you be using any of the de-lidded processors regularly and/or do you have any long-term stability & performance testing planned on this topic? I'm interested to see if this modification is viable as more than just a tool for overclockers and PC hobbyists. On a related note, have you (or any one you know) every tried to DIY solder and IHS? That would be a cool feasibility experiment. Obviously that would be one of those "do not try this at home" situations.
+Gamers Nexus How are current cpu's with respect to IHS' "needing" to be lapped?
I've lapped my Q9550 (obviously i'm in dire need for an upgrade. Afaik the LGA775 cpu's were especially bad when it came to "IHS flatness"), and for me it certainly lowered my temps by about 4-5°C, but more importantly, brought all 4 cores are within ~5°C of each other across the whole temp range.
I was curious how todays CPUs hold up. :)
I know this vid is 5 years old but I used it to delid my 7900X 5 years ago (for some reason the vid popped up on my feed again today. After 5 years lol). My CPU has run perfectly for 5 years, no re-delidding and no further work involved. Temps have been stable and exactly the same for 5 years. I also used liquid metal between the CPU and the EK block and haven't even taken that off for the 5 years. Still perfect, still rendering houses on a decent overclock (5.7 all cores) and saving me heaps of time. So thanks! Last week I made a new system with a 13600k to replace it so watching this again took me right back to the good old days of having to work to get decent performance. Now I can get a 3rd tier CPU and not mess with it at all. I sort of miss the pain which makes the gain more cherished. But that's getting too deep so I'll finish the comment here. Thanks again and I love that your Mandarin is so perfect. Cheers from New Zealand.
Is anything where you use LM on in contact with something by copper?? AFAIK you either need to cure the copper or reapply it after about a month, after that you can use it for a couple of years.
I noticed while spreading it that it can sometimes be easy to uncover a piece of the die again. Maybe I didn't clean the die properly and get all the oils off or something, but what helps is to press a bit harder on the qtip, to really get it to bond with the surfaces. Then once I have a thin film, i collect the small excess amount into the center to lower the chance of air bubbles being trapped.
I’m delidding my 7980XE this weekend. I plan to clean all of the old residue off, and reseal the CPU. I am going to do this the right way, the very first try. I’ve delidded quite a few CPU’s in the past. But never something this large with so many small SMD’s I’m very thankful we have Gamer Nexus and his helpful video here. The tips are very helpful, even for experienced PC enthusiast like my self. I definitely do not want to burn out my brand new 7980XE. But, I really want the low temperatures for long term daily usage out of my $1,000 dollar processor!
I delidded my 7700k and I learned something from this video. Well done!
I would definitely recommend applying your coating before liquid metal. But the actual liquid metal application was well done. I like how you showed what too much looks like. A word of caution when using nail polish, is I found some brands don't like to stick to the substrate very well and will peal a short time after application.
If re-lidding with silicone,
I would suggest a type/brand called "Ultra Black".
This can be found at any auto parts store.
The reason for the "Ultra" in its name,
is due to it being Oxygen sensor safe.
Regular (Non-Ultra) silicone on a fuel injected vehicle can ruin the oxygen sensors.
The reason I bring this up is, if, when heated, the regular silicone emits fumes
which can damage a sensitive electronic measuring device,
this may also relate to a high heat situation on a CPU.
The "Ultra Black" will not emit fumes which can damage electronics.
Install the Ultra Black with a toothpick.
Funny, I actually found the correct type then a while back. This is the one:
Permatex 82180 Ultra Black Maximum Oil Resistance RTV Silicone Gasket Maker, 3.35 oz. Tube
I delidded 2 cpus with it, and it looks EXACTLY like original Intel seal material
you sir are 1000000% right ;) im a mechanic and when we need to seal places/joints where there are o2 sensors, Map/Maf sensors we always use ultra black in fact its the only one we use for everything now less issues with it, it can take heat better and doesnt degrade as much. basically its strong enough to even close medium pressure water leaks upto 110psi dont ask me how i know that.. but i do
Pro tip from Buildzoid is to squeeze a small amount of liquid metal onto the Q-tip rather than onto the CPU directly, you apply pressure with the Q-tip to the nozzle which will prevent the liquid metal from gushing out.
It might help to warm up the CPU before applying the liquid metal. I noticed in a linus tech video that he was surprised how well the liquid metal spread out after he had heated up the motherboard to dry out a coolant spill.
Nice video, thanks! I have one suggestion for people watching in the future - use the metal tip supplied with the liquid metal, not the plastic one as in the video. The plastic one is for sucking the excess back in. That may also explain why you spilled too much during the first try
$1000 or more folks! And you get to void your warranty as a bonus.
Liatin1 & a chance to kill your cpu & no ecc ram & less pcie
Like you actually have to do this.
...if you are going to run it at any frequency other than stock, pretty much you do.
You void your warranty just by over clock
@@sucknfuckmanager163 wrong u can have a cpu like the new i5 9600k thats goes up to 4.6Ghz in turbo mode thats means it will not get out of warranty but u will need to get a good heat dissipator if u want some decent stable thermals
I did this on my 6700k a few months ago, it wasn't difficult you just have to be really careful. I used scotch tape to keep from having any spillage of the liquid metal...but the nail polish trick was cool, didn't know about that.
Stephen: not the most experience doing this delid and liquid metal
Me: You've guided us perfectly fine!
I delidded my 6700k and it was super easy. I used a different delid tool but it worked great. I used clear scotch tape to cover the pcb so no liquid metal would run over. I used a tiny brush that was included with the kit but i cut the tip of the brush to prevent the liquid metal from slinging around. I got a 16c drop in load temps.
I use a thin guitar pick for scraping adhesive or prying an IHS. Safer than a razor blade.
That's great to know! Thanks for sharing!!
That's metal
Watching this video scares me and I've already done this to my equipment lol, the diy expansion slot cover razor really was the cherry on top lmao
Good to see you've comms with VSG m8, I wasn't aware you knew of him when I suggested this in your foray into watercooling. The two of you have a similar (scientific as you can make it) approach to your testing.
Thanks Steve, such a great tutorial that I unfortunately don't have the balls to do myself, so instead I just bought my delided 7900x from silicone lottery, oh and Der8auer is such a master. :)
Hey man, your channel is actually really good, you make some good videos. I hope your channel grows you deserve more views and subs!
Like, SERIOUSLY, Intel? Look what they make you do...
Gone for AMD Threadripper. There you have other problems. :/ 50 seconds POST, thermal issues although it's soldered. Needs just optimization in the BIOS settings but oh boy, it's really frustrating. :C Still better than delidding, though.
Like they actually make you do this. Just get a proper cooling.
well not me. I bought a Ryzen chip
I'll side with anyone who argues that Intel should be using the most optimum solutions available when manufacturing it's $2,000 chips. However, the 'TIM vs solder' narrative has devolved into the ridiculous insinuation that Intel's current process is somehow insufficient from a functional standpoint. That is grade-A internet echo chamber bullshit. The reality is this is a chip that can be overclocked out-of-the-box to AT LEAST 4.1GHz across 18 processing cores with an AIO cooler while remaining under maximum operating temperature. I say "at least" because a lot of folks are seeing higher overclocks than that with similar AIO cooling solutions (up to 4.6 GHz stable). That sounds pretty damn sufficient to me.
Kyôdai Ken how is it now?
Great video showing the application of LM. Getting some for my 8700K delidd and yours realyl shows how to spread it well.
great info as always, i think i've been over applying/proportioning and probably wouldn't have know any better if it wasn't for this video!
I like your usage of pci covers, I always use those breakaway covers to open boxes and such as they are sharp enough to cut through tape and I always happen to have a few laying around.
What's pathetic is how much these CPUs cost and Intel used thermal paste instead of soldering the IHS on... Der8auer proved when he delided a ryzen CPU that when a IHS is soldered on the thermal transfer is much better and deliding is pointless and doesn't need to be done.
This is really satisfying to watch
Man super thanks for this video, im waiting for my 7900x and plan to delid it
Gamers Nexus I've been subbed for a while now and have to say your videos are so good! Easily my favorite tech channel! No bias or bullshit! Just here's the facts and do what you will with them! Keep it up! You deserve way more subs! I know this tutorial is going to help a lot of people delidding or working with liquid metal for the first time because it can be nerve wracking.
Also I'll never understand why people fanboy over companies, I see all the Intel haters below... I have a delidded 7900X with an nVidia GPU and I love it but that doesn't mean I hate all things AMD. Threadripper and Ryzen are so awesome! I hope they roll out some awesome GPU's soon too! Vega was a little lackluster... I don't care who is on top in the market as long as there's good competition! Why does it have to be one or the other? It's not like they care about us they just want our money! I'm just a big enthusiast when it comes to PC's and I want all the snobbery to end!!! We are all in the PCMR whether you're on a pentium or 1950X I still love your system either way!
Couple of questions. Will the liquid metal attack the nail polish over time? And how long will the nail polish last subjected to heating cycles? P.S great video and tutorial as ever. I'm eyeing up Coffee Lake and maybe this will still be the best option.
I was thinking the same thing. What if due to continuous heat, the nail polish film cracks and LM gets in between. Maybe there's another chemical agent that's better suited.
May want to look into conformal coatings, been used to protect circuit boards for years and can be sprayed or brushed on with many different types. You can protect sections you want to apply liquid metal to with tape then spray over. You can even use it to help protect motherboards and components in the event of a liquid cooling leak as long as you are careful what you use it on, don’t want it in your sockets.
Slight disclaimer, it tends to be UV reactive which can be great for seeing if you have missed a spot but may not be the look you want if you use UV LED lights in your rig. That’s unless you really like absolutely everything glowing even your motherboard.
What about high end TIM vs liquid metal vs the stock TIM?
GurtTarctor
Good point
Already running these tests!
I already know the answer if you’re not going to use liquid metal then don’t bother deliding. High end paste might net you a max of 5c over the stock TIM. Liquid metal is 20-25c cooler.
Oh sweet, apologies if you mentioned that and I missed it.
In my experience LM isn't worth it when there are premium TIMs on the market like Kryonaut that achieve virtually the same results. I used Kryonaut on my last 7700k de-lid and reduced temps by the same 20ish degrees that LM does. Obviously LM will perform slightly better, but for most use cases high quality TIM is the better choice I think, especially considering the risks involved with LM and it's tendency to "flow" if over-applied.. I'm really interested in the results of GN's testing on this to see if they confirm my experience.
I terrible like that processors.Its amazing how fast and overpowered it is.I hope someday i get one in my hands.
this was a VERY informative video. well done.
On one hand - Intel screwed up and videos like this shouldn't be necessary.
On the other hand - I get to watch a 16m video by Gamers Nexus of a concept that I REALLY like. :P
on the other hand, it was really fun and i felt something from the adrenaline
Great content, thanks GN. This was really informative
I bought this copper IHS from rockit cool. I took it one step further and sanded the ihs starting with 1000 grit and working my way to 3000 grit by intervals of 500. Got the 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 grit sandpaper off eBay for about $10. Only took me about an hour from start to finish. Pics can be found here.
Thank you, very thorough explanation. Kudos.
All ppls give to much liquid metal. You have perfect solution.
I remember back in the day everyone said when you wanted a heater you should get a
AMD FX-9590 and 4 GTX 480s, but now it is like everyone who wants a space heater should get a i9-7980XE and 4 RX Vega 64s. :)
$1000+ CPU and intel uses $5 thermal compound? wut in the heck.....
it does the job man
Really helpful advice and pictures. Thanks
This tool should be used to squeeze the balls of the one who decided not to solder the cpus..
*backs away slowly*
@@surelock3221 haha
Okay?! 👍😅😅..............
Nice tutorial, I may try this.
Thanks GN for this informative Video showing gamers how to get the most OCing headroom from their Intel Skylake X i9, using Der8auer deliding tool makes it much easier but it's still a bit of a gamble for first timers. At stock we get about a 4.4/4.7 GHz Stable OC with a good cooler and that's all we recommend, but for those who want max OC this video is a must. Intel needs to up their OCing headroom game on their K CPUs with a better TIM/LM/Solder solution, but again OCers who want to delid need to watch this guide before FUBARing their expensive CPU.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Coffee Lake's max stock OCing GHz vs Delidding is, GN will be my go to for OCing Coffee Lake Facts.
i appreciate your efforts here after watching it a few times. i still don't have plans to do it. i can't see needing to delid an i5 or i7 unless you're running a gtx1080ti or more than one of them. this is considering that one is just gaming.
i mean its more for people wanting to get the most out of their hardware. overclocking and such.
i overclock all my k chips, but my idea of stable is a lot different than running cinebench a few times which i know that gamer's nexus goes further than that. i use Noctua air coolers and am really just a few degrees off from the mainstream AIO's, but i max my OC to where the cpu temp will max about 74-78 degrees under prime95 load for about 48hrs or so. i don't feel that 80 degrees and above is good for the chip. i have made a rule for myself that this is the chips' limit.
i'm just talking about from a pure gaming machine point of view. i don't think you should go to these measures unless your cpu is holding the gpu back. a core i5 7600k is really the not weak point until you start getting into gtx1070 territory and the i7 variant will handle up to a gtx 1080ti and beyond possibly. maybe in the future when the chip is old and you can't upgrade i can see it, but i would probably still just upgrade my platform. you also have to think about the price of the liquid metal, a "proper" delidding tool, the warranty, and the risk of damaging the chip which will make it non returnable and non salable. i haven't seen any info on how long this liquid metal is good for or if it dries out and when.
Liquid electrical tape instead of nail polish,works very well! Happy delidding!
small design flaw, the pivot point of the lever could be changed so that the bolt has to push against it from the other side, meaning the head of the bolt wouldn't be next to anything and could have a permanent crank arm rather than messing around with a fiddly allen key.
Actually the cap screw being in a poor location could be considered a design feature. As it may keep some real boneheads from over cranking the mechanism.
great video! When u put the CPU back in the motherboard do you place normal thermal paste on top of the CPU before putting on the monoblock/ AIO ??? or do you use the same liquid metal???
normal
I prefer cellphone tools with deliddin and cleaning. its perfectly safe to use plastic to scrape off old sealant. Just be careful. I recommend to wear vinyl disposable gloves and *DON'T* use finger to speard LM or TIM. Also I wouldn't use any other "solvent" than IPA.
I love watching Liquid metal applications. However, I would never dare try to do it myself.
Would you try Liquid Metal on a GPU? I think it would be nice to have you guys test it out, since you are so thorough.
I did it on two 290 and AC Accelero III. I used Coollaboratory Liquid Pro, and it gave me about 10c less on the top card than MX-5. Bottom card didn't change much.
It works great on a GPU. Same co concept! Same function! Make sure your GPU has a copper contact plate on it’s cooler!
Very informative video ^^! If you use small ammount's of LM like here, it looks kinda stable and unable to spill imo (I hope so, I'm trying to do the same on my Alien 17R4 xD).
Nail polish - Check. Girlfriend with nail polish - Should arrive at the same time as the 7980XE! So, good timing! LOL!
Good hint with the nail polish!
Delidded my 4770K 3 yrs ago w/o the need of that tool and it's still going strong
That tool would NOT delid your 4770K.. Your 4770K is an i7 These are i9's LGA 2066 and have components on the substrates like capacitors and resistors. This tool is specifically for the LGA 2066. Which Steve even says in the Video.
TisJester XxX No shit Sherlock. In 2014 that tool wasn't even invented so of course I would've had to pursue other means
frankmoolah So then what was the point of your post? you said "w/o the need of that tool" or did you mean without need of a dedicated delid tool?
For the i9 LGA 2066 using razor blades or hammer/vise method would highly likely destroy this CPU.
Deliding my I7 7800X within a week. The tools are on its way to Norway from US. Rockit 99.
Isn't it better to apply nail polish immediately after deliding, before applying liquid metal?
AdmiralMyxtaR yes yes it is
In theory, the CPU is not having any electricity running through it, so even if you have an accident, you can just clean it without any damage. But why not to protect first.
If you watch closely you see Steve actually applied the nail polish twice (probably to be on the safe side) once before he fully spread the liquid metal to the corners of the CPU (10:20) and a second time after he finished spreading the LM (16:00).
Except he did 4 chips in total, so could be any of those.
could be. I don't know how he cut the video, do you?
I had someone delid my 7900X a while ago, and just did replacement TIM, but now I need to apply LM... God am I terrified. But I have liquid electrical tape, which one of my enthusiast overclocking buddies recommended, so hopefully everything will be alright...
I will probably never do this, but it was fun to watch and pretend that I would one day. Fear of wife's anger over wasting money is greater than the need for better thermals.
Looks like the Games Workshop texture tool would be ideal for spreading the liquid metal
HI Steve, that was my comment on the last vid about the clearance distance between the die and IHS also being part of the issue. I made that comment based on my knowledge of using Liquid metal on GPUs and the fact that you do not get 20 degree improvement in that scenario, not because I have expertise in delidding SkylakeX chips.
Have you ever tested, or could you please test how using normal TIM on a delidded chip that has reduced clearance distance between die and IHS to see what if any improvement you get and the difference between a top TIM and liquid metal?
If these chips operated at stock 15 degrees lower than what they are running actually at now, I am guessing that there would not be the same outcry about TIM that we have been seeing since the release of Kaby Lake. If the clearance is 75-80% of the problem, then a campaign for Intel to tighten up their manufacturing clearances and use a thinner layer of adhesive in manufacturing is something that stands a chance of being adopted as a running change. Intel wins because they save money by not using as much silicon while making millions of chips and we win because these chips don thermal throttle any more.
TPU tested this previously: www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Delidding_the_Intel_Core_i7_7700K/
@Gamers Nexus: Do you have any recommendation for nail polish product/SKU? I'm a bit worried not to buy the wrong type, if any.
This shouldn't even be needed. WTF Intel.
good work guys
Hi thanks. Why not spread LM over more area of the lid than the die?
I spread mine a bit further and my temps are good but I wonder if more exact area LM coverage of die to lid would have better temps.
Could you try to leave off the IHS and apply something like a CLC directly to the die itself? Like, I get that you would want to be very careful with the force you apply, which is why you probably shouldn't do it with one of these super expensive chips, but maybe try it with the overclockable kaby lake i3? Would love to see the difference between IHS and no IHS.
Not worth the risk. You'd be better off placing the IHS back on there to protect the die.
Isn't the IHS made of aluminium as well?
Usually nickel plated copper. The nickel plating reduces/removes possible galvanic action that occurs between two mixed metals. (i.e. between copper ihs and aluminum heatsink)
Der8auer did this. It's the best way to get LN2 to the die.
That's the whole purpose of the lid, to protect the die. The only reason to bother not using the lid would be if you were doing extreme overclocking where even half a degree in temps could be the difference between a stable overclock and unstable plus you want it as cold as you can get it.
is this a one time thing, or do I have to change the LM from time to time? if yes... I'll live with the basic TIM, because screw doing all this shady shit, I ain't a reviewer with 12 CPUs hanging around that I didn't pay for. but still. thanks for the info GN, great video.
If you do use paste you'll have to use something like gelid extreme. It's good for long term stability on cpu dies. I can't remember the name of the prolimatech stuff, but they make stuff that's good for direct die applications as well.
Still waiting to find out brand recommendations for the nail polish
Hi Steve, have you ever heard of Boron Nitride? I heard that ROG Phone 6 has that as a thermal compound, also its somewhat cheap too. Just curious anyway
Never gunna try this, but nice tutorial.
Have professionals do it for you.
Any thoughts on how long to let the nail polish dry for? My understanding is that it's highly flammable in it's liquid state and only get's less flammable as the acetate dries out. I read that it takes 24 hours for nail polish to fully dru.
i know it is an old video, but you should not use normal qtips to apply this. the fibers will probably come loose. If anything use electronic qtips that has a tighter thread than standard qtips
actually i see that you mention that in the video, thanks
This mandetory for 8700K -- thanks. Why not apply "nail polish" prior to liquid metal?
Rubes, how about some "gun" patches and cleaning swabs? You don't want cellulose fibers mixed in with your "liquid metal" or paste, do you?
We buy the same paper towels.
Its best to put on the nail polish before putting on the liquid metal
Just wondering, isn't it bad to use Q-tips, since they can leave fibers?
Interesting Video though :)
Couple fibers really wont change temps at all
can I apply mercury? got tons of that shit.
Mud No Just Drink it
No, it's a very poor conductor of heat, but nice try, i mean it is a liquid metal that boils at 300+ c. Too bad about the conductivity
Add some electrolytes to that mercury and get it *_CONDUCTING!!!_*
VERY BAD IDEA. Not only is mercury conductive, but mercury dissolves aluminum. You'd have a pile of rust sitting under your cooler by the end of the first night... rust isn't the correct term but it's corroded aluminum that becomes soft enough to break with a Q tip.
L S it would be an amalgam
Thank you!
Thank you for the videos, can we please get more snowflake content
Only thing missing here is taking off the heat spreader completely and then putting it back on after.
Intel should solder the ihs to the heat spreader just like amd there is no advantage of useing tooth paste (i mean thermal paste) to make the contract with heat spreader, soldering makes thermals better........ Maybe soldering needs more money than useing tooth paste (i mean thermal paste of intel) ............
Intel claims that solder can crack over time and because it's so hard you can't take it off to re apply it safely. But it's a pretty sad excuse because as long as your CPU is running at less than 100C solder will last 10-15 years. The TIM they chose was due to stability, it doesn't need to be reapplied like most performance based thermal pastes will
The "stable" excuse is a lie. Most heavy users on Ivy Bridge should experience around a 5 degree increase in temps. My 3770k is on almost 24/7 as build server, and it idles around 40 degrees c in winter on liquid cooling - it used to run 30-35.
It won't crack over time, that's a misunderstanding of what intel said. They said it can crack on very small dies after many thermal cycles, but thermal cycles here are defined as going from -55C to +125C. The normal "thermal cycles" us consumers will put them through (going from room temp to max load temp) isn't going to do shit to the solder. Also, Skylake-X dies aren't exactly small...
If solder cracking was such a big problem you would think there would be tons of complaints about the millions of soldered CPU's out there. There are millions of 10+ year old soldered CPU's still being used every day. Where are all the angry Sandy Bridge owners with dead/degraded CPU's from solder cracking? If it was a real thing, every tech forum would have people posting about their cracking solder. But there's nothing, just a bunch of intel fanboys qouting that "truth about CPU soldering" article every time someone brings up the issue of intel using shitty TIM.
If soldering the IHS leads to 'cracking', then intel has admitted defeat to AMD, who has managed it without any such issues.
Quick question. Is it possible to just directly attach the chip to a heatsink/cooler?
I believe that was caused by some heatsinks using too high of a mounting force when Intel switched to a thinner substrate. I never reglued my 6700k and it didn't have an issue with warping.
apart from the risk of messing it up, what are the drawbacks of using LM? In another video you mentioned that it has to be replaced, if I remember right. Do you know how often it needs to be replaced when it's in a fully productive workstation running at full power most of the day?
I was wondering what delidding was about, I don't have the balls to risk a 400.00 CPU.
It's a bit of a gamble really. 0402 resistors and capacitors are nearly indistinguishable from each other without magnification.
what nail polish did you use for this? i can't find anyone giving a specific product to purchase other than clear nail polish, would you maybe have an amazon link to a polish that would work for this or the one used in this video?
Could you mabe do a comparison of different liquid metal? E.g. thermal grizzly conductonaut vs coollaboratory liquid ultra/pro? Because there isn't much coverage of that on youtube.
Is there a cure time after you put on the liquid metal? I mean if the temperatures doesn't seem better at first ?
Question: How often do you need to change the liquid metal once you've applied it? - Some people online are saying it's only good for 1-2 years in a system.
People say that but I think it normally shouldnt need a change but you will see with the performance drop if it happen, the truth is that its so much worth it that even tho youd need to replace it after 2 years, it just doesnt matter in the end
Like I stated in a previous video, this step should be very optional and not how it is now, pretty much a required step. I’m comfortable with building and handling components for PCs but I have to say I would even be extremely timid and apprehensive having to de lid and potentially damage such an expensive part. I don’t understand how components like this can even pass testing and be OK’d for sale. O.o
Don't worry if you destroy a capacitor → What about using temperature resistant silicon? 😲
Now i want to see you delid a ryzen 7. GOOD LUCK LOL
What about using liquid metal on a water block, instead of thermal compound?
You'd think that the chip makers would offer a factory applied liquid metal CPU. Why haven't they?
How much liquid metal would you need in total for applying both underneath and on top of the IHS? Would a single tube of 1gr be enough or should one get more to be safe?
lap the ihs* if you don't you ain't gonna see full liquid metal performance...Go direct die and use Kryonaut if you're not comfortable applying liquid metal. If you want liquid metal then use some nail polish, or if you don't know what nail polish you should use just pvc electrical tape to cover the smd capacitors around the die.(that's what i did. just let the die exposed)* Apply 2 drops on the die, spread it equally and place the ihs. don't squeeze it! just enough to see where the liquid metal leaves a mark on the other side of the ihs to applyat the same size. Then apply on the ihs one drop and spread it. you don't need a pool on the ihs. if its running on the sides when you turn it then its too much. scoop it towards the center of the die more and be careful not to move it when the ihs is in place. once the ihs is in place and you lift it just a bit you need to re-do it. good luck
good job
So my only question is after you delid and put on the stuff and put it back together do you still need like thermal paste between the cpu and AIO? you would right? cus that is were the heat is being dissipated?
when you delid and using Liquid metal, can you use none conductive thermal paste to (Noctua NT-HT) to cover up any capacitors/transistors next to the Die? instead of nail polish. Any Pro's - Con's to this?
Can you put electric black tape on the barriers of a laptop cpu to protect the LM from spilling onto the cpu capacitors?
is there a way for you guys to solder the ihs on, to simulate what it maaay be like if intel went back to soldering? perhaps on a kabylake processor
hola buen video. una pregunta cuanod le esta hacienod delidd y ya has puesto el componetes liquido , al rededor que le pones . del nucleo