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De-lidding Method for 4790k

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Oldschool_OC

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Jan 12, 2015
Thinking of de-lidding a 4790k sometime next month and would like input (from those with experience in the process) on your preferred method in advance.

I have so far watched two videos demonstrating different methods.

Those of you who have de-lidded the 4790k, do you prefer the "razorblade" method or the "hammer and vice" method (which just seems insane lol). In both videos the process was successful and the chips survived (even though the hammer and vice guy bounced his off the wall upon de-lidding!).

I know rge has mentioned de-lidding a couple of times, would be interested in your response specifically.

Thanks.
 
if you have a top shelf cpu, DON'T, if you must it's cheaper to pay another forum member to do it for you.
I have a couple of destroyed 4790K and 4690K's to remind me.
 
Which method did you use caddi?

And it is not a must, it will be done in my hobby time (for the fun of it).

I will probably use one of the 4790k's I picked up on Black Friday for $289.
 
The vice only method I have to say is the safest and quickest. It involves no hitting with hammers, no razer blades, etc. Just sliding the two pieces apart.
I made a video of when I did it to my 3770k (first time) and have done it to a few other CPU's and it gets easier every time. I wouldnt even sweat delidding a $300 CPU.

 
WHY are you delidding? Are you heat and not voltage limited at your overclock? If so, you have a good reason. If not, I would think pretty hard about doing so... If temps are ok, there isn't a point to have lower temps.

Holy crap MX.. that method is straight SCARY with that "pop". wow...
 
I did the vice only method as well, I used some masking tape in jaws to make sure it didnt leave any marks....though mine did not pop like that... lol...the video alone startled me let alone if mine did that. I held mine in my hand same way, I think I went a little slower, mine just slid/gave a little then I twisted it off. But took only a couple minutes.

And yeah the main issue with delidding is you need to be ok with getting another if it goes south.
 
Thanks for the link MX, I have to say that was much smoother than the video I watched earlier! I am guessing the lid was not malformed in the process?

@EarthDog: As I already stated, de-lidding for hobby (everyone has to have a hobby right?). The CPU has only been fired up once to make sure it was not DoA, so I don't know about voltages or temps, don't really care.

Thinking of putting this in a build that will be in a somewhat confined location with no a/c (can get hot in there during summer time).

And thanks to rge, that is useful information.
 
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I'd advise to practice on some very less expensive processors. I just killed a FX-9590. It happened when I cut the clue around the edges with a thin shaving razor. Meh, it happens. Simple little mistake and it's done. Formula-z posted with Cpu dead light on nice and solid. There's no saving it.

Luckily, I've been working hard with 2 jobs and purchased another. This time to be as careful as possible, but hey, I "could" kill another one.

A little input about the hammer chisel method. Must be one single solid fast hard but not to hard strike. Again, I'd practice this on much lesser expensive cpus to get a "feel" for what it takes to actually "pop" the IHS plate off in one good single strike.

I've de-lidded some 12 or more soldered processors. 2 of which died in the process. The other was a FX-4100. Much less $$ loss there let me tell you lol.

If you don't have a steady hand, this project might not be for you.

Oh one more thing, de-lidding generally depreciates the value of the processor more so than usual.

And if your running liquid, don't put the plate back on. That defeats the purpose of heat transfer. You want heat source to liquid as quickly as possible. And yes, the clamping must be tight and even. And I mean TIGHT.
 
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The pop was a little exagerated in the video, and my subsequent vice-only deliddings were silent. I probably just moved the vice in too quick on that one.
Neither the IHS or the PCB have any scares or scratches from the vice.

900x900px-LL-4ed8e2a5_20150130_180129.jpeg
 
@oldschool, if you do delid, once delidded, use a credit card to gently scrape off all the black adhesive, that took me 15-20 minutes. Most then use liquid metal clu/clp and put IHS back on, ie ihs just held in place with cpu bracket. My temps went down 22C with IHS back on at 1.3v, prime load. If you go bare die, you can lower temps another 3-4C (if testing at high wattage, like 1.3v with prime type loads), but to go bare die have to mod the socket and mod the waterblock, hence not really worth going bare die, too much hassle for too little gain. Not to mention all the issues of chipped dies and intermittent ram channels working from uneven pressure.

@ShrimpBrine, Intel soldered cpus have 87 w/mk thermal interface indium solder. When you delid the 4790k, you are removing 3.5 w/mk intel polymer paste that is applied thick (ie two problems poor thermal conductance tim1 and thick bondline of tim1). Replacing it with 40 w/mk liquid metal tim with a thin bondline, can improve temps 15-20+C (higher overclock/dissipated watts tested, the greater temp gain). And then you can improve temps another 3-4C more by removing IHS and using liquid metal tim between die and waterblock, but with increased hassle of modding socket/waterblock (many now have tested and gotten same few C temp gain between IHS on w/liquid metal vs IHS off).

I have delidded soldered ihs for testing purposes, but would now never delid one for temp gain, as it already has maximized tim1 interface. Dont see the point of delidding solder cpus...for intel anyways.
soldered intel IHS has roughly same temps as running bare die with liquid metal
soldered intel IHS has better temps than running bare die with paste.
The reason is die is small with hot spots, and paste tim at 3.5 w/mk is a huge roadblock when the surface area is very small (individual hot spots on die). With solder the heat is conducted at 87 w/mk into copper ihs (400 w/mk) and heat is spread more evenly via coppers high conductance, and now you have a huge surface area of ihs before hitting crappy paste tim between ihs and die. Tons of people (including myself) have tested bare die vs IHS on, and get same few C difference. And for tim2 (between ihs and waterblock) the tim material isnt as important since surface area is much larger (hot spots somewhat mitigated and ihs larger than die)
 
Thanks again everyone.

@RGE: you really know your stuff!

For anyone interested in the hammer and vice method I originally watched, here is the link:


As I said in my original post, this method just seems insane lol.
 
Thanks again everyone.

For anyone interested in the hammer and vice method I originally watched, here is the link:


As I said in my original post, this method just seems insane lol.


That's the method I used. Mind you the vise I used was 2x larger as it's the one in the shop I work at.
 
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