One of the better known professional overclockers on the world circuit has published a video in which he delids a Ryzen 7 1700 CPU. Der8auer starts his video by warning that you shouldn’t try this at home, which is sage advice for two reasons revealed later in the video: 1. It’s a nerve-wracking processes which could easily break your shiny new CPU, and 2. AMD’s Thermal Interface Material (TIM) is an indium-based solder which is a great conductor so delidding is rather unnecessary.
Der8auer admits at the start of the video that this successful delidding attempt of an AMD Ryzen 7 1700 CPU was ‘third time lucky’. The previous two attempts broke the processor. The delidding process is explained as quite a simple mechanical task, but a steady hand and nerves are required.
First of all the IHS (integrated heat spreader) or ‘lid’ of the CPU must have its glue cut away, or weakened, by deft use of a razor blade, followed by a thicker Stanley knife blade wedge. Carefully scoring all the way around the lid will make it easier to prize off later. Next der8auer put the CPU lid-down on a specially constructed calibrated heat block with temperature gauge. He knew, possibly from previous trial and error, that the solder under the lid melts at approx 157 degrees C. To allow for variances, and make the delidding easy as possible, a target temperature of 170 degrees C was chosen.
Just ahead of the five minute mark in the video we see that the temperature of the heat block is edging towards 150 degrees C. Then a snap, crackle or pop is heard (just had breakfast). The delidding is a likely success but the CPU needs testing to see if the process was truly a success (spoiler – it was a success this time). At this point we get to see CPU and lid separated; the CPU has some remnants of solder still on it, as does the lid which is revealed to use inner gold plating.
It was amusing the read the top comment on der8auer’s video which was “Gold plating, high quality solder and silicone protected caps. Intel should be ashamed.” What do HEXUS readers think?
If you are interested in pushing Ryzen chips to the max its probably worth revisiting der8auer’s channel this weekend as he promises to delid an AMD Ryzen 7 1800X and overclock it with direct die cooling – then compare the results with those from a fully clothed Ryzen 7 1800X.