Relidding the Processor Step by Step
Now that we've introduced the tools, lets get to the actual procedure involved in delidding and relidding your Kaby Lake processor using the RockIt 88 tool. RockIt Cool also provides its own instruction set and a video here.
You start by putting the processor heat spread up into the bottom plate of the RockIt 88 device, making sure to line up the triangle on the processor with the triangular cutout on the bottom plate as shown.
After double checking the chip alignment seating in the bottom plate, you place the top plate on top making sure to line up the mounting holes in the top plate with the bottom plate. Then mate the two plates using the provided thumbscrews, tightening them down all the way. When place the top plate in place make sure the torque screw is loosened enough so that the metal sliding plate in the top plate is sitting in its channel and not on top of the heat spreader.
Once the RockIt 88 is put together with the processor inside, start tightening the torque screw with the provided hex wrench. Stop tightening as soon as you hear the "pop", that signifies that you have broken the adhesive seal between the processor PCB and heat spreader. At that point, unscrew the torque screw back out and remove the thumbscrews holding the top plate in place. The processor should appear as shown with the heat spreader slight off center to the left of the PCB if looking straight down on the assembly. At this point, you should be able to lift off the heat spreader easily, exposing the processor die and factory TIM application.
You can now safely remove the processor PCB from the RockIt 88 base plate. Your processor PCB and underside of the heat spreader should look similar to the one shown with a ring of RTV-like adhesive along the outside and flakes of TIM on both parts. Now comes the fun part
This next part must be done with extreme care since you do not want to damage the underside of the heat spreader nor the processor PCB or die. Using an alcohol-dipped Q-tip, soak the processor die and center of the heat spreader underside to loosen up the TIM from the processor surfaces. Take a clean Q-tip and begin *carefully* removing the TIM from the die and heat spreader underside. Continue cleaning with wet and dry Q-tips until all the TIM has been removed from both parts and both parts are clean and shiny.
Next, soak the RTV adhesive with an alcohol-dipped Q-tip on the PCB. Then begin *very carefully* scraping the RTV adhesive from the PCB surface using the plastic or hard rubber card. Take your time and be very gentle because you do not want to scratch the PCB surface or accidentally detach any of the PCB surface circuitry. Work your way around the PCB, continuing to alternate between resoaking the RTV with alcohol and scraping it off until the surface is clean. Then repeat the procedure with the outer lip of the heat spreader underside.
Once you are happy with the TIM and RTV material removal from the heat spreader underside and the processor PCB, you need to prep the the processor die for thermal paste application. Simply apply a single piece of scotch tape along each side of the processor die, making sure to get it as tight in to the side of the die as possible. You want to use scotch tape for this and not something more adhesive to minimize the chance of removing PCB circuitry when you pull the tape off. Make sure to run your finger along all side of the die and PCB to ensure that the tape has an air tight mating with the PCB surface.
Once the processor PCB is prepped and the die is clean, begin to apply the Coollaboratory Liquid Metal to the die surface. Squeeze a bit of the thermal paste onto the die from the needle applicator and then spread the paste in as thin a layer as possible using the included application brush. Don't worry about getting the paste on the tape, that's what its there for. Jut make sure to get the paste spread as thinly and evenly as possible.
Then carefully remove the tape from the processor PCB. You should end up with a perfectly coated processor die with no thermal paste on the PCB.
Next, carefully place the processor PCB into the RockIt 88 base plate making sure to orient the triangle on the PCB with the triangular cutout on the base plate. Also, be careful not to touch the processor die so you don't disturb your perfect thermal paste application.
Next, carefully snap the Re-Lid hold down plate to the RockIt 88 base plate to fix the processor PCB in place. Again, be careful not to disturb the thermal paste on the processor die.
At this point, you are almost done. Before applying the black RTV to the underside of the heat spreader, test fit the heat spreader to the seated processor PCB. It should fit easily within the center channel in the re-lid hold down plate. Proper heat spreader orientation is with the embedded text right-side up with the PCB triangle in the lower left position. Now to finish it up.
Using the tube of black RTV, carefully place a small bead of RTV along the outer edge of the underside of the heat spreader, mimicking the application residue from the original factory application. Very carefully, place the heat spreader into the provided channel in the Re-Lid hold down plate, making sure to orient the heat spreader so that the text on the topside of the heat spreader is right side up with the triangle in the processor PCB and RockIt 88 in the lower left if looking top down on the assembly.
Screw the center screw into the torque plate and then carefully fix the torque plate in place over the reassembled processor using the three thumbscrews provided with the RockIt 88, being careful not to disturb the heat spreader. Make sure to tighten the three side thumbscrews down all the way so that the Re-Lid Kit is held tightly in place to the base plate. Then carefully tighten the center thumbscrew down until it is tightly in place and leave the assembly alone for 24 hours. That is to give the RTV sufficient time to cure and mate the heat spreader to the PCB.
Congratulations, you have re-lidded your Kaby Lake processor successfully. Now you need to remove the center thumbscrew, then the three outer thumbscrews. Remove the torque plate and then *very carefully* unsnap the re-lid hold down plate from the RockIt 88 base plate. You should be able to remove your newly improved processor from the device and it should look no different from when you first started out. But boy, will you be impressed with its temperature performance.
Yay, Morry’s back!
Yay, Morry’s back!
Great article guys!
Great article guys!
I think the impressive thing
I think the impressive thing is that not only did you receive a 20 degree delta on hottest temps, but how much easier it is to do with these kits now.
Though the fact the Ryzen IHS and TIM is already pretty great means you dont need to do this etc etc.
Very true there. AMD took
Very true there. AMD took the solder route, similar to what Intel does with their LGA2011 processors. Makes heat transfer and dissipation much more efficient.
Intel TIM: Thermal Isolation
Intel TIM: Thermal Isolation Material, it works as advertised 😀
joking aside….
I think it is a nearly a crime that intel can sell $300+ dollar cpus without proper TIM. It seems that the material they used is even worse than ketchup.
@Morry, do you have any tips for us about the expected lifetime of the Coollaboratory Liquid Metal? Is it advised to re-apply after a year? And would you then recommend using the adhesive to glue back the heat spreader?
Liquid metal application
Liquid metal application should last for the life of the proc. This should be a "one and done" type procedure. You could do it more then once, but every time you crack the heatspreader off the PCB, you risk ruining the proc.
As far as re-adhering the heatspreader to the proc PCB, I used black RTV. relaively cheap, easily found as your local walmart or automotive store, and is electronics and plastic safe.
You *could* try naked cooling the CPU die, but I wouldn't recommend it, especially after my failed attempted with teh 4770K….
When HardOCP did their
When HardOCP did their de-lid/re-lid testing on the 7700k/7600k processors, they attempted naked die cooling and it sounded really risky. Basically, the head spreader also spread the clamping force necessary to adequately seat the processor into the socket. Without the heat spreader, all that downward force is is isolated to the bare die unless you make some kind of shim. I think their results with bare die cooling was that it was only a few degrees better than just re-lidding with the better TIM, but not worth the added risk to the die.
“Intel TIM: Thermal Isolation
“Intel TIM: Thermal Isolation Material, it works as advertised :D”
TIM is fine, it’s the separation between the IHS and die surfaces that is the issue. If you delid and then relid and don’t even touch the stock TIM, you’d get the same improvement in thermal performance.
https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/delidded-my-i7-3770k-loaded-temperatures-drop-by-20%C2%B0c-at-4-7ghz.2261855/page-23#post-34053183
While that forum post from a
While that forum post from a few years back remains relavent to the conversation, it discussed delidding of an entirely different processor. There may be an issue in the separation between IHS and die surface, but for the 7700 series, the TIM is most definately problematic.
Thanks…
@Morry, it feels like you’re
@Morry, it feels like you’re missing an image near the bottom of page 1.
We go from “Next, carefully snap the Re-Lid hold down..” to “At this point, you are almost done. Before applying the black RTV..” without showing the application of the RTV
Hopefully I’m not imagining things
yeah, I noticed that too.
yeah, I noticed that too. Unfortunately, I did not get a pic of the RTV applied to the heatspreader before putting humpty dumpty back together again. And I didn't want to press my luck after getting a good mating…
True, a good mate is hard to
True, a good mate is hard to find.
Maybe moving the picture with the headspeader down so it sits above “Screw the center screw into the torque plate and then carefully fix the torque plate in place over the…” would help?
Good idea, thanks for the
Good idea, thanks for the input…
Morry – Do you have any
Morry – Do you have any recommendations for a thermal paste that would last for years like the original TIM would? My only concern with de/re-lidding is you might need to reapply the paste in 2-3 years as it does dry out over time..
not entirely sure. Some
not entirely sure. Some reports say that liquid ultra does degrade within a year, but on most of those forum posts, people were using direct die cooling without an IHS installed. That introduces direct air contact as well as possible humidity affects. The IHS would better protect the die area and the TIM from "open air" type affects…
Good point. Thanks!
Good point. Thanks!
Morry, it looks like the
Morry, it looks like the original heatspreader adhesive application left a small air gap. The adhesive does not appear to make a closed loop all the way around the perimeter of the heatspreader. Did you replicate this when you re-adhered the HS to the PCB? If so, doesn’t that allow air under the HS and potentially cause the open air/humidity issues?
I’m not sure if I left the
I'm not sure if I left the gap when I resealed it. While it is true that the gap would leave a section for air exchange, the IHS is very securely fixed to the PCB surface, so the gap is minimal. So it still wouldn't be as greatly affected as a naked die would…
They leave an opening to let
They leave an opening to let out air pressure created as the die heats up. Old processor IHS’s used to have a small hole for this.
Sorry your onclusion is
Sorry your onclusion is wrong. Conclusion should be that Intel is doing shit this time. How come an experienced CPU manufacturer like Intel does not make it better than all what they did in the past? Someone at Intel is paid way too much and should be fired. Teenagers still at school can do better.
Scotch tape… for real?! You
Scotch tape… for real?! You never heard of ESD i take it.
From now on use Anti Static Tape. Kapton Tape is my choice.
Nevertheless, delidding IHS
Nevertheless, delidding IHS voids warranty, and may possibly damage CPU unless he/she uses proper delidding tool.
Be careful with that Gallium.
Be careful with that Gallium. It eats aluminum and corrodes copper.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1313179/official-delidded-club-guide/14340#post_19550310
Learn some stuff,
Learn some stuff, guys:
http://overclocking.guide/the-truth-about-cpu-soldering/
When you consider the thermal density of these small dies, it is much easier to have micro-cracks in the solder due to constant thermal cycles, which will increase the chance of killing the CPU. That’s the reason why Intel doesn’t solder their mainstream chips ever since Ivy Bridge. They could get away with it with sandy because it was on a larger node.
While paste doesn’t perform as well as solder, it eliminates this issue, which is why the Engineers went with it.
The reason why liquid metal wasn’t used is because it was not necessary. As you can see in most reviews, you’re only gaining a few degrees from your typical paste vs. liquid metal. Hardly meaningful from a temperature standpoint, and especially from a cost standpoint. Remember, Intel is making hundreds of thousands of these CPUs, and liquid metal isn’t cheap, nor is it as easy to apply to a product as paste is.
The reason why we are seeing increased temperatures isn’t primarily because of the TIM used, but because of the gap between the heatspreader and the die. The glue they use to stick the heatspreader to the die raises it away from the die. As you can see in PCPer’s picture, they took all of that glue off, so of course heat transfer is going to be more efficient due to it being closer. But doing so greatly increases the risk of damaging the die, but so does delidding.
4.8GHz is very easy to get to
4.8GHz is very easy to get to with a decent cooler and airflow. So I’d be looking at a 300MHz increase if all goes well, or a 6.25% increase, for about $50.
On a CPU limited game at 50fps that’s an extra 3.1fps. On a compiler run that’s CPU limited it’ll be 56.5 seconds instead of 60.
I love reading this stuff but I guess I’m old and jaded anymore, it’s cool for bragging rights though 😉 Thanks for the write-up and the pictures, I like that you kept it so concise and informative.
Yeah, exactly.
It’s why I
Yeah, exactly.
It’s why I don’t bother to overclock any more.
However, I have one of those Eurocom X9E3 laptops using a desktop i7-7700k processor and before I delidded and used some OCP I had around from an old overclock project I was throttling at 99C under full load in a 21C room.
After delidding and OCP application (using standard Arctic Silver 5 between the top of the HS and the heat spreader) it max’s out at 78C, no throttling and idles at 34C instead of 40C in similar conditions.
So if you are having cooling issues and can’t use a better CPU cooler (as I couldn’t, laptop and all) a delid and OCP does seriously help out.