CPU Distant CPU delid service and replacement of original lid with copper

amundsen

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Aug 1, 2018
26
3
Hello,

Considering the costs of a delid tool, thermal paste, glue and tools required for a proper delid, I was thinking about sending a CPU to a remote deliding service like this one.

1. Have you tried such a service. What's your experience?
2. There's the option to replace the original lid with a copper lid. Do you think it's worth of it?
 

Duality92

Airflow Optimizer
Apr 12, 2018
307
330
I'd go with Silicon Lottery if you want to purchase such a service. (siliconlottery.com) THE place for binned CPUs and delidding services.

Where do you live?

edit : I've delidded over 50 CPUs so far, ranging from 6600K to 7900X and basically all unlocked CPUs between :) I use Rockit 88 and 99 delid and relid kits along with a custom liquid metal. If you want to purchase yourself a kit, I can easily guide you through. I've done lives on Facebook already showing me delidding a 7700K while explaining what I'm doing and showing before and after temperatures.
 
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amundsen

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Aug 1, 2018
26
3
I live in Belgium.

I am not afraid of delidding myself , I 've watched a few videosand it seems straighforward. However I don't plan to do it more than once so the costs for one delid seem lower with such a remote service. My first question was more about the reliability of such services.

What about the copper lid?
 

Duality92

Airflow Optimizer
Apr 12, 2018
307
330
Every little add on will shave a few °C.

Delidding itself lowers it most when removing the stock glue (-10°C to -20°C)
Adding LM instead of regular TIM when relidding shaves a few more (~-5°C)
Putting a copper IHS with bigger surface area is a few more (2°C to 3°C)

Basically, just the delid itself and relid with regular TIM does the most part. The problem with the CPUs, contrary to what almost everything says on the internet, isn't the TIM used, but the gap between the CPU die and IHS. The black silicon glue Intel uses creates a gap between these and causes poor contact. So just delidding, removing the glue, applying standard TIM and relidding will save you 10 to 20C by itself.

What determines how much you save is entirely specific to your CPU, not the model, your specific CPU. As you might know, all CPUs aren't build exactly the same on a nano level, this is why some CPUs clock higher than others and even same clocking chips with same voltage won't output the same heat. The best chips are usually the ones closer to the center of the chip wafer. For example, my 8600K requires 1.4X volts for 5.2 GHz, but requires nothing but a intel stock cooler for that AND doesn't go over 75°C, because it's a low leakage chip, extremely efficient, but not a great overclocker (also the kind of bin for SFF rigs). Higher leakage chips, usually the ones with the highest temperature drop with delidding are the hottest and clock really, really well.

Give this a read, very informative, written by a friend of mine : https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Delidding_the_Intel_Core_i7_7700K/
 

amundsen

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Aug 1, 2018
26
3
Actually I don't want an extreme overclock. I'd be happy with a 4.6 or 4.7 8600K or 8700K.
 

Duality92

Airflow Optimizer
Apr 12, 2018
307
330
I will still help you have less heat and in turn often it requires less volts to reach the same overclock.
 

Duality92

Airflow Optimizer
Apr 12, 2018
307
330
If you delid, even if you don't want a higher overclock, you will be able to achieve the same overclock, possibly with lower volts and lower temperatures.
 

amundsen

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Aug 1, 2018
26
3
If you delid, even if you don't want a higher overclock, you will be able to achieve the same overclock, possibly with lower volts and lower temperatures.

Ah yes, that's exactly the idea, in order to compensate for a potentially weak cooling of the case.
 

rook

Average Stuffer
Jul 9, 2018
74
78
I've had my 8700k delidded and lapped by this guy and he's extremely knowledgeable unfortunately shipping to Belgium would be almost as much as the service ($46). I had some questions regarding the possibility of corrosion of Conductonaut on copper on the inside of the IHS and he convinced me that his process would be careful not to remove all of the nickel plating. He even goes as far as send before/after test results. I've been using my processor for awhile now and have no complaints... temps are much cooler than stock and pretty much even across all cores.

Bonus picture:
 
Last edited:

rook

Average Stuffer
Jul 9, 2018
74
78
uncoated copper usually corrodes unless it's very, very micro mirror finished.

I would say copper oxides moreso than corrodes. And yes, that will happen to bare, exposed copper like our favorite hestsinks. However, there's a definite corrosive reaction between copper and gallium (which is the main ingredient in most liquid metal thermal compounds).
 

amundsen

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Aug 1, 2018
26
3
I've had my 8700k delidded and lapped by this guy and he's extremely knowledgeable unfortunately shipping to Belgium would be almost as much as the service ($46).

Indeed this guy seem to offer a nice service but one should also add the costs of sending the CPU from Belgium to the US in first place, which iwould increase the costs even more. So maybe I'd go with the British guy before Brexit.
 
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