How Does One Safely Remove The Heatspreader from Trident Z DDR4 RAM?

[Hifihedgehog]

Please see the thread title. I am actively researching this and I thought I would defer to our forum experts. I have already come across this video. The reason for my question? As far as I can tell, I have only a sub-40mm clearance for the RAM with my current ID-COOLING IS-60 CPU cooler. In my next upgrade, I want G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3600 CAS 15 Memory. The only way I can see myself having CAS 15 DDR-3600 memory is with this model of memory. So removing the heatspreader is essential for physical compatibility.

 

[cleveland]

heatgun, tweezers and a lot of courage.

 

[Hifihedgehog]

heatgun, tweezers and a lot of courage.

Thanks for the confidence booster and the advice! One thread online suggests that a blow dryer might also do the trick to loosen the adhesive. Is that possible or would I be pushing my luck a bit too far? If I had an understanding and feel for this, I would feel more comfortable about it. I am almost at the point that I might switch back to my Wraith Spire if it poses too far of a risk. As far as my physical abilities are concerned, I have built several headphone amplifiers in my time as well as soldering projects. But I have not quite done anything quite like heatsink removal. I am unsure of the strength of the adhesive as well as the fragility of the memory chips' solder joints underneath.

I have done SOIC soldering but this really takes the cake. I have read horror stories of some people pulling chips off their sticks even when they thought they had sufficiently heated the adhesive for separation and removal. I mean, then again, I have heard of people with far more disposal incomes than my own buy several sets of one kind of component or another and not worry a bit since "For science!" and such. If I had a non-working or dummy memory stick to practice with, I would be less worried about the whole thing. I am definitely not chickening out because of fear, but I am curious about the cost-versus-risk factor here. I am also considering retiring the IS-60 and switching back to Wraith Spire I had. The IS-60 is almost more trouble than it is worth considering how selective I have had to be with memory all the time.

 

[Choidebu]

Mind you I haven't done it myself but if I were to do it I'd...

1. Heatgun/hair dryer to warm up the area.
2. Slip plastic (credit) card in between, saw motion.
3. Depending on how it went I might escalate to razor cutter.

Edit: just read that link. Yeah... I wouldn't wiggle em open... these bga chips aren't that hard to fall off...

 

[Legion]

I pulled the ramsinks off a pair of Trident Z a few weeks ago for an APU build. You don't need a crazy amount of heat to get them off.
The video is pretty good, gives a good overview of how to go about it.
Trident Z,3600 cas 15 is single rank B-die. i.e. only has memory ic's on 1 side of the ram stick, you can see this easily with the heatspreader on as the side of the ram that has memory ic's on it has a lot of tiny ic's surrounding the ram and the back side is just a blank with nothing on it.

Work on the side with the circuitry on it first as this will come off relatively easy. The back blank side is a fair bit tougher as the double sided foam it's stuck down with is very adhesive.
A hair dryer is fine to heat up the ramsink.
Use plastic (or wood) tools to pry with, you can easliy scratch the pcb with metal tools and potentially knock off some tiny ic's if you aren't careful (killing the stick)
Don't flex the pcb too much either, I've read horror stories of memory ic's pinging off the pcb doing that.
The first goal is to get the adhesive strips attaching the PCB to the Ramsinks warmed up a little then the adhesion it has on the parts is lessened.
Warm up and pry a little, warm up (notice I say "warm up" here and not heat the shit out of it) and pry a little, try and insert something the thickness of the gap you've just pried open, to keep that gap open while you pry a little more. Rinse and repeat until it pops off eventually.
On the back side, it's fairly safe to run a craft knife / blade down the back of it (I'd only do this if it is stuck so hard it won't move prying it, Keep trying the pry method first), once you have the top edge pried open enough to slide the knife in there. Do not do this from the bottom edge of the ram stick!! (the bottom edge has the connectors on which drop into the ram sockets)

There was a fair bit of adhesive residue on the blank side of the sticks after finally getting the ramsink off. I cleaned this off with some alchohol I had lying around from an 8700k delid.

Just take your time and don't try to rush it, steady away

I also have to add, there is risk involved and the old adage "If you can't afford to replace it, don't do it" certainly does apply.
Especially with current ram prices!