Check if the Intel Xeon E3 1246 V3 TIM is soldered and confirm whether it’s safe to remove the heat spreader.
Check if the Intel Xeon E3 1246 V3 TIM is soldered and confirm whether it’s safe to remove the heat spreader.
I recently purchased a used Xeon E3 1246 v3 and the diagnostics indicate abnormal temperatures for core 0 (100°C) and 1 (85°C), while the others remain at 60°C. I’ve eliminated all other potential causes, so I’m proceeding with CPU desoldering. Since there’s no information about the TIM used in these models, could you confirm whether they are soldered or not? Also, please note: avoid applying any thermal paste to the CPU die due to thermal expansion and pump-out effects; consider using liquid metal or a TPM 7950 instead.
No real improvement expected. Only a slight drop in temperature with liquid metal, which isn't worth it. Unclear if other methods were tried—possibly MX4 with a Corsair H100, lowering temps by about 20°C. If you lack any sealant for securing the heat spreader, simply place the bare CPU in the socket, apply thermal paste to the die, install the heat spreader on top, close the socket, and then put the thermal paste on the spreader before adding the CPU.
It depends on the design, but the socket bracket should still secure it well. You can skip gluing if the structure is solid enough.
Wanted to update the topic with my results so here we go: IT WORKED!! I have never been hapier in my life! windows booted like always and now core temps are much closer to each other and in the normal range! Uploaded the pictures (cooler is the intel stock one for now so temps will be even lower after i get a better one). Delidding is really stressful if it's the first time you are doing it but if you research thoroughly and watch enough youtube videos and be patient in the process, it won't be difficult to do. Also big thanks to @DoctorNick for answering my questions as there really is not much info available about delidding old cpus on the internet. Edited April 20, 2024 by Zexer2020
Excellent outcomes! If you achieve -20C on certain cores using a stock cooler, it won't improve much further!
Hey, thank you for checking back. After just under a week of those impressive results, I ran the same CPU stress test and temperatures are now about 10 to 15 degrees higher. The gap between the hottest and coolest core sections has grown to 10 degrees (check the new screenshot). Have you experienced something like this after delidding? What might be causing it? I made sure to clean the black glue thoroughly, but it seems not completely clean as shown in earlier photos. I also lightly scraped the IHS during removal (visible in the last picture). Could this be affecting the thermal paste distribution or causing uneven spreading? If so, can I fix it using sandpaper?