Do we really require these tools as much as we believe?
Do we really require these tools as much as we believe?
I'm not sure if I'm crazy or not, but if you're trying to peel back an aluminum IHS for a liquid metal project, and the liquid metal makes the aluminum brittle enough to break it, why would you need costly tools when you already have a way to handle the aluminum? You could just dip your CPU upside down in some thin liquid metal and use a Sharpie to crack it up. Do you really think liquid metal works better than real life here? This sounds like a video or at least a short.
Have you dealt with gallium? It’s even more irritating than liquid metal. Most CPUs don’t require tools, in fact, many of them I’ve used just razor blades ten years ago to clean my 3570K.
I haven't worked with Galium, but I've heard it can affect aluminum's strength. Regarding razor blades, I didn't consider this method before I tried removing an old CPU to repurpose it as a decorative item. The result was a damaged thumb and pointer with the CPU still intact.
The initial misunderstanding is that the IHS is made of aluminum. There doesn't seem to be any CPU known to me that uses aluminum; most are copper with nickel coating. Gallium doesn't harm copper significantly, especially not to the same extent as it does aluminum. As previously mentioned, if you're avoiding a delidding tool, using a razor blade and steady technique works well. I actually used a box cutter for my 7700k removal, finding it easier to manage than a straight blade, though the process remains similar. Keep in mind this method isn't suitable for soldered IHS—special techniques are needed, such as the dental floss approach for Ryzen 7000 chips.
I'm not sure, the Razer Blade is certainly pricier than a basic tool.