First time delid tips?
First time delid tips?
Hello everyone, I'm about to start my very first long project. The delid tool and other gear will arrive from Amazon early next week. I was hoping to get some advice before diving in—either to do something useful or to avoid damaging my CPU. Haha, I own a 7800X and was considering an upgrade, but someone on PCMR's Instagram encouraged me to do a delid. I've already taken my 1080Ti apart to refresh the thermal paste, but never tried anything as bold as a delid before. I've seen tutorials from Tech Jesus on GN about the process, reminding me to protect the tiny capacitors with nail polish or similar methods to prevent liquid metal spillage. For now, I'll stick with the NH D-15 cooler and run some temperature tests before deciding if I should switch to liquid cooling afterward. I'm also planning to mount my cooler directly onto the die using der8auer's Skylake-X frame for better heat transfer, rather than reapplying the IHS. Plus, I want to see the actual die up close. I'll list all the items I've ordered below. Thanks ahead of time for your tips and suggestions! Liquid metal link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A9KIGSI Delid tool link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076VQBBJG Direct Die mounting frame link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CH26JR1
In reality, using the der8auer tool you mentioned doesn’t necessarily mean a risky procedure. Many creators will warn this to highlight warranty issues, but in practice it’s quite simple. New users often add too much liquid metal, which raises temperatures slightly beyond ideal levels. The NH-D15’s contact plate is nickel-plated, so it should handle direct liquid metal contact without problems—just keep in mind that using a bare copper plate would require reapplying the metal due to corrosion. There’s also a concern about mounting: for effective die cooling you need the cooler positioned just a few millimeters lower than usual. The stock setup of the NH-D15 might not allow this, so you may need to adjust the screws and spacers yourself. If you’re familiar with the installation process, you’ll understand why proper alignment is crucial. Rockit Cool offers kits with the right parts for Noctua coolers, though they don’t appear to be sold separately.
I thought it would be pretty straightforward with the right equipment, which is why I chose the Skylake-specific tool from der8auer. My biggest concern seems to be handling the liquid metal, especially for beginners. I plan to apply a thin coat of nail polish around the die edges as GN recommended, so any spill won’t damage nearby components.
I’m also upgrading to a 32GB RAM and re-installing the second fan on the NH-D15 to check compatibility. Currently, I’m facing issues with my RAM and the cooler isn’t fitting both fans.
It looks like I’ll likely switch to water cooling eventually. Running it as a D15S with just one fan doesn’t make sense if a water cooler can provide better performance. I’ll probably stick around for the delid next week and watch GN’s video to avoid messing up the setup.
Yeah, I understand they're not. It wasn't clear if there were any unique details I needed before starting this process. Lol, I'm not a big fan of chatting about things over coffee, except for the AIOs I've used before. I don't want to jeopardize my gear by making mistakes, so I'll go with an AIO myself. Lol. But I get your point, that would be perfect in my case, I'm sure.