Idle 9900k investment pays off
Idle 9900k investment pays off
Hello, I'm wondering if upgrading to an i9 9900K is worth it. The tool you mentioned seems straightforward to use, and I can borrow it for free, making the overall cost quite reasonable. This will be my first time trying such a thing. I'm curious about the expected temperature drop—my Dark Rock Pro 4 is currently at a certain setting. Thanks!
Soldered according to my understanding. Edited October 22, 2019 by Tan3l6
It's not very worthwhile from where I'm standing. The effort required is significantly higher than the earlier delidding process, and it offers little improvement. Edit: I noticed you intended to use paste instead of liquid metal, which would negatively impact performance.
Honestly, if you're not willing to take the risk, it's not worth trying. The temperature drop from moving to a liquid metal solder process is roughly 3-6°C. A bare board would add another 4-5°C, possibly boosting your clock speed by a few hundred MHz if you're lucky and can catch some thermals. Even bare die poses a challenge because the chips are very delicate and prone to cracking. Plus, heat sinks aren't always flat or designed for a perfectly level die. Water blocks usually work, but you still need to worry about how much pressure they put on the board. Since this is your first time and there are many factors at play (your Dark Rock air cooler, the CPU soldered, limited temperature gains), I’d probably skip it now and just enjoy the processor in its current state. If you decide later, you can always build a custom loop and see if delidding makes a difference.
I broke down my 9900k and I’m telling you immediately—if you haven’t broken a CPU, don’t attempt soldered ones. Indium is super delicate, so if you do it properly, you won’t damage the chip at all. You still need precision. Unless your 9900k reaches its maximum clock speed, there’s no real advantage. That said, I noticed a slight temperature drop. But when I swapped in my IHS, the same cooling effect appeared. Honestly, if I had a standard 9900k, I’d just assess how consistent my IHS was and avoid rushing. It was a bit shaky. Thanks, Intel. For the past few months I kept my 9900k lidless with a custom loop—I prefer that setup. No surprises, but it works. You’ll need a shim to safeguard the CPU. If your build isn’t perfectly flat, you risk cracks or chips. I’ve seen old Atholons hold up fine, but with such tiny components, even a small flaw can cause serious damage. My spacer was similar to what old Atholons used—just a few foam pads, and it performed well.