Best Custom CPU Heat Spreaders by BartX - Lapping or Custom IHS VS Direct Die?

This week I got 2 brand new custom heat spreaders from BartXStore. A large nickel coated one for the 28 Core Xeon W-3175X and the final version of the full copper IHS for Kaby Lake-X like 7740X. On the video I go through my own opinions about different IHS solutions on Intel CPUs, as I often see videos and conversations about CPU lapping, custom heat spreaders and Direct Die cooling.

My own opinion is that people should not lap a CPU which they only use in their daily PC, if the CPU can be delidded. Lapping is a lot more certain way to lose the warranty of your CPU, compared to just delidding for example. If your CPU can be delidded, you can get a lot better performance by using direct die solution than lapping the stock Intel IHS for a few degrees. Lapping has its risks if done wrong, the actual cooling performance can become much worse, and in the worst case scenario the IHS can be rendered useless if it is lapped too much and the cooler will not make adequate contact anymore.

With CPUs that can be delidded, but direct die is not an option, like Skylake/Kaby Lake mainstream CPUs where the PCB thickness is too thin to make adequate contact with the die itself, then a custom IHS is a better option than lapping the stock Intel IHS. You can get a really good custom IHS for relatively low cost, save all the effort of lapping the IHS manually and often get even better cooling performance.

When a CPU can not be delidded effectively and safely, and when it is not something that is wise to do, such as Skylake-X Refresh and Cascade Lake-X CPUs, aswell as mainstream Coffee/Comet Lake 9900K/10900K CPUs, then a lapping can be a method to increase your cooling performance. When the soldered TIM is the desired thermal interface material between the die and the IHS, as it is the best performing one under subzero cooling, the only way is to use the stock Intel IHS, and only lapping can make the contact surface better as it can't be replaced.

[pyropyro]

Would love to see the difference between stock and bartx 3175x ihs

[dustinthomas]

I have many Custom IHS from Bartx and I never bench non soldered cpus without them

[unityoc]

You're right, usually LM on LN2 is not a good idea. There was some discussion about it working well in the past though, one example I can remember is under the delidded IHS of a GTX580 over at the XtremeSystems forums. YMMV ofc

[cancerogeno]

Even the coffeelake R copper ihs from bartx were suuper smooth, really enjoyed that little shiny thingy

[DustyUnit]

Do you make a living from overclocking (as engineer or lab tester idk) or do you have like an unrelated job to keep the money flowing for hardware?

[Paddydapro]

Heyy Luumi, I really like this content, it's diverse but in depth and always interesting with great testing :)

[agfa]

gn showed vince use a cut out socket area from a 2066 board, still with ilm, to hold the cpu for lapping. I wonder if something like that would assist with lapping am4 cpus

[dolphin_]

Good day. Do you think it is possible to run 10700kf on z170-z270 motherboards. There are different keys and 49 contacts (lga 1200), but nevertheless, zeons with lga 771 worked on lga 775 by cutting keys and nothing prevented it. I would like to hear your opinion. Answer the question please. Thank you.

[turboshoturassmerica]

Have you used direct die kit with ln2? I am going to be putting my 9900k on ln2 soon, kingpin pot. I have rocket direct die frame, just curious if you have and if good ihs works better on small die or just go direct with pot. I just ordered direct die kit for 10900k so might order 2 ihs for both chips as well.

[Naatti_]

Do you think its worth the risk to lap 9900k die?
I've been planning to lap die and use custom ihs with it, but should I instead go for direct die?

[mhmtkrnlk]

Just made some company to do that for you with sinking EDM u will be in love with surface quality. With nickel its around like Ra: 1, 07 micrometer well for copper and others needed to look further experience but %100 it will be better than some sloppy ass cnc freze

[Igor.Kupinsky]

And again a great video. Direct Die - still a the better. Why banned h20 vs. Ln2 on hwbot - you don`t know?

[wewillrockyou]

I ought to ask him if he can do me a Haswell IHS...