Intel Core i7-7700K Kaby Lake Delidding Analysis

Final Thoughts

Pricing

Delidding the i7-7700K isn’t a particularly cheap process, especially with the correct tools. In theory, you could use the knife method, some thermal glue lying around and a liquid metal thermal paste which shouldn’t amount to a huge sum of money. However, there is certainly a risk factor involved and the Delid Die Mate may be worth paying the extra for just to provide unparalleled peace-of-mind. This ingenious device costs £49.99 from Overclockers UK and is beautifully designed. Of course, that’s only half the picture and if you don’t have access to the right equipment, the cost begins to spiral due to the Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut retailing for £6.95 and thermal silicon glue costing £18.71. Adding all of these together comes to a whopping £75.65, which is surely going to make people have major reservations.

Overview

Intel has been using poor quality thermal interface material for aeons and this hasn’t changed with Kaby Lake. According to my own testing, replacing the stock TIM with a premium liquid metal allows the load temperatures to fall considerably and I encountered fewer spikes on the hottest cores. The ability to use a 5GHz overclock at a hefty voltage without getting anywhere near the 80C mark is incredible and provides a greater flexibility to reach higher frequencies. Honestly, my CPU sample isn’t a great overclocker and requires a lot of voltage to get 5.0GHz stable. Nevertheless, the delidding process helped to achieve a more comfortable thermal output at 5.0GHz. Of course, the improvement didn’t quite go beyond 20C, but it’s almost there and the difference is large enough to make delidding a valid consideration. However, it’s important to remember that delidding invalidates the warranty and can damage your CPU if done incorrectly. This is where the Delid Die Mate comes into play because it’s practically foolproof and reduces the frustration factor. I certainly won’t be using the knife method anytime soon and the Delid Die Mate is great to avoid the hassle of prying between the IHS and strong silicon glue.

Is delidding worth it? That’s probably the most pertinent question and I’m struggling to come up with a definitive answer. The thermal reduction is clear to see and the Delid Die Mate is great for those who have never done it before. However, delidding won’t achieve higher frame-rates in games, nor dramatically improve the computing experience. Furthermore, say goodbye to your warranty and any kind of support from the original retailer. Personally, I think delidding is worthwhile to professional overclockers and extreme tweakers, but it’s not advisable for the average user. It raises questions about Intel’s manufacturing process, though, and why they haven’t included better thermal interface material. Clearly, this is a cost saving exercise and it doesn’t make sense on a CPU which is marketed towards enthusiasts who overclock their CPU. Hopefully, Intel will change their tactic on the next processor node but I’m not overly optimistic due to their history. For example, we conducted a similar article four years ago investigating Ivy Bridge’s thermal interface material. In conclusion, the i7-7700K’s stock thermal paste isn’t very good and holds back the CPU’s thermal potential.