8 / OPTION 2 DELIDDING TOOL
If possible, we recommend using a der8auer Delid-Die-Mate tool,
instead of a razor blade. A large arrow in the LGA2066 tool plate will
match the gold arrow on the CPU, while the LGA115x tool requires the
underside circuitry to line up with a hole in the bottom.4 / CLEAN CPU
To start, it’s important to get thermal results for your CPU before
delidding, so you can make sure the process has improved your
temperatures. Remove your CPU cooler and clean the CPU (as well as
the contact area of your CPU cooler) with a lint-free cloth and a cleaning
solution, such as ArctiClean or isopropyl alcohol.
5 / APPLY THERMAL PASTE
It helps to apply fresh thermal paste prior to testing, as you can reduce
the impact of comparing old thermal paste with newly applied paste. Go
ahead and apply your chosen paste to the CPU and reinstall your cooler.
7 / OPTION 1 RAZOR BLADE
If you want to delid your CPU on a budget, you can use a razor or
Stanley knife blade on LGA115x desktop CPUs. By edging and scoring
between the heatsink and CPU, you can eventually dislodge the
heatsink. Don’t insert the blade more than 2-3mm and be careful not
to scratch the CPU substrate.6 / TEST CPU
Without a benchmark, you won’t know if your delid has worked as
planned. Use Prime95 with AVX instructions disabled to load all
your CPU’s cores and threads and allow the CPU to heat up for ten
minutes. Record the highest and average core temperatures using a
program such as CoreTemp (alcpu.com/CoreTemp).
9 / CHECK SLIDER MOVES FREELY
The slider on each tool needs to be able to move freely, so check this is
the case before you apply pressure. If it’s stuck or mounted improperly
you can damage the tool or your CPU.