Why CPU IHS aren't made out of copper insteed of aluminum ?

[HugoBoss1000]

Knowing that copper transfer heat better than aluminum, why does they don't have a copper made IHS ?

[Radium_Angel]

2 minutes ago, HugoBoss100 said:

Knowing that copper transfer heat better than aluminum, why does they don't have a copper made IHS ?

cost

[Electronics Wizardy]

They are made of copper normally. But they are plated, so if you scratch off the plating, its copper underneath.

[Mateyyy]

It's nickel plated copper, both for Intel and AMD CPUs, as far as I'm aware.

 

Edit: Actually, to further comment on this -- if IHSes were made out of aluminium, you wouldn't be seeing people use liquid metal for the TIM on CPUs. Well, not that that's a very common use case for LM, but still, you can do it. 

Thermal Grizzly does mention this as a valid use case for their Conductonaut TIM (which is liquid metal): https://www.thermal-grizzly.com/en/products/26-conductonaut-en

 

Additionally, as mentioned by @Electronics Wizardy above, if you were to lap the IHS on a modern CPU (which is common practice in the overclocking community), you'd eventually get through the nickel plating and the bare copper would be visible.

 

[Mark Kaine]

6 minutes ago, HugoBoss100 said:

Knowing that copper transfer heat better than aluminum, why does they don't have a copper made IHS ?

 

3 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

cost

Quote

It's called the IHS, or integrated heat spreader. It's apparently made from copper or a copper alloy (and nickel plated).

 

I just looked this up because aluminum made no sense to me.

[RejZoR]

Just because it's silver/grey, it doesn't mean it's aluminium IHS are always copper with nickel platting.

[HugoBoss1000]

1 hour ago, RejZoR said:

Just because it's silver/grey, it doesn't mean it's aluminium IHS are always copper with nickel platting.

yes just thinked it was aluminum because this is a common combo in CPU cooler so i assumed it was the same

[HugoBoss1000]

2 hours ago, Mateyyy said:

It's nickel plated copper, both for Intel and AMD CPUs, as far as I'm aware.

 

Actually, to further comment on this -- if IHSes were made out of aluminium, you wouldn't be seeing people use liquid metal as their TIM on CPUs. Well, not that that's a very common use case for LM, but still, you can do it. 

Thermal Grizzly does mention this as a valid use case for their Conductonaut (which is liquid metal): https://www.thermal-grizzly.com/en/products/26-conductonaut-en

 

Additionally, as mentioned by @Electronics Wizardyabove, if you were to lap the IHS on a modern CPU (which is common practice in the overclocking community), you'd eventually get through the nickel plating and the bare copper would be visible.

 

Ok thank you I searched for videos like this but haven't found

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to CPUs, Motherboards and Memory