Why is delidding even a thing

[Squazzer]

Now, I know WHY people delid, they are able to exchange the thermal paste with a better one.

 

My question is simply, does anyone know WHY this is even beneficial in the first place? What is the reason both Intel and AMD are not using optimal thermal paste in the first place?

If we are able to do this, I guess someone somewhere decided that is was a couple of cents they could shave off the production costs?

 

Why would the manufactures create these beasts of engineering feats and then kneecap them right away by skipping on the enclosure?

[kelvinhall05]

It’s cheaper for them to use cheap thermal  paste. Also, for most people, a few degrees won’t make a huge difference. Delidding is for enthusiasts IMO. 

[Thermite]

Because money. Also might have something to do with specific tolerances the thermal paste has to meet for the company to believe it is going to work for the full lifespan of the chip.

[Thunderzzu]

Just now, Thermite said:

Because money. Also might have something to do with specific tolerances the thermal paste has to meet for the company to believe it is going to work for the full lifespan of the chip.

Exactly what i was about to say. Higher-end thermal compounds tend to require re-pasting after a year or so. I'm not saying all of the require this but most do, as they become hard and stop conducting heat as much as they used to

[Thermite]

@Squazzer Remember these companies are more worried about their bottom line and making a reliable product. As a consumer I am more interested in reliability than a few extra degrees and 1-5% performance. If i’m making these cpu’s I’ll damn sure know that the paste is going to last for 10 years so I don’t have to do a recall or something.

[DocSwag]

Cost, and longevity.

[Enderman]

In engineering and product design there is always an optimal place between cost and performance.

If they don't need to waste several dollars per CPU on expensive thermal compounds because cheap compound already lets them run at the rated speeds, they won't.

[Energycore]

21 minutes ago, Squazzer said:

Now, I know WHY people delid, they are able to exchange the thermal paste with a better one.

 

My question is simply, does anyone know WHY this is even beneficial in the first place? What is the reason both Intel and AMD are not using optimal thermal paste in the first place?

If we are able to do this, I guess someone somewhere decided that is was a couple of cents they could shave off the production costs?

 

Why would the manufactures create these beasts of engineering feats and then kneecap them right away by skipping on the enclosure?

Intel decided to use a thermal paste for their CPUs that prioritizes reliability and long time life rather than performance. From Haswell on, this paste unfortunately was very skewed against performance, and delidding was born when someone complaining about the thermal solution between die and IHS decided to try something better on.

 

Delidding became the new fashionable thing to do if you were a power user looking to get the best out of your computer. Kind of like when overclocking was introduced. It's gonna stay with us, I surmise, unless intel makes a drastic change in their policy about IHS to die thermal solutions.

[dcgreen2k]

AMD already uses Indium solder in their CPUs, but Intel uses toothpaste that is cheap but not as effective for heat transfer.

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, Squazzer said:

What is the reason both Intel and AMD are not using optimal thermal paste in the first place?

 

AMD cpus are actually soldered, while intel uses the toothpaste

[xg32]

i actually believe intel is using the toothpaste to hold back performance, if people delid the cpu, it also voids the warranty, win win.

[MikeSK]

Do you need a cpu with a lid?  How about using a air or water heat sink cooled with liquid metal without the lid? If you are worried about keeping the liquid metal in place, use a bead of high temperature silicon around the dies, a heat sink pad with a square cut out or turn the original lid in to a ring/frame through sanding off the large plane?  The idea it to remove at least two layers to draw away from the CPU.