Intel Core i7-4960X De-Lidded

[Kaapstad]

Coolaler.com community member "Toppc" scored an engineering sample of Intel's upcoming Core i7-4960X "Ivy Bridge-E" socket LGA2011 processor, and wasted no time in taking a peek inside its integrated heatspreader (IHS). Beneath the adhesive layer that holds the IHS to the package, which could be fairly easily cut through, "Toppc" discovered that Intel is using a strong epoxy/solder to fuse the processor's die to the IHS, and not a thermal paste, like on Core i7-3770K. Solders tend to have better conductivity than pastes, but make it extremely difficult to de-lid the processors, not to mention potentially disastrous. In the process of delidding this chip, "Toppc" appears to have knocked out a few components around the die. Unless you're good at precision soldering, something like that would be a fatal blow to your $1000 investment.

And now we know what is under the IHS.

http://www.techpowerup.com/186209/intel-core-i7-4960x-de-lidded.html

 

[Yaayuh!]

Yay!
Lets hope it's the same story for the other Ivy-E chips.

 

[pgi947]

Should get some haswell destroying clocks out of it then

 

[Doomedspeed]

It great that they are using this method but it happening only on the high end chips isn't perfect.

If they roll this method out down the line it will be great news..

I bet you one person will delid there £800-£900 chip and complain at our (and their) expense.

 

[Optimis0r]

Ivybridge-E: Return of Fluxless Solder

A user in the Coolator forums has popped the lid on a purported Core i7-4960X, revealing old-school solder rather than the TIM used on Intel's recent desktop CPUs. This isn't conclusive evidence, but I wouldn't be surprised if the report were accurate. Like Sandy Bridge-E, Ivy-E is basically a server-grade Xeon rebranded for duty in high-end desktops. It doesn't make sense for Intel to skimp on the thermal performance of a product designed for toasty server racks. The higher margins commanded by Xeon-based parts should cover any additional cost associated with the solder, as well.

Source

Alledged Delidded Pictures

Good news all round i say. Now bring back fluxless solder to Skylake mainstream please intel -_-!!!

 

[OLDPHART]

Should get some haswell destroying clocks out of it then

My old ticker is overclocking with the thought of above, bigger

 

[panyan]

So has Intel gone back to what it was using before or is this a new epoxy/solder mix?

 

[smilertoo]

Ivy/Haswell were just paste crippled to make sure overclocks wouldn't cannibalize x79 sales.

 

[wazza300]

so much for solder damaging tri gate transistors

 

[ubersonic]

So has Intel gone back to what it was using before or is this a new epoxy/solder mix?

As Intel said Ivy/Haswell used TIM as the solder process wasn't cost effective its most likely this a more complex method or something.

Ivy/Haswell were just paste crippled to make sure overclocks wouldn't cannibalize x79 sales.

Those chips had to use TIM due to the Tri-gate transistors making soldering more complex/difficult, the reason Intel used an improved solder method on this chip is because the increased manufacturing cost easily dissolves into the $1000 price tag.

I bet you one person will delid there £800-£900 chip and complain at our (and their) expense.

Even with a soldered IHS it's highly unlikely IB-E can clock much better than naked IB, which means its still going to need a 2-300MHz advantage to break even with Haswell. Its strength will be in its core count just like SB-E.