![\"\"](\"http:\/\/hwcooling.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/new-way-to-lower-processor-temperature-a-silver-heatspreader-01.png\")
<\/a>Intel’s new processors have once again come to market with a not very efficient paste. It is odd that the company still does not have any special brazed editions because the demand for better solutions is obvious and Intel is creating good business for other people and companies this way. With Coffee Lake processors, it seems that the \u201ccommercial\u201c delid will be a full hit and will bring a pretty expensive and extravagant innovation. <\/p>\n
On a smaller scale, a number of individuals, sometimes companies, offer processors after delid and you can also often pay extra for a piece with a better OC potential. Youtuber Roman Hartung will now be “tuning” Coffee Lake processors along with the German store Caseking.de. What\u2019s interesting is that they are not going to just detach the HS and replace the standard compound (with liquid metal Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut), but they will also make adjustments to the cover itself.<\/p>\n
Depending on how much you are willing to pay for this service, you will be able to buy a CPU with an original standard spreader, or with a polished surface (extra surcharge), which is a well-known technique to improve heat transfer (but lose the warranty) and you can handle it even at home. The most interesting \u2013 at least if we do not look at the price \u2013 is the third option, chips from the so-called “Ultra Edition”. For these, the original HS will be replaced by a new one which is made of silver or its alloy (the silver content should be 99.9%). The company has already made them, on Facebook, Der8auer shows a photo that is also the main picture of this article.<\/p>\n
Silver has no cosmetic nor snobbish meaning here, or not primarily anyway. Its physical properties are better than those of copper from which are HS normally produced (the surface is nickel-plated, so it is not visible at first glance). The thermal conductivity of pure silver is higher than copper, so this trick should not be a complete placebo and really should allow to push limits of OC.<\/p>\n
However, the question is how far will it be, and wheter the silver cover will be worth the money. The \u201csilver\u201c Core i7-8700K will cost a lot, 690 to 870 \u20ac, according to the promised OC frequency. The thermal conductivity of silver (429 W\/mK at 25 \u00b0C) is better than copper, but not dramatically. Conductivity of copper is 386 W\/mK, or 90% of the silver\u2018s value. It would be worthwhile to test it, but it is not very likely that the material of HS could make a huge difference.<\/p>\n
The HS used in Skylake processors weighs 26 g, but silver has a higher density. If shape and volume are the same, it should be about 30.5 g for Coffee Lake. That amount of silver was worth approx. 14 euros few days ago on the stock exchange \u2013 is it not a waste to use this precious metal for such rough job? Der8auer and Caseking, by the way, want to produce and offer silver covers also for Skylake-X processors which have a much bigger HS, but much bigger cooling problems too.<\/p>\n
How many people will be interested in such exclusive modding of processors will show up. But as mentioned before, one thing is strange \u2013 why Intel does not practice these things too? The activities of various delid and sorting companies would be best handled by the company itself during binning and production right in the factories. The money that now goes to others could be collected by Intel…<\/p>\n<\/a>