Thermal Grizzly has added AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 CPUs to its delidded offerings, giving enthusiasts ready-to-go processors for €1,199 / $1,402.83. While this marks a substantial premium over removing the heat spreader from your own processor, these chips come with their own warranty period.
This launch follows other delidding efforts from Thermal Grizzly, namely the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D. By removing the heat spreader, the company aims to improve thermal transfer via direct-die cooling, reducing both operating temperatures and power consumption. As we saw in our Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 review, this is one CPU that would certainly benefit from such improvements.
As per previous delidded offerings, Thermal Grizzling is offering a two-year warranty with every Ryzen 9 9950X3D2. This is important since the process of delidding voids the manufacturer coverage from AMD. Understandably, this warranty doesn’t cover user-induced physical damage, such as a cracked silicon chip due to improper cooler installation.
Thermal Grizzly recommends pairing a delidded Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 with its own Mycro Direct-Die, Mycro Direct-Die Pro, or High Performance heat spreaders for the best compatibility, rather than the original integrated heatspreader (IHS). In fact, using the original IHS will void the processor’s warranty as the potential for damage is high.
Alongside alternative heat spreader recommendations, Thermal Grizzly suggests using Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal on the chiplets, when opting for one of these direct-die cooling solutions. Before applying any liquid metal, though, the firm encourages users seal the SMDs (surface-mount components) on the CPU’s PCB with the TG Kapton Insulation Sheet or TG Shield to avoid potential damage to these components.
Suffice to say, using a delidded Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 is a complicated and expensive process, even with Thermal Grizzly offering a ready-to-go chip. Paying such a large premium, well above the $899 MSRP may seem ridiculous, but there is method to all this money with the promise of better thermals netting greater overclocking headroom and performance.
der8auer, the man behind Thermal Grizzly, has demonstrated the potential of delidding on a Ryzen 9 9950X3D. Temperatures on that processor dropped by a whopping 20°C, while power consumption decreased by about 20W due to the reduction in electrical current leakage caused by heat.
Neither Thermal Grizzly nor der8auer has showcased how much of an improvement we can expect from the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2. However, considering how alike the processor is to the 9950X3D, it’s reasonable to assume similar gains are possible. I’m sure it won’t be long before someone has results to flaunt.
