Thermal Grizzly has added the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D to its delidded CPU lineup, allowing enthusiasts to grab a ready-to-go processor for the princely sum of $876.33 / €749. This solution is aimed at PC builders who can’t be bothered or are afraid of attempting the delidding procedure at home, thereby providing a thoroughly tested product, complete with two years of warranty.
As the new gaming king, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is highly sought after by those who demand only the best frame rates. While it is already as good as it gets for gamers, there is still one step enthusiasts can take to improve its performance slightly while reducing temperatures, and this process is known as delidding. It consists of removing the CPU’s IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) to expose the bare dies (CCD and IOD).
Needless to say, this procedure is risky if you don’t know what you are doing, potentially breaking the CPU if done improperly or hastily. Furthermore, delidding a CPU nullifies the official AMD warranty, even if the procedure is successful. Enter, Thermal Grizzly, which aims to remove this friction by delidding the CPU and selling it cleaned and ready to install, all while covering it with its own two-year warranty. Understandably, this doesn’t come cheap, as a delidded 9850X3D ends up costing 75% more than a regular one. Even so, this remains an enticing option for many deep-pocketed enthusiasts, since failing the delidding process means you lose $499.
That said, there are some usage conditions to benefit from this warranty, such as never reusing the stock IHS or direct-die frames. Not a big deal, actually, since the whole idea is to ditch the IHS to improve thermal transfer. Speaking of which, a custom liquid cooling solution built for direct-die setups is recommended, as regular coolers may not be compatible with the change in Z height. Thermal Grizzly recommends using its own liquid metal, naturally, which has been tested for such configurations.
Note that this operation isn’t supported by AMD, Thermal Grizzly buys retail CPUs, delids them one by one – which takes about 30 minutes per unit – before repackaging them and reselling them. Each CPU is tested for proper functionality, and temperature is noted on a card that ships with it, so you have a good idea of what to expect after installation. For example, to detect a bad cooler contact if the temperature is too high.
Roman AKA der8auer, the man behind Thermal Grizzly, measured the difference between a stock and delidded Ryzen 7 9850X3D, and found 77°C peak core temperature during a Cinebench stress test, meaning a 13°C drop from the original’s 90°C. These lower temps should help the CPU maintain its boost frequency at a lower fan speed, or offer slightly higher peak clocks. You can see the process Thermal Grizzly uses to delid CPUs in the video below.
