Intel I7 4790k IHS damaged

[ROliv8]

I was installing new fans on my radiator and after i remove the radiator it accidentaly fell on my processor and now the IHS has this damage like shown in the attached picture, i installed back and apparently everything is working fine. My question is if this damage can affect processor thermal performance and can be prejudicial in the long run?

[idata]

Hello Fumero,

Thank you for joining the Processors community.

If the processor is working fine I do no see that it should cause an issue in the future, and one more thing is that once you add the thermal paste and fit the fan this will protect it, so I do not see any mayor inconvenient.

Regards,

Amy.

[idata]

/thread/113922 Fumero, if you need further assistance let us know.

Regards,

Amy.

[ROliv8]

Is it possible to change only this IHS?

[idata]

We do not recommend this, if the unit meets the terms and conditions of warranty we recommend replacing it. I am aware that replacing this plate is possible, but it will be at your own risk.

Regards,

Amy.

[TGrab1]

Hi Fumero,

As the intel rep has stated the IHS can be removed and is called "delidding" but this process can be risky to a novice.

There are however some other options.

First you can make sure this area has plenty of thermal paste to fill the inside of that scratch/dent. This will make sure you do not get an air pocket that causes temps to be higher than usual. The downside is the thicker the paste the less it can transfer heat, but anything is better than the air pocket.

The next process is something they call "lapping" which is to use different grains of sandpaper to slowly smooth out an IHS to a mirror shine. The way this works is it takes off little bits of metal at a time until the surface is smooth and flat.

For you this would take more effort as you would need to get down past the dent/scratch which I cannot tell from the pictures how deep it is, but if you have the patience this is a technique that could work and would involve much less risk. Just make sure to look up a video or two on it so you understand the concept.

So in the end you have 3 do it yourself options so just pick the one that works best for you.

[ROliv8]

Thanks for the help, i already sold this processor and upgrade to I7 6700k along with Z270 Asrock Taichi and Corsair Vengeance LED DDR4 3200MHz.