Well known overclocker “Der8auer” has apparently obtained early samples of Intel’s upcoming 12 to 18-core Skylake-X processors. The overclocker posted an image on Facebook showcasing a delidded HCC (high core count) Core i9 processor. The delidding process was done using Der8auer’s Delid-Die-Mate-X tool, which is slated for release in the consumer market very soon.
There are several key takeaways from Der8auer’s delidding process. One in particular is the fact that Intel’s HCC Skylake-X processors does come with a larger CPU die compared to the company’s recently released X299-compatible processors (4,6,8, and 10-core Core-X CPUs). Another key point that can be observed is that HCC Skylake-X processors are found to not be soldered.
This, of course, means that Intel is indeed still sticking to its new “habit” of not soldering its HEDT processors. As a result, consumers will, in theory, be able to obtain better cooling efficiency and higher overclocking headroom when opting to delid a HCC Skylake-X processor. That said, we do not, however, recommend doing this for those who are unaware of the risks (potential warranty void, dead CPU, etc).
Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see the performance difference between delidded and non-delidded Intel HCC Core i9 processors. It’s also worth noting that AMD’s Ryzen CPU offerings were found to be soldered; delidding those processors will most likely cause permanent damage. Knowing this, it seems that Intel does indeed have an advantage over its rivals after all – one that may not necessarily be utilised by general consumers though.
(Source: Der8auer via Overclock3D, TechPowerUp)
