It’s the eternal debate about stripping and/or changing IHS. Some will tell you that only the combination of stripping and liquid metal is of interest. Others will tell you that an IHS made of almost pure copper and especially cut to obtain a very flat surface, must also be part of the solution. The i9-12900KS and its custom copper IHS is a case in point.
When we mentioned RockitCool ‘s first results with its IHS, some “purists” expressed their doubts. However, the new shape of the LGA 1700 socket had already revealed some concerns to those who have been using Alder Lake for a while. The IHS distortion is now a situation recognized by Intel, which is minimizing its impact for the moment. But this concern cannot be considered as anecdotal for those who invest in a 12900KS for example.
Changing the IHS of your i9-12900KS: a real interest?
This is the case that Linus Sebastian (aka Linus Tech Tips) has experienced in his latest video.
So we’ll give you the short version: yes, the Liquid Metal + Copper IHS combination is really interesting. Mainly because the new IHS has almost 10% more contact area and is almost flat (at least at first). In his example, the manipulation lowered the temperatures by about 9 degrees while allowing the processor to boost longer. Yes, we are far from the 15°c originally announced but still… If these figures do not provide a substantial gain in everyday use, it will allow performance enthusiasts to get more out of their investment while being fully aware that the manipulation is risky and will void the warranty. That’s Linus saying it…Let’s hope next time we don’t have to post a video of Jojo…
