Intel Skylake CPUs bent and broken by some third-party coolers

Intel Skylake CPUs bent and broken by some third-party coolers

URL: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/12/intel-skylake-cpus-bent-and-broken-by-some-third-party-coolers/

(credit: pcgameshardware.de)

Certain third-party CPU coolers could damage Skylake CPUs and motherboards thanks to Skylake's thinner construction, according to a report by German tech website Games Hardware. In independent testing, the site found that the pressure exerted by some popular coolers caused the structurally weaker Skylake CPU to bend, thus damaging the motherboard's delicate pins and contacts.

The problems appear to stem from the substrate used in Skylake's construction, which is noticeably thinner than that of previous-generation chips. Noctua, EK Water Blocks, Scythe, Arctic, Thermaltake, and Thermalright, commenting to Games Hardware about the issue, suggested that damage from overly high mounting pressure is most likely to occur during shipping or relocation of a system. Some are recommending that the CPU cooler be removed altogether before a system is shipped.

So far, only Scythe has offered a solution to the problem. A post on its support page notes that it will be redesigning the mounting mechanism for Skylake CPUs by offering new screws to reduce the mounting pressure. The change only affects coolers that use its H.P.M.S mounting system, with the company saying that its coolers are "compatible with Skylake sockets in general." Scythe will send a set of upgraded screws for free to existing customers.

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