CPU heatspreader examined in detail – do we now have to rethink AMD and Intel? | Basics

I already announced a long time ago that I would continue to deal with the subject of heatspreaders. However, I myself do not have the measuring equipment in the micrometer range that would allow a clear statement, so I gratefully resorted to the help offered by a German research center. It was just important to me to safely and reliably substantiate the assumptions that I had already guessed in advance and, with my own resources, some of which were already proven. Because the previous handling of the heat spreaders, be it with the radiator bases or the use of the correct thermal paste, is certainly worth considering in some details.

It will certainly not trigger a revolution, but at least an evolution in the mind. Because above all the common clichés of convex (arched upwards) or concave (indented downwards) must, at least with AMD, be thoroughly reconsidered. But I’ll get to that in a moment. Before that I would like to thank everyone who has sent me CPUs of all possible years so that there is a little more bandwidth. I picked out the measurement results for the individual model series from AMD and Intel as examples, because everything can simply not be measured with this effort. Since otherwise there would be a lot of redundant content, because many generations are too similar, you will only find the copies in the following picture gallery that best represent the respective IHS characteristics.

Measuring devices and measuring method

I already wrote at the beginning that I was dependent on cooperation with another institution. The actual measurement was carried out with a current Keyence VR-5000, a very fast 3D profilometer for recording 3D structures and the roughness of the surfaces. And so we can kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand we will see how curved the heatspreaders really are and on the other hand we will also learn more about the surface properties, which speaks a very clear language about appropriate grain sizes and various fillers. I cannot offer pictures of the facility and workplaces for reasons of confidentiality regulations, but I have embedded the manufacturer’s video once, which illustrates the functionality of the VR-5000 quite well.

Enough material for a follow-up on the grit and the pastes, but today it’s all about the IHS (Integrated HeatSpreader). Because that alone already fills a few pages. Curious; excited? It was me too, because the results are sometimes unexpected and astonishing!