Details
Thermal Grizzly's AM5 Contact & Sealing Frame is a CPU mounting aid for AMD's Ryzen-7000 processors on socket AM5: a combination of Contact Frame and CPU-Guard that replaces the SAM of the mainboard. On Intel? We stock the contact frame for 13th and 14th Gen CPUs.
Properties
- Socket type
- AMD AM5
- Material
- Aluminum (EN-AW 7075), anodized, with a silicone foam inlay
- Color
- Black frame, red/black insulator sheet
- Size
- 70 x 55 x 6 mm
- Weight
- 31 g, 68 g boxed
- Screws
- 4x pan-head, UNC 6-32 thread, 1/4"
Combination of contact frame and CPU guard
As a Contact Frame, it encloses the heatspreader and creates optimal contact pressure of the CPU into the socket, while the body is made of anodized aluminum. The exposed components on the CPU get their own cover: an inlay made of silicone foam, included in the box and optional to fit, serves to protect them. Thermal Grizzly's own short list for the frame reads: even contact pressure, lower CPU temperatures, easy installation.
Optimized Inner Contour for Even Pressure Distribution
The inner contour is precision-milled. Compared to the standard SAM it creates multiple contact points to the heatspreader, and these contact points distribute the contact pressure on the CPU evenly. That even pressure ensures the contact surfaces of the CPU rest uniformly on the pins of the socket. Thermal Grizzly gives one example of what can be avoided this way: problems with the detection of system memory.
Innovative Silicone Foam Inlay for Protection and Sealing
The frame comes with a silicone foam inlay that can be placed on the PCB of the processor, similar to Thermal Grizzly's AMD Ryzen 7000 CPU Guard. When installing the frame, the foam is pressed onto the PCB, and by pressing there it leaves the gap between the heatspreader and the aluminum frame sealed. The seal prevents thermal paste or liquid metal from getting onto the CPU's unprotected components. When used with thermal pastes the foam inlay is optional, but with liquid metal, such as Conductonaut, it is mandatory.
User-Friendly Assembly with Clear Marking and Compatibility
A corresponding marking on the top of the frame is there to simplify installation. Since the socket has a bulge on the upper edge (the "northern" one), mounting is only possible in one orientation. The frame is held by the four screws that are included for mounting it. Compatibility with the Thermal Grizzly AM5 backplates is given, and we stock both: the AM5 M4 Backplate and the AM5 Short Backplate.
Compatibility Note:
Thermal Grizzly's data sheet lists the frame as compatible with the APUs of the Ryzen 8000G series as well as the CPUs of the Ryzen 9000 series, including the X3D variants (as of March 2025). Its product page, as of September 2025, also names the X3D2 variants and states that the Ryzen 5 7400F is NOT compatible.
Attention:
- The frame replaces the Socket Actuation Mechanism (SAM), and removing the SAM of the mainboard may invalidate the warranty of the mainboard manufacturer.
In the box
- 1x AM5 Contact & Sealing Frame
- 1x Insulator Sheet Red/Black
- 4x pan-head screws, UNC thread, 1/4"
- 1x hexagon socket wrench 5/64"
- 1x angle wrench Torx T20
- 1x Aeronaut thermal paste, 1g
Thermal Grizzly's data sheet is a PDF.
