Details
Thermal Grizzly's Ryzen 7000 Direct Die Frame is a CPU mounting frame for mounting delidded AMD Ryzen 7000 processors on socket AM5 without the integrated heat spreader. On a Ryzen 7000X3D chip? The Direct Die Frame V2 is the one to use.
Properties
- Socket type
- AMD AM5
- Fits
- Delidded AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs, except the Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- Material
- Anodized aluminum
- Color
- Black
- Size
- 70 x 53 x 4 mm
- Weight
- 16 g, 30 g boxed
Why delid and cool direct die
For gaming PCs and desktop workstations, cooling the processor is important so that they are not slowed down during rendering operations, for example, and can enable the highest possible FPS when gaming. Silent PCs for multimedia applications benefit from better heat dissipation from the processor as well. In addition to a good cooling solution, PC enthusiasts optimize heat dissipation by "delidding" their CPUs. When a CPU is delidded, the heat spreader of the processor is removed. Often this is done to replace the thermal conductive materials used by the manufacturer with higher quality thermal pastes, or with liquid metal such as Conductonaut, before the heat spreader is remounted. With the so-called "direct die" method the heat spreader is completely omitted, so that the base plate of the CPU cooler has direct contact with the CPU. Thermal Grizzly's view is that this is not only interesting for extreme overclockers on the hunt for records, but also for gamers and content creators.
Direct heat transfer and chiplet protection
When the cooler is mounted directly on the CPU chips, the heat generated during operation of the CPU is dissipated straight to the cooler. It does not first have to be transferred through the heat spreader. On a Ryzen 7000 the chips are the I/O die and one or two CPU dies. This makes heat dissipation more efficient and the CPU is cooled better: omitting the heat spreader is what Thermal Grizzly credits with allowing for significantly lower temperatures during operation.
The purpose of the frame is to protect the exposed chiplets of the processor. Without a direct die frame, the function of the CPU can be impaired by the contact pressure of the CPU cooler. Problems with the RAM in particular are very common here and, in the worst case, the CPU can become unusable. The frame itself is anodized aluminum, and Thermal Grizzly lists even contact pressure and easy mounting among its properties.
Fit and compatibility
The frame is compatible with AMD Ryzen 7000 and allows mounting of delidded Ryzen CPUs. Thermal Grizzly's data sheet names one exception: it is NOT compatible with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the chip the V2 was changed for. A processor that is already delidded can also be used with the AM5 High Performance Heatspreader or with Thermal Grizzly's AM5 Mycro Direct Die series water coolers. Not delidded yet? The Ryzen 7000 Delid-Die-Mate is the tool for removing the heatspreader.
Compatibility note from Thermal Grizzly , as of March 2025. Even the Direct Die Frame V2 is NOT COMPATIBLE with the APUs of the Ryzen 8000G series as well as the CPUs of the Ryzen 9000 series, including the X3D variants.
Direct die cooling changes the mounting height, so the cooler must be mounted lower. The M3 and M4 adapter screws in the AM5 Adapter & Offset Mounting Kit make that possible.
Attention
- Delidding, meaning removing the heatspreader of a processor, is at your own risk.
- The manufacturer's warranty expires when the CPU is delidded, and damage caused by delidding the CPU is not covered by it.
- Removing the Socket Actuation Mechanism (SAM) of the mainboard to fit the frame may invalidate the warranty of the mainboard manufacturer.
In the box
- Ryzen 7000 Direct Die Frame
- 4x pan-head screws, UNC thread 1/4"
- 1x hexagon socket wrench 5/64"
- 1x angle wrench Torx T20
Thermal Grizzly's data sheet is a PDF.
