MSI is ready with a major refresh of its Socket LGA1700 motherboard lineup, in time for Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors that come out later this year. Popular motherboard models in its MEG, MPG, and MAG motherboard lines based on the top Z790 chipset Some of the top models in the lineup introduce support for Wi-Fi 7 and 5 Gbps Ethernet. Among the models we've seen are the MEG Z790 ACE MAX (5 GbE + 2.5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7), the MPG Z790 Edge MAX WiFi (2.5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7), MPG Z790 Carbon MAX WiFi (5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7), and the MAG Z790 Tomahawk MAX WiFi (2.5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7). Another set of innovations with these boards include USB 3.2 front-panel headers with 60 W PD capability, screwless M.2 NVMe SSD installation, and at least one Gen 5 NVMe slot. The company also unveiled the USB4 expansion accessory, which puts out two 40 Gbps USB4 type-C ports, along with DisplayPort passthrough, and 100 W PD capability.

Liquid cooling major Bitspower, which sells both DIY and AIO liquid cooling solutions under its own brand, as well as serves as OEM for other brands, came out with a comprehensive lineup of new products at the 2023 Computex. We begin our stroll of their booth with the Summit lineup of CPU water-blocks and CPU area monoblocks. The company showed us their Summit series LGA4677 block for Intel Xeon W workstations, made of nickel-plated copper and POM acetal tops. These completely dwarf the company's Summit series blocks for AMD sWRX8/sTRX4 Threadripper sockets. The company also showed off a series of CPU area monoblocks. These are motherboard model-specific rather than socket-specific, because they have to be tailored not just for the socket, but also the components in its vicinity, such as CPU VRM.

The innovative new Summit M Silent is designed to reduce noise caused due to coolant flow (by bubbles and vortexes). This is essentially a nickel-plated copper plate that guides coolant through the micro-fin lattice. While the block material is copper with acrylic top, these blocks have additional brushed aluminium top-plates. The Summit M Pure lacks this feature, and is a typical copper+acetal block. Both the Summit M Pure and Summit M Silent come in Socket LGA1700 and Socket AM5 variants. The AMD variants have design-level optimization for the MCM layout of "Raphael," "Vermeer," and "Matisse." Bitspower also showed us a plethora of new fittings, including 45° extenders, 90° extenders, rotary fittings, and static ones. These come in four color options—black, brass, white, and chrome. All four are made of brass. The company also showed us their CR series flat-type and cuboidal reservoirs with provision for integrated pumps.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest H610MH D5 motherboard. Based on Intel H610 single-chip architecture, the H610MH D5 flawlessly supports 12th/13th Generation Intel Core processors thanks to BIOSTAR's globally renowned design and manufacturing prowess.

The H610MH D5 motherboard is versatile. Engineered to cater both business and leisure, this motherboard brings BIOSTAR's cutting-edge technology, including the energy-efficient A.I FAN, informative Debug LED, and high-performing Intel GbE LAN to transform mundane tasks like web browsing, sending emails, and running office applications into a seamless experience.

DeepCool debuted its Assassin IV Dual Tower CPU cooler earlier this year at the CES 2023 trade show - as covered by TPU at the time - its very eye-catching design was described as looking: "like (a) big dark cube inside your case, with a shroud covering all its sheet-metal." The flagship high-performance CPU cooler seems to ready for an imminent launch, with press material and product images being released today for the Chinese market. Early impressions indicate that hardware enthusiasts are appreciative of the almost all-black monolithic aesthetic, with some folks predicting that DeepCool is going to win computer hardware product design awards.

DeepCool press material states (via translation) that its Assassin IV CPU cooler provides super silent operation while dealing with up to 280 W of heat - Intel's latest high-end Core i9 CPUs could be tamed with relative ease. The heatsink is comprised of 7 heat pipes with a dual fan attachment that includes 120 and 140 mm FDB fans - said to operate silently at high RPMs. The fans are rated at 500 - 1700 RPM, with an airflow delivery of 79.1 / 58.06 CFM in performance mode, and 63.76 / 46.75 CFM airflow for the gentler quiet mode. Deepcool's specifications indicate that these cooling fans produce less than or equal to 29.3 dB(A) noise at peak performance, and less than or equal to 22.6 dB(A) noise in quiet mode. The entire cooling solution consumes 2.88 W in performance mode.

Thermalright today introduced the Assassin Spirit 120 V2, a slim, tower-type CPU air cooler. Measuring 120 mm x 48 mm x 154 mm (WxDxH), and weighing in at 500 g, this cooler is designed for thermal loads of up to 235 W, which means it should run even high-end processors at their stock settings, at lower noise levels from the single fan. Its design involves a copper base, from which four 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes make direct contact with the processor, conveying heat through the aluminium fin-stack, which is capped off by a die-cast metal top-plate.

The TC-C12C V2 120 mm fan included with the Thermalright Assassin Spirit 120 V2, features a fluid-dynamic bearing, takes in 4-pin PWM input, turns at speeds of up to 1,500 RPM, pushing up to 66.17 CFM of airflow, at a maximum static-pressure of 1.53 mm H₂O, and noise output of 25.6 dBA. A 2 g syringe of 9.5 W/mK Thermalright TF4 thermal paste comes included with the cooler. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700, AM5, AM4, LGA1200, and LGA115x. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GELID today announced the largest variant of its Liquid Ultimate line of all-in-one liquid CPU coolers. The series that had debuted in February 2023 with 120 mm and 240 mm radiator size variants, is now being joined with one that uses a 360 mm radiator, hence the name Liquid 360 Ultimate. Its pump-block is characterized by an infinity-mirror ornament that's framed by addressable-RGB, and which features a tiny 2-digit seven-segment display that shows you coolant temperature in real-time.

Each of the three included Smart ARGB PWM 120 mm fans features an infinity-mirror on the impeller hub, which also puts out ARGB LED illumination that's diffused by the frosty-white impeller. Each fan provides an airflow of up to 61.9 CFM, with a speed range between 750 to 1,800 RPM; up to 1.67 mm H₂O static pressure, and 29.6 dBA maximum noise. The fans feature hydro-dynamic bearings that are rated for 50,000 hours. The GELID Liquid 360 Ultimate offers cooling capacity of over 300 W. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA115x, AM5, and AM4. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Intel is planning to update its desktop processor product-stack in the second half of 2023 with the Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" series. A VideoCardz report suggests that these chips could remain a part of the 13th Gen Core series, and Intel will not carve the 14th Gen Core out of them. This would be similar to how Intel dealt with delays in the commissioning of its 14 nm node by releasing the "Haswell Refresh" and "Devil's Canyon" processors within the 4th Gen Core family. Intel tried something different with "Coffee Lake Refresh," by branding it inside the 9th Gen Core series, instead of keeping it within the 8th Gen Core. This was done because Intel updated the CPU core-counts of its Core i7 SKUs, and introduced the new Core i9 brand extension for the mainstream-desktop segment.

If 4th Gen Core "Haswell Refresh" is anything to go by, Intel could use updated xx50 processor model numbers for "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors. An example of such a naming scheme would be the Core i9-13950K, which succeeds the i9-13900K (the i9-13900KS is a limited edition / limited-release SKU). At this point we don't know what exactly constitutes this Refresh, other than the high likelihood of clock-speed increases across the board. It's possible that Intel may innovate in the areas of die-thinning, die-binning, and process-level power improvements that open up room for these higher clock-speeds (which is what Intel did with 10th Gen "Comet Lake"). These processors could be built in the existing Socket LGA1700 package, and be compatible with existing Intel 600-series and 700-series chipset motherboards, requiring a UEFI firmware update.

Air-based CPU cooling maestros Thermalright are expanding their liquid-based cooler portfolio with the addition of two white color-schemed coolers under the Frozen Prism White series. These include two models based on the radiator size—the Frozen Prism White 360, and the Frozen Prism White 240. Their design sees white cover everything from the radiator frames, to the radiator fins, the fiber sleeving of the coolant tubes, the included fans, their frames and impellers; and of course the pump-block itself.

An illuminated ARGB ornament on top of the pump-block; and the illuminated fans, make up their lighting setup. These use standard 3-pin ARGB headers. Each of the included TL-E12W-S V2 fans turns at speeds of up to 1,850 RPM, pushing up to 70.4 CFM of airflow, at 2.64 mm H₂O static pressure. Among the CPU socket types supported by the Frozen Prism series are Intel Socket LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA2066, and LGA115x; and AMD Socket AM5 and AM4. The company didn't reveal pricing.

There is now an Amazon Basics CPU air cooler that works with Intel Socket LGA1700 and AMD Socket AM5. Called simply the CPU Air Cooler (model: RR-H410-20PC-AS), it features a conventional aluminium fin-stack tower-type design, and uses four copper heatpipes that make direct contact with the CPU at the base. A 92 mm fan ventilates the cooler. This fan is RGB illuminated and includes a controller. The fan turns at speeds ranging between 600 to 2,000 RPM, pushing up to 34.73 CFM of airflow, and features a conventional rifle bearing.

The cooler itself measures 102 mm x 83.4 mm x 136 mm (WxDxH), and Amazon Basics claims that it can handle thermal loads of up to 200 W. Amazon Basics usually brings otherwise obscure white-box brands into the market under its marquee so customers with confidence in the Amazon brand can buy them. In this case, the retail giant roped in no less than Cooler Master as the OEM for this cooler. The cooler itself appears to be a rebadged version of the Hyper H410R RGB, but with updated retention modules to support the latest CPU socket types. Amazon Basics is pricing this at $28.47. You can catch a review at the source link.

Thermaltake today launched the ToughAir 710, a premium dual aluminium fin-stack CPU cooler. Measuring 148.6 mm x 146.6 mm x 165 mm (LxWxH), the TA710 is a massive, heavyweight category cooler (with its weight expected to be around the 1 kg-mark). The cooler features a U-type dual fin-stack design. Seven 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heatpipes make indirect contact with the CPU over a base of the same material, with their ends passing through the two fin-stacks. These are ventilated by a pair of 140 mm fans in push-pull configuration, with the second fan nested between the two stacks.

Each of the two included ToughFan 14 spinners turns at speeds of up to 1,400 RPM, pushing up to 81.96 CFM of airflow at 1.81 mm H₂O static pressure, and 23.9 dBA noise output. The fans are rated for 40,000 hours of use. Thermaltake rates the ToughAir 710 as being capable of handling thermal loads of 250 W. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700, LGA2066, LGA1200, LGA115x, AM5, and AM4. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASRock today introduced the Blazing M.2 Gen 5 Fan-Heatsink, an active cooling solution for M.2 Gen 5 SSDs, and meant to be paired with the company's Socket AM5 and LGA1700 motherboards that have Gen 5 M.2 slots. The cooler is a 5 cm-tall hunk of extruded aluminium with a 30 mm fan ventilating it at roughly 5 CFM. There are five types of these coolers, each suitable for a particular type of ASRock motherboards. These coolers have been out since December 2022 as inclusions in motherboards, however, ASRock released the types 3, 4, and 5 (from the table below) today. The cooler is said to significantly lower temperatures of SSD controllers, minimizing performance losses to thermal throttling. These coolers are expected to be priced around $30 a pop.

Motherboard major MSI has reportedly began scaling down production of its Socket LGA1700 motherboards with DDR4 memory slots, in favor of those with the newer DDR5 slots. The move is aimed at gradually weaning the market off DDR4. The company has issued product discontinuance notices for several of its Intel 600-series and 700-series chipset motherboards that have DDR4 slots. Among the rather recently-announced products on the chopping block are the MPG Z790 Edge WiFi DDR4, Pro Z790-A WiFi DDR4, Pro Z790-P DDR4, and the DDR4 version of the MAG B760M Mortar. Meanwhile, DDR5 memory prices are on the chill, with the cheapest 16 GB (2x 8 GB) kit being priced at $60, and the cheapest 32 GB (2x 16 GB) one at $97.

Server and workstation cooling solutions provider Dynatron unveiled the L35, a unique all-in-one liquid CPU cooler meant for 2U rackmount cases. The cooler features a 240 mm x 80 mm radiator, which relies on three 80 mm fans in a row for ventilation. The radiator itself is a chunky 44 mm-thick. The cooler uses a pump located at the radiator, while the thin water-block doesn't have any cables going to it, just the coolant tubes. Each of the three included 80 mm fans are data-center grade, turn at speeds of up to 8,000 RPM, pushing up to 115.61 CFM of airflow, at 64.4 dBA of noise output. Among the CPU socket types supported are Intel LGA2066, LGA1700, AMD AM5, and AM4. Dynatron claims that the cooler is capable of handling thermal loads of up to 250 W.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, is thrilled to showcase the latest B760MZ-E PRO motherboard. The BIOSTAR B760MZ-E PRO motherboard is a versatile solution that meets diverse pro-user demands. Whether you are a professional creator seeking the hottest mid-range hardware on the market, a business professional requiring reliable and efficient computing power, or a casual user needing a seamless computing experience, the B760MZ-E PRO has you covered. Its cutting-edge technology, advanced DDR5 memory support, lightning-fast transfer speeds, and connectivity options make it the ultimate choice for those seeking a high-performance motherboard that can handle anything thrown its way.

Built on Intel's B760 single-chip architecture, The BIOSTAR B760MZ-E PRO motherboard supports the latest 12th/ 13th Generation Intel Core Processors, providing robust and stable performance for demanding applications. Its 4-DIMM DDR5 memory support and PCIe M.2 4.0 (64 Gb/s) lightning-fast transfer speeds offer unrivaled computing and file transfer efficiency. Ideal for content designers, business professionals, and casual users seeking the best-performance motherboard of this range.

The leading global motherboard, graphics card, and small form factor PC manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its new Mini PC Jupiter 600 series including Jupiter H610 and B660 two models. Jupiter 600 series features the flexibility and expandability in a compact size suited to a wide range of applications such as office, retail, healthcare, transportation and industry.

With support for the latest 13th and 12th Gen Intel Core processors (LGA1700) up to 65 watts, DDR4 3200 MHz memory, the Jupiter 600 series delivers desktop-grade performance for commercial usage. Support up to three-storage design including one M.2 PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD, one M.2 PCIe Gen 3x4 SSD, and one 2.5-inch HDD to provide fast data transfer speed and high capacity storage.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, is proud to announce the launch of four brand new motherboards - B760MZ-E PRO, B760MX2-E D4, B760MX2-E, and B760MX-E D4. These motherboards are tailored to meet the needs of a variety of target audiences, from content creators to home entertainment enthusiasts.

The B760MZ-E PRO motherboard is specifically designed for content creators who require a powerful and efficient system for photo and footage editing. This motherboard features the latest Intel B760 chipset and supports 12th/ 13th Generation Intel Core Processors. It supports DDR5 memory and PCIe 4.0, making it one of the advanced motherboards on the market. It also features 2.5 GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E module support for faster data transfer and connectivity. The B760MZ-E PRO also has a sleek design with LED ROCK ZONE and VIVID LED DJ RGB lighting, making it a stylish addition to any setup.

Jonsbo today released the HX5230, a mid-range tower-type CPU cooler. The cooler features an all-black tower-type design, Five 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heatpipes make indirect contact with the processor over a mirror-finish copper base, conveying heat through the anodized aluminium fin-stack, which is ventilated by a 120 mm fan. The fin-stack is capped by a die-cast aluminium top-plate that has a premium brushed-metal appearance. The included fan features a fluid-dynamic bearing, takes in 4-pin PWM input, and turns at speeds ranging between 700 to 1,800 RPM, pushing up to 83.04 CFM of airflow, at up to 2.68 mm H₂O static pressure, and up to 37.6 dBA noise output. Jonsbo claims that the HX5230 can handle thermal loads of up to 230 W. With its fan in place, the cooler measures 128 mm x 75 mm x 158 mm (WxDxH), weighing 704 g. Among the socket types supported are LGA1700, AM5, AM4, and LGA1200. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Jonsbo today unveiled the HP400S-New, a top-flow, low-profile CPU cooler with a claimed thermal capacity of 140 W, and with a height of just 40 mm. A major revision of the HP400S from February 2022, the "-New" revision uses a thicker fin-stack and a faster fan. The cooler uses a dense aluminium fin-stack heatsink with a C-type design. Four 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heatpipes make direct contact with the CPU at the base, conveying heat to an aluminium fin-stack arranged along the plane of the motherboard. This is then ventilated by a 15 mm-thick 90 mm fan that turns between 900—3,000 RPM, with 12.59—38.18 CFM of airflow, and 20.2—34 dBA noise output. With the fan in place, the cooler measures all of 103 mm x 92 mm x 40 mm, weighing 350 g. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700, AM5, AM4, LGA1200, and LGA115x.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a world-renowned manufacturer of desktop components, laptops, desktops, AIO PCs, and storage, launches the B760 Series motherboards for the 13th Gen and 12th Gen Intel Core processors. The Intel B760 Series motherboards are ideal gaming and content creation with DDR5 and DDR4 memory support depending on model.

COLORFUL introduces the CVN B760M FROZEN WIFI D5 and CVN B760I FROZEN WIFI motherboards for gamers and enthusiasts. Coming in a compact micro-ATX and Mini-ITX form factors, both motherboards feature PCIe 5.0 x16 slot to support the latest high-end graphics cards. The CVN B760 motherboards also come with Wi-Fi 6, three PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for the CVN B760M FROZEN WIFI D5 and two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for the CVN B760I FROZEN WIFI Mini-ITX motherboard. COLORFUL also presents the BATTLE-AX B760M-F PRO motherboard with DDR4 memory support and two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots.

The Intel Ethernet i226-V onboard 2.5 GbE controller appears to have a design flaw that causes the Ethernet connection to drop at random times for a few seconds. The I226-V is the latest version of Intel's cost-effective 2.5 Gbps Ethernet networking chips meant for PC motherboards with chipsets that have integrated MACs (i.e. Intel chipsets). It succeeds the I225-V, which was Intel's first consumer 2.5 GbE PHY. The I225-V was plagued by various issues that caused it to be unstable at 2.5 Gbps (but could be worked around by forcing 1 GbE mode). Many premium Intel 700-series chipset Socket LGA1700 motherboards integrate the new I226-V, which is the I225's successor, as their default onboard 2.5 GbE controller. Some enthusiast-segment motherboards have a second Ethernet controller that's either of a different brand (such as Realtek or Marvell), or a different kind of wired Ethernet (such as 10 GbE).

Since mid-December, users of Intel 700-series chipset motherboards (which debut the I226-V), have been reporting random connections drops to Intel's Support Community, Microsoft, ASUS and Reddit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. These drops are momentary, last a few seconds, and you'll mostly not notice it; however for applications that need an uninterrupted connection (such as online gaming, video conferencing, VPN, Remote Desktop etc.), such a link drop will be noticeable. You can check if you are affected by opening Windows Event Viewer, navigate to "Windows Logs," "System" and search for "e2fnexpress," in particular Event 27 "Intel Ethernet Controller I226-V, Network link is disconnected." and Event 32 "Intel Ethernet Controller I226-V. Network link has been established at 1 Gbps full duplex." We've experienced the issue in our labs. We tried updating to the latest 27.8 drivers from Intel, and used the latest motherboard BIOS, at 1 Gbps speed, but the issue couldn't be fixed reliably. In the end, we just switched over to the motherboard's second network interface, which is not an Intel NIC, and the issue went away. Another option could be to buy a cheap PCI-Express network card or use the board's integrated Wi-Fi. Still, such issues aren't acceptable, especially not from a world-leading manufacturer like Intel, who once was reputed for the quality of its networking equipment. Intel and its motherboard partners need to get on top of this issue.Update Mar 1st: Intel has issued a Windows workaround and patch for these issues. Let us know if this fixes it for you.

Update Mar 4th: User @lovingbenji reports that on his system this new driver version does not fix the disconnect issue.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, is delighted to announce the brand new B760M-SILVER motherboard. Constructed around the INTEL LGA1700 socket, which supports 12th / 13th Generation Intel Core processors, the B760M-SILVER carries BIOSTAR's RACING pedigree, with visual flair and innovative features strategically picked to enhance the user's overall experience.

The B760M-SILVER features the MicroATX form factor, which makes it ideal for space and cost-conscious applications, coupled with the BIOSTAR-certified 10+1+1 Phase / 70 A power delivery solution great for gaming and entertainment builds. It comes further equipped with BIOSTAR's DIGITAL PWM technology, which provides exceptionally precise power delivery across all its components.

EK, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is releasing the EK-Quantum Velocity² ILM Replacement - 1700, a product that replaces the motherboard's Integrated Loading Mechanism (ILM) with a frame that bolsters the structural rigidity of the socket, motherboard, and even the CPU. It is used for cooling 12th and 13th generation Intel Core CPUs with regular EK-Quantum Vector² CPU water blocks, not Direct Die models.

Due to the rectangular and elongated design of these CPUs and the way the stock ILM holds the CPU down, the Intel 12th and 13th-gen CPUs are prone to warping caused by uneven pressure. The new contact frame from EK mitigates this issue as it prevents any warping or bending of the CPU and its surrounding area. This improves the cooling efficiency due to more even pressure applied on the CPU. As a result, the bending is removed and the CPU's center that contains the heat source is no longer concave, enabling improved contact with the cooler.

At the 2023 International CES, Cooler Master showed off a unique all-in-one liquid closed-loop CPU cooler that features user-replaceable pump-block covers, the MasterLiquid Atmos. The top cover of the pump-block comes off, so you can replace it with something with a different shape or color. Examples of these covers include a frosty-white cover made of recycled plastic resin, or a tinted acrylic diffuser. Underneath is a white silicone diffuser for an ARGB lighting element. The lighting extends to the included Cooler Master Sickleflow ARGB fans.

The MasterLiquid Atmos model shown at CES was the ML360 Atmos, featuring a 360 mm x 120 mm radiator with a trio of Sickleflow ARGB fans. These fans come pre-installed on the radiator, to minimize packaging waste. The ML360 Atmos uses a dual-chamber pump-block, which features CM's Gen 2 ARGB lighting. The company didn't go into the technical details of the fan, but mentioned its top speed to be 2,400 RPM. The MasterLiquid Atmos series comes in two variants, 240 mm and 360 mm. Among the CPU socket types supported are LGA1700, LGA1200, AM5, and AM4.

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 series over the years has become synonymous with aftermarket CPU cooling, as possibly the most popular custom CPU cooler. The company modernized it over the years with new heatsink and fan technologies, and it's has undergone a major design- and tech overhaul with the new Hyper 212 Halo. It retains the conventional aluminium fin-stack (type-U) design, with four 6 mm-thick copper heatpipes making direct contact with the CPU at the base, conveying heat to an aluminium fin-stack heatsink that's been capped off with a die-cast aluminium top-plate. The included 120 mm Halo fan features rifle-bearings rated for over 160,000 hours, and features two sets of addressable-RGB LEDs—along the bore of the fan-frame, and the impeller hub. The fan turns at speeds ranging between 650 to 2,050 RPM, pushing up to 51.88 CFM of airflow at 2.89 mm H₂O static-pressure, and 27 dBA maximum noise output. As part of its design modernization, the Hyper 212 Halo gets support for the latest Sockets LGA1700 and AM5.

EK, the premium liquid cooling hardware manufacturer, is launching the Direct Die product series aimed at delidding and achieving the ultimate cooling of the LGA 1700 socket-based Intel CPUs from the 12th generation Alder Lake and 13th gen Raptor Lake families. Kitguru teamed up with EK to investigate the potential benefits of direct die cooling for Intel's Alder Lake CPUs to achieve the best possible thermal performance on a daily basis. After publishing the first video announcing this collaboration, EK was overwhelmed by the response from Kitguru's audience. In order to bring these products to market, EK reached out to Der8auer, a renowned expert in delidding and direct die applications.

EK has prepared a total of four products to start this Direct Die series: two CPU water blocks (one Limited Edition), a delidding tool, and an upgrade kit for existing EK-Quantum Vector² LGA1700 water blocks. So far, these products are aimed at Intel's LGA1700 socket and 12th and 13th-generation Intel Core CPUs. Delidding is the process of removing the integrated heatspreader (IHS) to reduce the distance between the CPU core die and the coldplate of the CPU cooler. Another benefit involves the removal of an entire layer of thermal transfer from the CPU die to the IHS. The delidding process enables a direct heat transfer from the CPU core to the water block. All this results in a significant reduction in overall thermals and less thermal difference between CPU cores. The procedure is typically performed by experienced enthusiasts because it involves a physical modification of the product that voids the CPU warranty. For a more in-depth explanation, please refer to this EK's blog post on delidding.