Skylake-X Direct Die Frame aims for safer IHS-free cooling

Noted overclocker Roman 'der8auer' Hartung has officially launched his latest product aimed at the overclocking community: the Skylake-X Direct Die Frame, designed to protect delidded CPUs while allowing direct cooler contact with the die.

Following on from 2015's Delid Die Mate and its 2017 sequel, the Skylake-X Direct Die Frame is designed to act as a shim between a Skylake-X CPU which has had its integrated heatspreader (IHS) removed and an air- or liquid-cooler with LGA 2066 compatibility while also replacing the integrated loading mechanism (ILM) and fastening the chip firmly into place - removing, the theory goes, any risk that the fragile and now unprotected silicon die could be crushed during installation or transportation.

The design of the frame sees the outer surface positioned a claimed 0.1mm below the silicon die, giving a cooler access to the die without any risk it could tilt, shift, or be fastened down incorrectly and crush the die. Installation, however, does require the removal of the standard Intel socket retention system.

Vendor Caseking claims that the Direct Die Frame is compatible with all LGA 2066 motherboards and Skylake-X processors, though warns that motherboard liquid-cooling monoblocks and coolers with a fixed mounting height are not compatible. 'Water-coolers from EKWB, Aquacomputer, as well as AiO [All in One] water-coolers from Corsair and NZXT are guaranteed to fit,' the company claims.

The Skylake-X Direct Die Frame is available from Caseking now, priced at €69.90 (around £62 inc. VAT).