Navigating the Challenges of Selling a Delidded CPU: A Cautionary Tale

Recently, I encountered a rather interesting situation after selling a delidded Intel i7-7700K processor (4 cores, 8 threads) online. Before the sale, I took the time to craft an extensive set of instructions, totaling about 1,700 words, to guide the buyer through the nuances of handling and installing the processor. This included links to various tutorials and essential tips for ensuring optimal performance.

For practical reasons, I left the CPU unsealed and included the leftover Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut that I had used, with the caveat that if this amount was insufficient to cover both the die and the integrated heat spreader (IHS), which was a third-party copper model, he would need to purchase additional liquid metal. Unfortunately, it seems my thorough warning didn’t reach him as intended.

Once he received the CPU, he opted to apply the liquid metal solely on the die without checking the core temperatures, as I had suggested. Despite my advice to monitor the temperatures using HWiNFO64, like checking for acceptable differences between cores, he plunged into gaming without proper precautions. Shortly thereafter, he reached out to inform me that only 2 cores out of the expected 4 were recognized in Task Manager and CPU-Z.

At this point, it was perplexing. While the BIOS displayed the processor correctly on his Asus Prime B250M motherboard, I guided him through the msconfig settings to ensure the settings were optimized. After confirming that his BIOS was updated, he reset it to factory defaults, but the issue persisted.

An Unexpected Turn

Update: My guidance on adjusting the msconfig and BIOS settings paid off, as he later reported that all 4 cores and 8 threads were now functioning as expected. However, I couldn’t shake my concern about his CPU’s idle temperatures, which he shared with me in a screenshot.

Given the circumstances, I felt it necessary to recommend that he remove the CPU and apply the liquid metal correctly—covering both the die and the IHS as I originally advised. Yet, I hesitated, fearing that further attempts might exacerbate the situation.

Update #2: Thank you to everyone who offered advice. I made every effort to prepare him for this purchase, even expressing my reservations about whether he was the right fit for a delidded CPU. Regardless, he proceeded with the transaction.

After successfully addressing the