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Does IC7 void Intel Warranty?

IVIX1

IVIX1

Member
I have used IC7 at the suggestion of a computer engineer on my last PC. The same person I bought my original i73770k, asrock OC Formula PC from. I have since purchased an i7 4790k and am awaiting a Z87 OC Formula board to put together in a mostly brand new setup.

I've recently come to find that sprinkled throughout the web are posts upon posts of people saying that IC7 Thermal Paste voids the Intel warranty.

I've tried to find if this is indeed true or not, but all at sights other than anand, and forums not anand. And I don't know a ton of PC's but I know that I only actually take Anandtech and Anand forum users seriously.

So I ask you trust worthy Anandtech Users

Does IC7 void Intel warranties?


Thank you for all help and answers in advance. I hope the CPU forum is the proper location for this question.
 
I've never heard of any thermal paste, be it IC7 or any other kind void Intel's warranty. I would be rather doubtful of those posts that stated otherwise.
 
nsafreak said:
I've never heard of any thermal paste, be it IC7 or any other kind void Intel's warranty. I would be rather doubtful of those posts that stated otherwise.
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Some electrically conductive thermal compounds can void warranties in some cases (shorts etc caused by the electrically conductive compound). OTOH, IC7 does not appear to be electrically conductive so should have an issues. Love the BS about synthetic diamonds though: something is either a diamond or it is not, there is no such thing as synthetic diamonds (and this applies equally to jewellery!).
 
It can mar the surface of the IHS, but I haven't had any issues with RMAing either Intel or AMD CPUs and I use IC7 exclusively.
 
Technically, use of any non-stock thermal paste or heatsink will void the warranty. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Idontcare said:
Ask Intel directly. Do not rely on second-hand reports from anonymous forum members.
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This. Yeah IC Diamond 7 can and will mar the IHS to the point where all the printed information is unreadable, which is pretty direct evidence that you've used something other than the stock HSF with the stock TIM pre-applied to the HSF, which technically voids the warranty. Most other TIM won't do that, making it easier to get a warranty return even if you've technically violated the terms of the warranty.

But on the other hand, you'll hear accounts of people getting warranty replacements from Intel on like . . . delidded, lapped CPUs and so forth.

So, ask em. Just because you'll technically be violating some term of the warranty doesn't mean Intel will automatically deny warranty protection to you. Mild abrasion of the IHS is probably the least of their concerns.
 
imported_ats said:
Some electrically conductive thermal compounds can void warranties in some cases (shorts etc caused by the electrically conductive compound). OTOH, IC7 does not appear to be electrically conductive so should have an issues. Love the BS about synthetic diamonds though: something is either a diamond or it is not, there is no such thing as synthetic diamonds (and this applies equally to jewellery!).
Click to expand...

While you are technically correct that a diamond is a diamond, there are natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds.
 
DrMrLordX said:
This. Yeah IC Diamond 7 can and will mar the IHS to the point where all the printed information is unreadable, which is pretty direct evidence that you've used something other than the stock HSF with the stock TIM pre-applied to the HSF, which technically voids the warranty. Most other TIM won't do that, making it easier to get a warranty return even if you've technically violated the terms of the warranty.

But on the other hand, you'll hear accounts of people getting warranty replacements from Intel on like . . . delidded, lapped CPUs and so forth.

So, ask em. Just because you'll technically be violating some term of the warranty doesn't mean Intel will automatically deny warranty protection to you. Mild abrasion of the IHS is probably the least of their concerns.
Click to expand...

Well, did those people have the standard warranty or the overclocking warranty? That's a pretty important distinction.
 
Techhog said:
Well, did those people have the standard warranty or the overclocking warranty? That's a pretty important distinction.
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Some of both. Stories like that have been circulating since the Core 2 days. I don't think they even offered the OC warranty back then.

I'm pretty sure the OC warranty doesn't cover delids anyway, does it? Not that it matters to the OP.
 
Idontcare said:
Ask Intel directly. Do not rely on second-hand reports from anonymous forum members.
Click to expand...
IC7 voided my warranty, set my house on fire, and did unmentionable things to my cat. 0/10 - Would not buy again.

Seriously, thought, IDC has a valid point. Most people, no matter how well meaning, are full of misremembered half-truth.
 
Even if people are right, they're right with caveats such as when they asked, et cetera. Fresh information from the source is always the best, and the most reliable in allaying that nagging doubt.
 
Idontcare said:
The performance tuning plan does NOT cover processors which have been "physically altered". This includes delidding and lapping.
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Thought so. In this case, IC Diamond 7 would void both the standard warranty and performance tuning coverage because it does alter the IHS, even if it is just a few scratches.

And yet, I'll bet you Intel would probably honor one or both warranties anyway. Probably. Best to ask . . .
 
It may if it scratches the IHS badly.It has been known to do that.
I would suggest Gelid extreme,ceramique2, or mx-4
It had diamond particles in it..those are a bit harder than nickel.
 
DrMrLordX said:
Thought so. In this case, IC Diamond 7 would void both the standard warranty and performance tuning coverage because it does alter the IHS, even if it is just a few scratches.

And yet, I'll bet you Intel would probably honor one or both warranties anyway. Probably. Best to ask . . .
Click to expand...

http://click.intel.com/tuningplan/

I may need to do a mea culpa here. To my eye it looks like things have changed. What I stated earlier was bonafide fact 3 years ago when I delidded my processor and it died. But now it looks like Intel has done away with any reference to "physical alteration" in their tuning plan coverage.

It doesn't look like they condone it, naturally, but I don't see any wordage that even implies they won't cover a dead processor even if it has been delidded, lapped, or used with craptastic electrically conductive TIM.

So, back to my original advice - go straight to the source (Intel) and just ask them what their policy is in writing.
 
I have seen people use the abrasives in IC7, to create a mirror like finish on the CPU I assume that voids the warranty. Then again they didn't care cause they were overclocking it.
To just use IC7 on the CPU, and not to remove the writings on the CPU I don't see how Intel would know. But as IDC said ask intel if you want to know, pretty sure they have a number you can call.
 
Manmade diamonds are of higher quality. Don't try telling that to DeBeers, though . . .

Back on topic. Good find, IDC. I find no mention of physical alterations to the CPU anywhere on that site. Hmm! I guess they get to make it up as they go along now?

I would definitely record all the information from the IHS before altering it if I planned on using the tuning performance plan, regardless.
 
imported_ats said:
The only reason we have any distrinction is because of the Debeers diamond monopoly. There is no difference between man made and historically mined diamonds.
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Yes there are, read up on it. As noted in the post after yours, man-made diamonds are pure and natural diamonds are not.
 
Great responses everyone. Thank you for the input. I will take everything said into consideration:thumbsup:.
 
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