Thermal Grizzly Intel Contact Frame (13th & 14th GEN)

Thermal Grizzly's Intel 13th/14th Gen CPU Contact Frame by der8auer is a mounting aid for Intel mainboards with socket LGA1700. It replaces the standard ILM of the mainboard and takes 12th, 13th and 14th generation processors. The same frame in injection-molded plastic is the CPU Contact Frame Intel 1700 LT.

Properties

• Socket type: Intel LGA 1700
• Processors: 12th, 13th and 14th Gen
• Material: Anodized aluminum
• Color: Black
• Size: 71 x 51 x 6 mm
• Weight: 25 g, 55 g boxed

What changed from the predecessor

This is the updated version of Thermal Grizzly's well-known LGA1700 frame. Compared to its predecessor, assembly has been significantly simplified by utilizing a revised inner contour. For example, the screws no longer need a specific torque during assembly, so there is no need to use a torque tool of any kind.

Designed with der8auer, made in Berlin

The frame was designed in collaboration with Roman "der8auer" Hartung, and it is manufactured in Berlin: 100% Made in Germany. Hartung is a mechatronic engineer, a hardware enthusiast and a content creator in the field of PC hardware. At the same time he is a well-known overclocker who has designed numerous products for overclocking PC hardware of his own.

Why use a contact frame

The standard Integrated Loading Mechanism (ILM) presses on the elongated CPU at contact points located in its center. Due to the resulting uneven contact pressure of the processor into the socket, the surface of its Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS) curves concavely. As a result the base plate of the CPU cooler rests primarily on the edges of the IHS, so the thermal "hotspot" in the middle of the CPU is not optimally covered.

The frame has a special inner contour to shift that pressure from the center of the CPU to the edges during assembly, and this avoids the concave curvature. This results in CPU coolers resting better on the processor, with a larger contact surface to dissipate the CPU's waste heat. Thermal Grizzly says the temperatures of the processor can be noticeably reduced, depending on the CPU cooler and the CPU used: that is where the lower CPU temperatures come from.

Fit and installation

Compatibility is high within the socket: the frame is compatible with every 12th, 13th and 14th generation processor for LGA1700. In addition, it fits CPUs whose IHS has been ground down by no more than 0.2 millimeters. It is easy to assemble, and the installation is very simple and takes only a few steps. When mounting, make sure that there are no electronic components under the frame, which is especially important for mainboards with the Mini-ITX form factor. For LGA1851 boards we have the Intel 1851 CPU Contact Frame V1.

Attention: removing the ILM may invalidate the mainboard manufacturer's warranty.

In the box

• 13th/14th Gen CPU Contact Frame by der8auer
• 4x pan-head screws, UNC thread 3/8"
• Hexagon socket wrench 5/64"
• Angle wrench Torx T20
• Aeronaut thermal paste, 1g