When limited to a low(er) power 95W TDP, the differences were less pronounced. There, the delta between the configurations was only 3 degrees C. Thanks mate, ya the more I read about them not being able to screw it in the more it seems they were just idiots on Reddit. The temperature results of every single thermal scenario I tested here were, within margin of error, exactly the same. I was a bit disappointed with this result, because Intel’s i9-13900K can be difficult to keep cool in some scenarios. MSI + i5-13600K Thermal Results

I’m glad I tried testing again, because on this system I noticed significant differences in thermal performance. I tested Intel’s i5-13600k, paired with an Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240, running Cinbench R23’s ten minute multi-threaded benchmark. After finishing the less-than-exciting testing mentioned above, I thought I might have wasted my time. However, I decided to give it another chance and test the frame with MSI’s Z690 A PRO DDR4 motherboard. I’ve been using that board since Alder Lake’s launch for testing thermal results with air and AIO coolers, and I have definitely noticed bending issues on this setup. I theorized that since Intel’s i9-13900K can run hotter than other LGA1700 chips, it should see more of a temperature improvement with Thermalright’s frame. So I installed it on Asus’ TUF Gaming Z690 Plus WIFI DDR5 motherboard, pairing it with DeepCool’s AG620 air cooler.Here is my tin foil hat theory on it though. Sometimes over tightening the cooler can affect the ram modules and loosening the cpu cooler sorts the issue out. This would imply the cpu cooler itself is exerting too much pressure on the CPU.

Running Cinebench without power limits can be difficult to cool, and even with Arctic’s Liquid Freezer II 240, Intel’s i5-13600K peaks at TJ max (the highest temperature before throttling occurs, 100 degrees C) in this test. Even with Thermalright’s frame installed, the i5 CPU still peaked at TJ max in this test, but it did take longer to reach that limit. What I want to know though is if anyone can confirm my theory. After installing the new frame that will ultimately apply even pressure along every edge of the IHS, it should start to slowly lose that curvature that was forming with the combined pressure of the new frame and the CPU cooler, right?Although the warping issue with Intel's Alder Lake and Raptor Lake CPUs seems alarming in the first place, the company might have downplayed its significance by a considerable margin. In an interview with Tom's Hardware, an Intel spokesperson clarified that this anomaly doesn't seriously threaten CPU performance and overall functionality in the long run.