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Delidding Tools
Delidtool.com's tool for CELL (Recommended)
This tool can be found on delidtool.com. It has a specific blade length & blade shape, which allows the tool to have very little risk of causing damage to the CELL's silicon die or substrate. Thus, it's an ideal purchase for new delidders.
Palette Painting Knives (Not Recommended)
If you have or acquire a set of painters knives, it is possible to use the smallest size knife (around 3.8cm/1.5in. long) as a delid tool. However, due to its long length, there is moderate risk of causing damage to the CELL die if you're not careful. It's also very easy to damage the substrate with one of these, unless you file it down correctly.
If you are new to CPU delidding, we strongly encourage to not cheap out and buy a professionally made delid tool instead (like from delidtool.com), and practice delidding on dead CECHG/H consoles that have YLOD, if possible. You could even try to delid PC CPUs (Intel used thermal paste on their 3rd gen to 7th gen CPUs, while AMD did the same with Ryzen 2000G/3000G APUs), though it may not be equvilant, as the you will be working with a CPU by itself rather than a BGA CPU/GPU soldered onto a motherboard.
Dental Floss/Fishing Line (Not Recommended)
TBW :(
Razor Blades (Not Recommended for CELL)
While razor blades can be a useful tool for RSX delidding, the CELL is a different story. This is due to the spacing between the substrate and IHS of the CELL being extremely narrow, which makes it nearly impossible to safely insert most razor blades under the IHS without causing damage.
Using razor blades with CELL delidding is only potentially viable when combined with a standard delidding tool for cutting the silicone, and then using the razors to break the thermal paste on later CELL models. However, this is a highly advanced delidding method, and shouldn't be attempted by anyone who isn't an extremely patient professional.
Re-lidding
Should I even re-lid after delidding?
TBW :)
Re-lidding Tools
RTV Silicone (CELL)
Clamping Arms
When re-lidding the CELL, it is ideal to have long clamping arms to clamp down on the CELL while the silicone is curing, due to the layout of the chip. Trying to just use the console's heatsink clamp by reassembling the console to re-attach the IHS may result in it sitting unevenly on the die, resulting in worse temperatures than it should be.
CELL Bracer
When re-attaching the CELL IHS with clamping arms, you will also want a CELL bracer piece, both so that the clamp has something to grip onto, and to prevent any micro bowing of the die.
- STL Files (to 3D print them yourself; make sure they are exactly 1mm thick!)
- 90 nm CELL Bracer
- 65 nm CELL Bracer
- 45 nm CELL Bracer
Thermal Plaster (RSX)
Delid Process
CELL BE Delid Process
Most models (90/65 nm, & earlier 45 nm)
The delidding process of Fats, along with CECH-20XX/21XX Slims, and 25XX Slims that have a CXD2992GB/AGB, is relatively straightforward.
With a proper cutting tool, insert it in the middle bottom of the CELL. This location has an intentional air gap in the silicone seal, which make it a useful entry point for delidding. This entry point is also useful for another reason; since there's no traces in this area, there is less risk of damage to the CELL when using this entry point.
After the tool has been successfully inserted, carefully manuver the cutting tool around the CELL to gradually work your way through the silicone. Once you see that you're near the end, take extra caution to not be forceful, as it's easy to slip towards the end of cutting the silicone and knock an SMD off the motherboard.
CXD2992BGB, CXD2996xxx, & CXD2999 models
CXD2992BGB was first seen on the CECH-25XX SKU model (though it also has used CXD2992AGB/GB, like the 20XX/21XX) whereas the CXD2996 series was first seen on the CECH-30XX SKU model, and the CXD2999AGG was first seen on the PPX-001 motherboards on the CECH-42XX SKU model.
These CELL models appear to use much harder thermal paste on the CELL die, like the RSX VRAM. Due to this, delidding is not recommended; not only is there high risk of damaging the CELL without highly advanced delidding techniques, its thermal paste doesn't seem to degrade like the paste on the previous CELLs do, so there is most likely no point in delidding these anyway.
RSX Delid Process
Due to the risk of RSX damage, especially on 40 nm models, delidding the RSX in general is discouraged for most readers of this page. However, if you do have a rare instance of a 65/40 nm RSX that has trouble saying cooler than 80 degrees, or just want to continue anyway, you can view each RSX delid method below.
Razor Blade Method
TBW :)
"Pop" Method
TBW :)
"Pop" Method w/ RSX Delid Tool
TBW :)
Re-attaching Lid/IHS
TBW :)