You are looking at the typical K6 type of processor from AMD.It’s a Socket 7 processor with metallic pins sticking out of a brown ceramic base and a large aluminum heat plate on top to which one attaches the heat sink.   The K6 series has not been known to be the most wonderful overclocking CPU in the world. In fact, for a very long time, the only chip worse at overclocking than K6 was the Cyrix MII line. With the K6-III+ and K6-2+ built upon the 0.18m process that changed, most K6+ processors can make it to 600MHz right out of the box, with the standard, small, Socket 7 heat sink. To up the ante, even though the K6+ line is made strictly for mobile processors, it runs on quite a few Super 7 motherboards. 

Some speed freaks have found themselves trying to push these processors further. They buy peltiers, huge heatsinks, and special $15 thermal compound. All of this is easy to do, because it’s a simple “plug and play” installation. If you’ve noticed, the recent processors from both Intel and AMD feature the CPU die almost exposed, directly touching the heatsink, as opposed to being behind a heat plate. 

Luckily, the heat plate on ALL K6 processors is easily removed. Let me show you how:

1. You need to find yourself a thin razor blade. It must be fairly long from the tip of the blade to the back, because it will have to go over a half of an inch inside the small gap between the heat plate and the ceramic base. (CAUTION: If you don’t know, razor blades are very sharp, hence the term “razor sharp.”  Don’t cut yourself. If you do, don’t blame me for laughing at you.)
   
2. Set the razor blade down on one corner of the ceramic part of the processor. Push it into the space between the heat plate and the ceramic. Push the blade in slowly and steadily. Wiggle the blade back and forth, or even rock it forward and back in order to cut the thermal epoxy glue. Repeat this on all four corners. When cutting, I recommend that you get an old Socket 7 motherboard and place the processor in it. That way you won’t have to worry about any bent pins while removing the plate.
   
3. After cutting ALL of the epoxy on all four corners, take a table knife and slip it between the plate and ceramic chip. Twist it slightly and slowly. Be very careful because the actual CPU die is still attached to the heat plate via epoxy glue. DO NOT use a flat head screwdriver. The table knife will give under pressure easily, and the blade will actually twist slightly, taking pressure off of the chip and giving you a better chance to have a successful de-plating.
   
4. After the plate is off, you’re finally looking at the K6 au-natural. Scrape off the rest of the epoxy. You’re looking at a K6-III chip that has it’s heat plate removed.  Notice how small that die is.When you put a heat sink on, you’ll need to make sure you have the correct thinness spacers between the ceramic and the heat sink. Too thin and you’ll crush the die, too think and the die will overheat and probably melt.

OVERALL WARNING:  By reading this article, you are hereby warned that you do things mentioned at your own risk. Neither the author nor PC Media, Inc. are responsible for a ruined K6 chip.

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