Thermal Grizzly Intel 1851 CPU Contact Frame V1, Aluminum, Black (TG-CF-i1851-V1)

Thermal Grizzly's Intel 1851 CPU Contact Frame V1 is the version of its well-known mounting aid tailored to Intel motherboards with the LGA1851 socket. It replaces the standard ILM and takes Intel Core Ultra 200 Series processors. On LGA1700? Use the Intel 13th/14th Gen CPU Contact Frame or the plastic CPU Contact Frame Intel 1700 LT.

Properties

• Socket type: Intel LGA 1851
• Processors: Intel Core Ultra 200 Series
• Material: Anodized aluminum
• Color: Black
• Size: 71 x 51 x 6 mm
• Weight: 21 g, 65 g boxed

Why use a contact frame

The standard Integrated Loading Mechanism (ILM) has its contact points in the center of the elongated CPU, and the uneven pressure bends the CPU's Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS). By using the frame, this concave bending caused by the ILM is avoided. The inner contour of the frame shifts the contact pressure from the center of the CPU to the edges. This results in better contact between the CPU cooler and the IHS, improving the cooling performance. Thermal Grizzly adds that the thermal center of Arrow Lake processors has shifted to the upper third of the processor, so a level surface is particularly important.

What Thermal Grizzly expects

Thermal Grizzly says processor temperatures can be noticeably reduced, depending on the CPU cooler and the CPU used. Its figures for the reduction of CPU temperatures: when switching from the Reduced-Load ILM (RL-ILM) used on some LGA1851 motherboards, temperature reductions of up to 4°C can be expected. When switching from the standard ILM, processor temperatures can be reduced by up to 6°C.

The data sheet also reports a test at an XOC event hosted by ASUS in Taipei in late September 2024. There the Overclocked Gaming Systems (OGS) team reached 33-50 MHz higher clock speeds with the frame in place of the stock ILM, under liquid nitrogen (LN2).

Fit and installation

The frame is compatible with Intel Core Ultra 200 Series processors for the LGA1851 socket. Thermal Grizzly's compatibility list names the Core Ultra 9 285K, Core Ultra 7 265K and 265KF, and Core Ultra 5 245K and 245KF, and treats processors not listed as incompatible. Additionally, the frame is compatible with CPUs whose IHS has been sanded down by no more than 0.2 millimeters.

The frame is easy to install: installing it is very simple and requires only a few steps. First, the motherboard's ILM must be removed. The screws need no specific torque. Care must be taken during installation to ensure no electronic components are located under the frame, especially with motherboards in the Mini-ITX form factor.

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

In the box

• Intel 1851 CPU Contact Frame V1
• 4x cylinder head screws with 3/8" UNC threads
• 5/64" hex key
• Torx T20 key
• Aeronaut thermal paste, 1g