Update November 2025
In September 2025, the nickel-plating process was switched to an electroplated bright-nickel method. As a result, the AM5 High Performance Heatspreaders of the 3rd generation now look similar to those of the 1st generation. The new batches using the updated process offer the same performance within measurement tolerance as the previously matte-nickel-plated High Performance Heatspreaders (2nd generation). At present, it is still possible that matte-nickel-plated High Performance Heatspreaders will be shipped. High Performance Heatspreaders with the original nickel plating (1st generation) should no longer be circulating in retail.
The same applies to the Mycro Direct-Die Pro water coolers. Here as well, the process has been changed to the electroplated bright-nickel method, meaning mixed inventory with matte-coated coolers may appear in retail. Performance has also not changed here within measurement tolerance.
Original Post 08/29/2024
The team at Thermal Grizzly is continuously working to live up to the slogan “High Performance Cooling Solutions.” This includes not only the ongoing design and testing of new products, but also the evaluation of existing products for compatibility with, for example, newly released processors. As part of our quality assurance, we conduct constant reviews and refinements. In close cooperation with one of our industrial partners, we have recently focused specifically on the nickel plating process.
We carried out extensive testing with different plating methods and layer thicknesses, leading to some interesting findings. By optimizing the nickel plating process used in our AM5 High Performance Heatspreaders, we were able to reduce the thermal resistance of the nickel layer significantly. In real-world applications, this optimization can result in temperature reductions of up to 5 °C compared to our previous coating!
The downside of the new process is its appearance, which now looks a bit duller, and milling marks are more noticeable. Since we always prioritize function over aesthetics, we decided to opt for slightly less appealing looks in exchange for better performance. If you have any questions, our customer service team is here to help.