Delid before OR after building a new PC

[Jakalta]

Hello all. This is my first post. I know this may be a trivial matter, but I have to get opinions anyway. I am sure I can't be the only one who has considered this question. I am building a new PC around an i7 7700k, which I will definitely be delidding. (This will be the first time I have delidded a CPU). My question is this: should I build my PC with the CPU as is to confirm its stock temperatures and then delid it OR, since I am going to delid the CPU anyway, should I just delid it first BEFORE I build the PC? Building before delidding will enable me to confirm the stock temps and get the satisfaction of seeing the post-delid temp improvement, but it will also mean removing the cooler, delidding, relidding, re-attaching the cooler. Seems more efficient to just delid right away and build the PC after. Thanks!

 

[lehtv]

Just build the PC first, this way you have a stock CPU to test everything with. What if some component is DOA and the PC doesn't start? If you delidded the CPU you can't rule out the possibility that you damaged it.

Also, if you check load temps before and after, the delid result is going to be much more satisfying

 

[Burpo]

I would definitely test the cpu by at least partially assembling the PC before you delid.
Just to make sure it works..

 

[Rayniac]

Check how hot it gets first. You might not even need to delid at all. Delidding is always a risk.

 

[Jakalta]

Just build the PC first, this way you have a stock CPU to test everything with. What if some component is DOA and the PC doesn't start? If you delidded the CPU you can't rule out the possibility that you damaged it.

Also, if you check load temps before and after, the delid result is going to be much more satisfying

Excellent points! I would have totally overlooked the need to test for DOA components. Thanks!