3700X and Dark Rock Pro 4 reach 85°C and above during stress tests at reduced voltage.
3700X and Dark Rock Pro 4 reach 85°C and above during stress tests at reduced voltage.
The review highlights temperature expectations and real-world performance issues. Temperatures should hover near 40°C idle and 70-75°C under load, yet I’m seeing 55°C idle and 85°C under load, especially when the GPU is active. This suggests a potential problem. The thermal paste used is MX4 2019, and after re-seating the tower multiple times without improvement, the situation remains unchanged. Coolers remain cool to the touch during sustained high loads. Possible causes include poor contact, inadequate mounting pads, or incorrect settings. I also tried an undervolt of -0.0750 with LLC level 4 and all energy-saving features enabled, but the frequency stayed around 4000-4050 Hz.
The room feels really chilly right now, almost like winter in Russia. Around 23°C is typical, but opening the balcony brings it down to about 18°C.
Bought from a pricey shop in a high-cost country, totaled $1,000. However, our MSRP is $815, which isn’t that bad. Taking off the side and front panels saves us $200.
You might be dealing with a faulty cooling system here. The h440 isn't ideal for airflow, and even without the panels, you're experiencing high temperatures, suggesting a hardware issue. Have you applied the recommended paste and used the correct amount? It seems like too much paste was used, leaving excess that's difficult to remove.
I suspect the GPU is generating excessive heat affecting the DRP4. Similar problems occurred with a GTX 1080 HOF (open air card) and a DRP4 on a 3950X. When using a blower RTX 2080 Ti for a short time, the issue didn't arise. I'm using a smaller case (Lian Li TU150), which means some airflow loss is normal. Still, it's likely the heat from the GPU is reaching the cooler and causing the problem. This could also relate to the placement of the Zen 2 dies beneath the IHS.
MX4 is holding up well in other PCs I've assembled too. I also own a CoolerMaster MasterGel Pro, which offers similar performance to MX4 but is a bit more challenging to spread out. I usually use a credit card to level the layers, ensuring the entire CPU is covered effectively. Removing the tower reveals the print looks flawless—no idea what's happening. Previously, I had an Arctic Freezer 34 eSports DUO, thinking it wasn't sufficient. I replaced it with a BQ DRP4, which is significantly larger, yet temperatures remain identical.
It seems scaling isn't part of Zen 2, though I recall someone doing it before it became a common tactic. It might have been a risky move to rely on it.