Achieved 100°C in a flash on the new build. Score of 13,700k in Cinebench.
Achieved 100°C in a flash on the new build. Score of 13,700k in Cinebench.
It seems the setup of the cooler was off, but your results don’t match expectations. A 13700k rating feels high for this component, which might explain the disappointment. Keeping the CPU at 5.3°C under heavy load suggests the cooling isn’t performing well enough, so it’s likely this cooler isn’t up to the task.
The sub 30K rating might result from the chip hitting power or thermal boundaries, especially during aggressive undervolting on B-series boards. I’m unfamiliar with ITX Bench’s performance characteristics. Even with a high-performance cooler, the chip reaching 100°C under heavy synthetic load isn’t unusual—13700K consumes a lot of power, so it will likely throttle under full stress. A contact frame could help somewhat, but it won’t eliminate the issue completely.
Thanks for your quick reply! It seems it might be better to skip it since there isn’t enough memory available, and I didn’t want to run into bigger issues.
Adding a contact frame could be beneficial. Enhancing the case airflow and including an extra fan on the cooler might provide some improvement. The cooler tends to be underperforming for the 13th gen i7/i9 models; a solid 360-420mm AIO would help prevent throttling, and possibly a custom water loop would be ideal. The NH-D15 offers only marginal gains, particularly with added fans and better airflow. Also, checking if the motherboard supports the newest BIOS might make a difference.
Noctua provided the NH-D12L as a suitable choice. What alternatives are available? I'm considering only liquid cooling solutions, as this setup doesn't seem ideal based on my experience.
It's clear you're considering AIO versus AIO with 2x 180 fans. I picked this example because it offers strong thermal performance, which is why I hoped to avoid AIO. Now I'm weighing whether to invest more in better fans and try again, or go with an AIO that fits well without compromising the case. Also, I've updated the BIOS.
Consider increasing the number of fans initially. Also, examine the contact frame. If it doesn't resolve the issue, think about using an AIO.
Thanks for the feedback! It's really intimidating at first, but everything seems to be going in the right direction. I picked the case and color ideas based on YouTube videos to get the best airflow.