Check if enabling MCE + XMP on your 9700k with a Noctua U12s Chromax works with the ASUS Prime Z370-A.
Check if enabling MCE + XMP on your 9700k with a Noctua U12s Chromax works with the ASUS Prime Z370-A.
Checking if turning on both MCE and XMP might affect your board's performance. Your Noctua U12S Chromax cooler is handling the heat, but your VRMs seem underperforming, particularly with an 8-core CPU like the 9700k. Also, XMP was pushing VCCSA and VCOC too high, so you adjusted them down for stability.
Turn it on and keep an eye on the VRM temperatures during your activities like games or rendering. With proper airflow in your case, it should be fine. If your case is tight, the VRM might get too warm. Above 100°C it’s best to turn it off and adjust the voltage settings slightly higher, or add a fan near the VRM—more airflow usually solves about 95% of overheating problems. Below 100°C you can enjoy smooth performance without extra effort.
Note that some ASUS boards hide the VRM temperature sensors from view, even though they’re there for protection features. This might mean you can’t check them easily. If this is your board, consider leaving MCE on and adding an external fan to the VRM heatsink (like a 80mm Noctua) to handle any heat issues.
I have a Meshify 2 Compact equipped with two front 140mm Fractal Venturi HF-14 fans and a rear 120mm Fractal gp-12 fan. My setup matches your description, but the VRM temperature info isn’t showing up on HWInfo64.
The rear 120mm fan seems like a good fix, but I’d prefer securing it with a zip to avoid problems before turning on MCE. In reality, the most likely situation is the board shutting down unexpectedly, though ASUS typically sets their OTP well below damage thresholds for normal use, so it shouldn’t be an issue. Still, having that fan would give me more confidence.