Consider whether lowering the voltage could help your Intel CPU in a fanless setup.
Consider whether lowering the voltage could help your Intel CPU in a fanless setup.
Hey guys,
I’m planning to build a fanless aluminium case (review), which will act as a large radiator.
The CPU I have is an Intel i3-1220P. The motherboard is NUC12WSBi3. According to the Intel tech sheet, this CPU produces 28W at base clocks and increases to 64W in turbo mode. My aim is to get the best performance without generating excessive heat.
My initial thought was to set PL1 to 28W and PL2 to 64W, then monitor temperatures during typical tasks. If needed, I’d gradually lower PL2 (for example to 55W) so the CPU stays below around 90°C. This seems like the ideal balance I’m after.
Later, I considered undervolting as an alternative to adjusting PL2. From what I understand, undervolting works differently—it doesn’t rely on power management to force high turbo speeds, but instead keeps the clocks higher while using less power. It still aims for high clock counts if required.
Which approach do you think is better? Just in case, I’m not sure.
My motherboard is locked for overclocking, but that doesn’t prevent undervolting, does it?
Thanks!
I recommend ensuring good air circulation around the heatsink/PC case, to prevent temperatures from reaching close to 90C. (This seems unlikely because the entire case functions as a single large heatsink for the CPU.)
Not necessarily.
It relies on the motherboard BIOS; if it includes CPU voltage adjustment features, it might be possible. However, since you have a mobile processor and it likely doesn't support any voltage control, this could be limited.
It will operate continuously, though not at maximum capacity—just handling occasional activities such as backups and P2P downloads. However, during evening hours and weekends, more demanding operations will occur: Plex transcoding, file conversion, etc. If you mean natural airflow (not the fan), then the case shouldn’t be confined to a restricted space. Therefore, 64W represents the highest feasible power for the lineup (assuming an i7), which means Intel should have set it lower? Why does Intel list this value in its technical specifications, I wonder... :-o
They do this consistently for all CPU types, and it works on desktops too. It seems simpler for them, and there aren't any coolers under 65W available, though maybe some people make very low TDP ones... So they mainly offer a few tiers: 65W, 125W, and around 250W and higher. Just use a PL2 to maintain the desired temperature during heavy tasks, it will still keep boosting as much as possible. Adjusting Vcore can raise temperatures but might affect stability, so only do it if you're comfortable with the potential issues.
The stability is the main factor here; if the CPU stays cool enough but remains unstable, it won't work for me. Got it! Should the "heavier loads" refer to real-life situations like media transcoding or synthetic tests with tools such as Prime95 and Cinebench? For a fanless build, what temperature range would you suggest is safe?
1. Yes, real-life situations but also during the hottest moments it would perform these tasks.
2. The default is 100 degrees, you can adjust up to 115 if the BIOS permits, and the actual maximum is around 130 degrees, which is the point where the CPU will halt. That’s why I recommend setting it to 100 unless you’re uncomfortable with that number or want something different.