F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop CPU remains inactive under elevated heat, reaching 100°C during full load

CPU remains inactive under elevated heat, reaching 100°C during full load

CPU remains inactive under elevated heat, reaching 100°C during full load

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boonie60
Junior Member
30
10-12-2021, 06:05 PM
#1
During initial setup I tested the system under stress and noticed it handled high loads well, around the high 70s. Recently the CPU fan started spinning faster than usual, producing a grinding sound. I uncovered problems while running an unoptimized alpha for a game I’m protected by an NDA, recreating the scenario in Space Engineers, and found similar issues appeared in League of Legends when a browser window was open while streaming a video. Before cleaning Space Engineers, temperatures ranged from 85 to 95°C, reaching up to 100°C in certain cases. After cleaning, dust accumulated between the CPU fan and radiator. I reassembled it and observed temperatures dropping to 60–85°C now. My hypothesis is that the buildup of dust may have affected the thermal paste performance. As a mid-range PC builder/tech, this is my third system and I tend to be anxious about CPU handling. I’m considering removing the cooler and reapplying thermal paste before attempting any further adjustments. My hardware specs include Windows 11 Pro 22H2 MPG z390 GAMING PLUS (MS-7B51 updated last night), Intel i7 9700KF with a Deep Cool GAMMAXX 400, 2x16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 at 3200 MHz XMP, an EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Black Gaming Samsung 970 EVO SSD 1TB (M.2), a 4TB EVGA 700 BR 80+ Bronze 700W cooler Master H500 ATX with two 200mm intake fans, and a case with four 2x200mm front fans. I also have space for additional fans if needed.
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boonie60
10-12-2021, 06:05 PM #1

During initial setup I tested the system under stress and noticed it handled high loads well, around the high 70s. Recently the CPU fan started spinning faster than usual, producing a grinding sound. I uncovered problems while running an unoptimized alpha for a game I’m protected by an NDA, recreating the scenario in Space Engineers, and found similar issues appeared in League of Legends when a browser window was open while streaming a video. Before cleaning Space Engineers, temperatures ranged from 85 to 95°C, reaching up to 100°C in certain cases. After cleaning, dust accumulated between the CPU fan and radiator. I reassembled it and observed temperatures dropping to 60–85°C now. My hypothesis is that the buildup of dust may have affected the thermal paste performance. As a mid-range PC builder/tech, this is my third system and I tend to be anxious about CPU handling. I’m considering removing the cooler and reapplying thermal paste before attempting any further adjustments. My hardware specs include Windows 11 Pro 22H2 MPG z390 GAMING PLUS (MS-7B51 updated last night), Intel i7 9700KF with a Deep Cool GAMMAXX 400, 2x16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 at 3200 MHz XMP, an EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Black Gaming Samsung 970 EVO SSD 1TB (M.2), a 4TB EVGA 700 BR 80+ Bronze 700W cooler Master H500 ATX with two 200mm intake fans, and a case with four 2x200mm front fans. I also have space for additional fans if needed.

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dwarf9668
Member
110
10-13-2021, 06:07 PM
#2
I suggest reapplying the adhesive first, but initially inspect the tightness of the mounting screws to ensure they haven’t loosened. This way, you can avoid covering up a real issue by simply reapplying if those screws gradually slip and reduce holding power. You might measure the torque on those screws, verify the reading, and only proceed with repasting if necessary.
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dwarf9668
10-13-2021, 06:07 PM #2

I suggest reapplying the adhesive first, but initially inspect the tightness of the mounting screws to ensure they haven’t loosened. This way, you can avoid covering up a real issue by simply reapplying if those screws gradually slip and reduce holding power. You might measure the torque on those screws, verify the reading, and only proceed with repasting if necessary.

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BraydenKerr14
Junior Member
17
10-13-2021, 11:51 PM
#3
I hadn't considered those unusual plastic posts with locking features, but after cleaning and reaffecting the CPU fan during startup, it displayed the usual boot message for a newly installed processor. I'm wondering if that might have triggered the issue.
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BraydenKerr14
10-13-2021, 11:51 PM #3

I hadn't considered those unusual plastic posts with locking features, but after cleaning and reaffecting the CPU fan during startup, it displayed the usual boot message for a newly installed processor. I'm wondering if that might have triggered the issue.

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ImRaul_Kun
Junior Member
11
10-14-2021, 01:58 PM
#4
It's really humiliating, I feel like.
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ImRaul_Kun
10-14-2021, 01:58 PM #4

It's really humiliating, I feel like.

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watersocks
Junior Member
23
10-15-2021, 08:10 AM
#5
Everything serves as a teaching moment. I realized that damaging a graphics card could happen if the power pins on the PCIe slot became exposed under stress due to an incompatible case, which happened because the setup was poorly done—this was a beginner error from over a decade ago with a GTX 660. In this case, you only experienced Intel's thermal throttling without any damage. For 4th generation and earlier models, such issues would probably have led to problems or BSODs.
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watersocks
10-15-2021, 08:10 AM #5

Everything serves as a teaching moment. I realized that damaging a graphics card could happen if the power pins on the PCIe slot became exposed under stress due to an incompatible case, which happened because the setup was poorly done—this was a beginner error from over a decade ago with a GTX 660. In this case, you only experienced Intel's thermal throttling without any damage. For 4th generation and earlier models, such issues would probably have led to problems or BSODs.