Enhancing temperatures - elevated heat at factory clock, mini-ITX setup
Enhancing temperatures - elevated heat at factory clock, mini-ITX setup
I recently assembled a slightly altered version of this mini-ITX build. The components I actually used are listed in the Google sheet, or detailed in this gist along with some installation tips. In short, the build features an air-cooled mini-ITX enclosure equipped with an i7 8700k processor and no dedicated graphics card.
During a Prime95 stress test on Windows 10 using small FFTs to simulate high temperatures, I observed:
■ ~30° C idle
■ 96° C maximum after 1 hour
I was concerned the M.2 drive might be generating excessive heat, so I conducted the same tests from an Ubuntu live USB, monitored by lm-sensors:
■ ~30°C idle
■ 92°C maximum after 30 minutes
There were doubts about potential failures in the CPU fan or case fan despite hwmonitor showing normal speeds. However, checking inside the case confirmed they were indeed running.
Other considerations I’m weighing:
■ Should I reposition and re-thermalize the CPU fan? (idle temperatures were acceptable)
■ Might I attempt to rerun the cables? (limited space, but some connections appear loose)
■ Could using integrated graphics be producing more heat than a dedicated GPU would? (temperatures were low at idle, but usage was minimal)
■ Would installing a water cooler help? (only room for one 120mm fan, and fitting a radiator would be tight)
■ Should I reverse the case fan? (it draws air in; positive pressure inside might be better)
■ Is there a way to return the compact case and motherboard for a larger unit with more room?
For reference, here’s the CPU information from CPU-Z:
I applied a small amount of Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste in a ~2 or 3mm circle on the processor center. If you have any suggestions or further troubleshooting steps, please let me know. I was aiming for a modest overclock, but reaching factory clock near 80°C would be ideal.
I think your temperatures are acceptable. The Noctua CPU fan is a budget air cooler suitable for that kind of processor. More than four cores tend to overheat quickly, especially when using the sync feature. The best coolers for the 8700k include the noctua-dh15/s, nzxt kraken x52/x62, corsair h80i/h110i/115i v2, and dark rock pro 3 (the most affordable but less stable). For now, adjust your BIOS settings to manage temps with your chosen cooler: enable XMP for RAM, turn off Multicore/Turbo Enhanced, set per-core control, and lower the last two cores by a few percent (like 48,48,48,48,47,47), and configure AVX offset between 1 and 3.
I think your temperatures are acceptable. the noctua CPU fan is a budget air cooler suitable for a CPU of that power. any device with more than four cores tends to overheat quickly, especially when syncing all cores. the most popular coolers for the 8700k include the noctua-dh15/s, nzxt kraken x52/x62, corsair h80i/h110i/115i v2. be careful! you should adjust your BIOS to manage temperatures with your chosen cooler:
* activate the XMP profile for your RAM
* turn off Multicore/Turbo Enhanced
* configure per-core settings and reduce the last two cores by 1–2 (for example, 48,48,48,48,47,47)
* adjust the AVX offset to 1–3 (higher turbo targets subtract an offset of 2, which lowers the clock speed of those cores to 46)
AVX instructions are mainly used by non-gaming applications and Windows programs; some games might also rely on them. however, in most cases they won’t exceed your set turbo or overclock levels.
also, configure your Windows power plan to balanced mode to reduce stress on the CPU. for your GPU, open the NVIDIA control panel, go to 3D graphics settings, and set global power mode to adaptive/high, ensuring maximum performance during gameplay.
if you have a thermal paste similar to these or better, that’s fine.
arctic silver 5
noctua nt-h1
Your situation justifies using a cooler that is 61mm tall.
What you currently have is sufficient for the task.
My top recommendation is to increase airflow into the case.
I believe you could install a 140mm fan, which would circulate more air.
If you manage to purchase one with a higher RPM, you can significantly boost the air movement.
At around 1300 RPM, the noctua 140mm fans provide adequate performance.
However, if you decide you require even more airflow, there are some very powerful high-RPM 140mm options available.
The cost will come with increased noise levels.
To accommodate a 140mm fan, you’ll need to restrict your graphics card length to 9.5 inches.
A blower cooler that expels GPU heat directly from the back of the case would be ideal—something like this:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...6814487357
There are mini GTX1080 cards that fit, though they aren’t blower types.
If you need a full-length graphics card, you might have to accept a higher RPM front intake of 120mm.
Your current idle temperature of 30°C suggests the cooler is installed correctly and operating efficiently.
Some might consider adding an AIO cooler with a front-mounted radiator to draw in air.
This would improve CPU cooling, but it could cause your GPU and motherboard to overheat.
You’ll then need a CPU cooler fan to maintain higher speeds.
Avoid using the included noctua low-noise adapters.
Don’t worry—remember synthetic bench tests produce more heat than you typically encounter.
The processor may slow down or shut down if it senses temperatures near 100°C.
Thanks for the updates from info marksavio and geofelt! Your observations about load testing on BOINC and the Prime95 stress tests are helpful. The cooler suggestions are also valuable. I might reconsider overclocking once I have a GPU, and I’ll share my thoughts if I run into problems or before making any hardware purchases.
I’m pleased with the machine’s quiet performance so far, so I’ll likely stick with the existing cooling solution even if it means maintaining the current clock speed.
Cheers!