Extremely elevated idle CPU usage on a Ryzen 5 3600 processor
Extremely elevated idle CPU usage on a Ryzen 5 3600 processor
I just switched my CPU from a Ryzen 3 2600G to a Ryzen 5 3600. My motherboard is the ASROCK b450m Pro4. All other PC parts seem to be working fine, including the fans. However, my CPU is getting extremely hot when idle—temperatures often hit 90°C or higher even at 1% usage. When I played games, it reached over 100°C. A quick search suggested the stock cooler comes with thermal paste, likely the grey sludge that covered the Ryzen logo. Before upgrading, I had to update my BIOS on the motherboard. According to the ASROCK site, I upgraded to BIOS version 3.3, which matches what’s listed in the final column. Anyone have any thoughts on why my PC is so warm? Any tips would be really helpful. Thanks in advance.
You discovered the grey sludge on your old 2200G board—it was the thermal paste. After installing the new CPU, you should have cleaned both the cooler and CPU, applied fresh thermal paste, and then fitted the new cooler. Keeping the system above 100 degrees will harm the CPU, so wait until you can replace the paste and ensure proper contact before using the machine.
I'm checking the temperatures using CoreTemp, which I've discovered to be very precise.
I put in a fresh fan alongside the updated CPU. I bought both a new CPU and a replacement cooler—wondering if the stock cooler doesn’t properly apply thermal paste to the new CPU. Thanks for clarifying earlier.
CoreTemp was the tool I relied on, but I noticed temperatures staying high at about 95 degrees or more across all cores.
The cooler did include the grey thermal paste squares on the base. If temperatures remain elevated, the securing force could be inadequate.
Even without thermal paste, a cooler should still register lower temperatures. I'd support others in noting that the reading might be inaccurate. Consider using Ryzen Master to check the temperature and power consumption. The elevated heat could indicate another issue, such as a power problem. Ryzen Master can display the CPU's power usage.