High temperature performance of the i7 7700k at 100°C
High temperature performance of the i7 7700k at 100°C
Hey everyone, just bought a used PC at a reasonable price. A bit of work is needed now. The issue is that the i7 7700K heats up to 95-100 degrees during gameplay and stays there. Once the game ends, it drops quickly to around 40 degrees. I’ve heard a lot of comments about this chip getting too hot, but I’m worried it might not last long. I don’t know how long it’s been running at that temperature beforehand, but it seems like it’s been running at this level for a while now. The specs are: i7 7700K, stock clock 4.2GHz, Gigabyte G1 GTX 1060, 6GB RAM, Asus Strix Z270H motherboard, 32GB SSD, 1 HDD, two 27-inch Samsung monitors, a Dell monitor, Astro headset, ELGA Stream Deck, webcams, green screen, studio light, Logitech mouse and keyboard, and a Titan chair. My goal is to upgrade to something like the 1080Ti and a good 1440p display. I thought maybe the Corsair H80 wasn’t powerful enough. After disassembling it, I cleaned out the dust and checked fan flow, but nothing changed. Perhaps upgrading to a larger radiator (like 240 or 280mm) would help. The GPU usually stays under 65 degrees, so it shouldn’t be a big problem with the GTX 1060. I noticed the CPU voltage fluctuates between 1.33 and 1.36V during gaming. Some people mention running it at lower voltages, maybe that’s the cause of the overheating. I haven’t changed the thermal paste yet, but it’ll be something to check soon. If the CPU can drop into the 80s, I’d be fine. Anyone with experience on this would appreciate your advice! Cheers, Jim
Restart the CMOS, reinstall the cooler, and swap out the thermal paste. Remove any debris from the fans or radiator, and verify that your case provides sufficient airflow so the AIO fans get enough oxygen.
I suggest resetting the BIOS to clear any changes made by the previous owner. It might be that a setting is forcing excessive voltage onto the CPU. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, the AIO could be malfunctioning. For better performance and reliability, consider using a solid air cooler instead of another AIO—fewer moving parts mean fewer chances of failure.
Hey there, thanks for your quick replies. The advice was really helpful—I’m definitely going to explore the BIOS more since I’ve never been one before. Update: I switched my power plan to Power Saver in Windows and started Call of Duty. The CPU is running smoothly at around 65 degrees, with a noticeable drop in temperature. Voltage is now hovering between 0.95v and 1.05v, and the load seems to have risen to about 70% during peak gaming times, mostly staying between 45-65%. Earlier I thought it was running cooler. In terms of FPS, I’m seeing around 80-100 on high settings at 1080p. That makes it clearer, right? Should I follow the suggestions or keep going with what you recommended? Appreciate your tips! Jim
You don’t have to rely on power saving mode for normal temperatures. I’d still consider resetting the CMOS or rebooting the BIOS to factory settings, since there could be residual overvoltage from the previous owner that makes the CPU reach 100°C at full speed.
Thanks a lot, everyone. I really appreciate your support and wish you all good luck.