High temperatures at 2600 MHz with 3.8 GHz performance under running Cinebench r20
High temperatures at 2600 MHz with 3.8 GHz performance under running Cinebench r20
I reduced the voltage to 1.25v, which lowered it by around 10c. When attempting to run it at 3.9ghz, it failed. I plan to increase the voltage again once I have better cooling.
Your computer might seem fine while gaming and streaming, but this often happens because your CPU isn’t always running at full capacity. Over time, these small issues can affect your operating system. I experienced this myself—games stopped connecting to servers. After trying to uninstall and reinstall, nothing changed. The only solution was a complete reset of Windows and all installed programs and games. This process wasn’t too complicated since I only kept essential games and applications. These tiny problems can harm any files stored on your machine. Darkbreez is a recognized member here and will confirm this point. Prime 95 is a stress test for heat, not stability. While it may indicate issues, realbench by Asus is the better choice for checking long-term reliability. Just remember that lowering voltage during overclocking carries risks—many people underestimate these effects. You’re not winning a lottery, you might just be ignoring subtle instability. If this suits your needs, go ahead and adjust accordingly. Your decision depends on your budget, goals, and how much you want to manage temperatures.
I aim for a reasonable overclock with controlled temperatures, keeping costs low. A target of around 3.9-4ghz and staying below 90°C during stress or stability tests seems feasible. Going beyond would likely require a more expensive build, especially since the PSU isn’t particularly reliable. The high temperatures were unexpected.
The temperatures depend directly on the voltage and the cooler you're using. If you're working with a limited budget for the cooler, you should adjust your overclocking accordingly to what you can handle now. A temperature of 90°C won't damage your CPU in the short term. What matters most is the daily temperatures you reach while doing your usual tasks, which are likely around 70°C.
Because no one has answered this question yet, I’ll attempt it. As long as you keep the frequency around 3.8~3.9GHz OC (and reduce the voltage), options like Quiet! Dark Rock 4 or Noctuas NH-U12S could work. Keep in mind: the Noctuas cooler includes an extra fan bracket, so adding a second fan might be possible (though I’m not sure about Quiet!). There are buying guides and motherboard compatibility checks available on their sites—make sure to verify if your setup will support the cooler.
Thank you for the feedback. These options are a bit more expensive than my budget, but if it’s necessary to achieve the desired temperature reduction, I’ll likely choose the noctua version, as it offers better value based on what I’ve found.
The best performance I achieved was with a stock cooler at 3.9ghz @1.1375+0.19125v. Going higher than that pushed it into the 90s and caused stress failures. I recently switched to a snowman cooler, which now delivers 4.05ghz @1.1375+0.23125v, maintaining around 1.33v during stress tests.
I understand, and I'm checking the temperatures in the snowman cooler. Is it similar to the one shown in that link?
In the Aida64 stress test without disk stress, the snowman tops out at 75°C after 15 minutes. Using my stock wraith cooler and adjusting the voltage/frequency slightly lower, I reached 90°C. The cooler is a bit cheaper than the Hyper212 and sufficient for a 2600. Adding an extra 120mm fan on the opposite side of the heatsink could boost cooling further. Review available at the provided link.