High thermal readings at 9800x3d could indicate throttling.
High thermal readings at 9800x3d could indicate throttling.
Hello, I just received the 9800X3D today and was surprised by the temperatures. At 95°C it's quite high compared to my usual 13600K which maxes around 70-73°C under similar cooling. The power draw is similar, but this is unusual for me—especially at that temperature. After running Cinebench with the air cooler only (AK620 digital), I still see such high readings, even on the CPU core. I haven’t tested an AMD processor before, so I’m really surprised by these results.
AM5 CPUs are designed with thermal constraints in mind. This applies more often to the 7000 series, though it can occur in the 9000 series as well. Your CB score seems appropriate, and your CPU appears to reach the advertised boost frequency. I’m puzzled that an AK620 can’t maintain a cooler temperature, particularly after the undervolt adjustment. If the room temperature is around 30°C, it makes sense why this might happen. Otherwise, consider reinstalling the cooler.
It's a very hot day with temperatures around 32°C, and I'm running fans at 65% speed on my CPU (1.3k RPM) to keep things quiet. At this heat, I'm worried silicone might wear out quickly—95°C is quite high. I plan to replace the cooler tomorrow and test a different thermal paste. Any tips beyond adjusting the PBO curve?
Remember this was a stress test aimed at pushing the CPU to its limits. For everyday tasks or gaming, it usually doesn't achieve that level of intensity.
Curve Optimizer undervolting typically improves performance while maintaining the same power usage, instead of lowering the power draw itself. This happens because it avoids cutting power limits, allowing the CPU to increase if needed. To reduce overall power consumption, adjust PBO settings such as PPT, EDC, and TDC—lowering them should decrease power use. The undervolt adjustment then compensates for any possible performance drop.
It seems the issue might be linked to how those chips are built for performance. I recently had an intense experience in Space Marine 2—still facing CPU limits, but managing around 70c. My frame rate dropped from 90-100fps to about 150fps on average, which is a huge improvement. This chip definitely delivers power.
At 20°C with quicker fans you'd reach 80°C. The problem is insufficient ambient cooling and inadequate airflow. For lower temperatures with slower fans, consider an AIO.