Installing additional RAM can cause the CPU to overheat.
Installing additional RAM can cause the CPU to overheat.
Hello Everyone, I recently upgraded my RAM to 2x 8GB Kingston HyperX Fury 3200MHz. To reach the advertised speed I had to turn on XMP settings. But after installing the RAM, I found my CPU getting extremely hot. It was so intense that code froze and crashed due to the high temperatures. I decided to use MSI Afterburner to monitor the temps, and it showed 100 degrees Celsius with full load on just the lobby screen. I didn’t have any issues with older RAMs (2x 4GB at 2133MHz). However, I’m using the Intel stock cooler on top of my Intel Core i5-6400. Should I consider replacing it? On idle the temperature stays around 54 degrees. Thank you.
The temperatures shouldn't be so high, even with a stock cooler. Verify the CPU cooler fan is connected and rotating. You might attempt to disable XMP to observe a drop in temps, though it's unlikely to lower them significantly.
Higher speed RAM forces the CPU to run the memory controller at a quicker pace, or lower it slower, based on your BIOS settings. That temperature reading is quite concerning. The CPU needs to stay under 30°C during idle when the heatsink fits properly and the fan spins. It should still function up to 70°C. The recommended RAM type is DDR4-1866/2133. XMP will push the memory controller to overclock, but it’s not meant for non-K CPUs. Use CPU-Z to verify the XMP profile settings. If the base speed is already outside limits, XMP will likely exceed it and may fail without a compatible CPU clock. If issues persist, consider switching to DDR4-2133 or disable XMP if stability improves.
It seems someone either dropped the cooler or accidentally turned on xmp, which also activated MCE at an unexpected high level.
It doesn't depend on MB enabling it, the CPU needs to back it up, or more accurately, the memory must match the CPU's controller speed. Activating XMP requires a perfect fit, and Intel treats it as an overclock. This image comes from DDR4 2666 that works with DDR4 3200 ( Keep in mind that 3200 is specifically an XMP timing setting raising voltage, though the typical default is 2666 without boosting it.
The memory setup doesn't necessarily make the CPU heat up more unless it's very large and obstructs the cooler's airflow. You might need to inspect and reinstall the CPU cooler. It's possible you accidentally damaged it, causing thermal paste to move and creating bubbles. Just because the fan is running doesn't guarantee the cooler is functioning properly.