Intel 14th Gen performance problems with overheating
Intel 14th Gen performance problems with overheating
Hello! I'm facing serious overheating issues with my Intel I5-14600k on an MSI Z790 Gaming Plus Wifi board. So far, I've changed the contact frame, swapped the original thermal paste for Artic MX-4, used a graphite pad instead, replaced the original cooler with a Noctua NH-D12L, and even tried the CPU from a different brand. None of these fixes have helped. I'm still seeing cores hit or near 100°C during benchmarks, often stopping early due to thermal throttling. I've looked into it and found that some boards let you switch to a boxed cooler mode, but I don't have that option. I've set the cooler to the lowest available TDP. I'll share any logs or details from stress tests later. Thanks! INTEL XTU.csv hwinfo 2.CSV Hwinfo.CSV
This setup involves a specific configuration. The cooling units are properly secured, and the Noctua models have spring mechanisms that lock them in place. Regarding the voltage readings, some motherboards can activate inefficient boost options, causing significant power usage. I own a 12600KF with only half the E-cores (four instead of eight), which is quite similar to another chip. Over time it reaches around 100°C and begins throttling on my Noctua L-12S, so I switched to an NH-D15S. Your device overheating seems unusual.
It's a typical generic gaming scenario with limited airflow. Even without the side panel, performance remains similar. Photos taken right after the PC starts up, around 30 seconds during the stress test, and roughly 2 minutes later.
The power output reached its highest point of 195W in the most recent stress test. The power limits for models 1 and 2 are expected to be around 181W.
Based on what you observe, the CPU reduces performance once temperatures exceed roughly 94°C. Core clock speeds remain stable around 4.95 GHz, and power consumption stays relatively constant despite throttling.
In BIOS you can't adjust pl1 or pl2 limits. I thought changing the CPU cooler settings might help, but the BIOS is already set to the lowest configuration with a TDP of 181W. Reducing the CPU voltage to around 1.38V could also resolve the issue.