Intel I7 9700K on Coffee Lake platform featuring thermal throttling and an AIO setup.
Intel I7 9700K on Coffee Lake platform featuring thermal throttling and an AIO setup.
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Quick details: The system uses an MSI Z390A- Pro Inet I7 9700K processor running at 3.60 GHz, paired with ADATA RAM and a 16 GB SSD. It’s an AIO setup, and the manufacturer isn’t immediately clear—iBuypower’s logo is visible but doesn’t provide much clarity. More information can be found in the attached image.
I previously purchased this rig from iBuyPower a few years ago, and it performed exceptionally well until recently. As a VFX artist and video editor, I handle CPU-heavy tasks, which have been putting a strain on my system. All of my cores are overheating, not just one. I’m attaching a photo with the specs for reference.
There are no unusual noises, blue screens, or crashes—just thermal throttling. Even after cooling down overnight, the MSI center image shows the socket still warm but noticeably cooler than the chips themselves. This is right out of the box; performance drops immediately once I power it up again.
After relocating to Mexico, sending it for warranty service would be difficult and likely overdue. I’ve moved it to a different power outlet and switched to a PSU that should handle my workload. Fans are clean and reattached, with silver thermal paste applied. The AIO fan is running but the exhaust air remains cool, suggesting the issue might be with the pump. Turns on and shows animations, but I can’t monitor the pump directly.
The AIO connects straight to the power supply, so I changed outlets just in case. I tried increasing core voltage temporarily, but the software automatically reduced it to prevent overheating. If I add more voltage, it shuts down entirely. I’ve reset everything back to defaults and cleared temp files for a virus scan.
I’m hoping a simple fix will restore performance before declaring it unusable. Any suggestions or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you ahead of time!
I re-settled the CPU after applying thermal paste and used compressed air to clean the area. Here’s a photo of the setup in case anything goes wrong. After cleaning, I photographed it and reassembled it exactly as before. The lower radiator section feels warm, while the top remains cool, though the tubing doesn’t show much difference. The pump is noticeably hot.