Low temperatures rise during high clock speeds.
Low temperatures rise during high clock speeds.
I had been running the Intel 5930k at turbo off at 3.5Ghz for a year... And recently I increased it to 4.4 (1.3v) to improve performance for a CPU that runs MMORPGs. It passed the stress test and is stable.
Yet, I soon noticed that when the clock speed jumped from idle to full load, the core temperature would rise to about 90°C (194F) and drop to 55°C (131F) within 2 seconds.
I suspect many overclockers face the same issue because the rapid heat buildup isn’t dissipated quickly enough.
Finding a solution has been challenging.
I’m worried about potentially damaging my CPU if this keeps happening every day...
Right now, I’m using 4.0 GHz with no extra voltage applied to the cores to prevent temperature spikes.
Could you suggest some possible fixes?
I was considering limiting how much the clock speed increases each time unit (for example, no more than 1Ghz per second), but I have no idea how to implement that.
Thanks!
What kind of cooling device are you employing? These spikes function adequately even briefly. Still, 90C appears excessively high when compared to a spike under continuous demand.
Temperature fluctuations are completely typical. Occasionally I encounter an unusually high spike—something HWmonitor records as a 150°C rise, yet it lasts just a second. Those rare extreme spikes might actually stem from a software issue, unlike what you're seeing more frequently.
You're right about the cause being the system's efforts to manage heat through faster clock speeds, improved heat sinks, and additional fans. It's generally not a cause for concern as long as temperatures return to normal within a few seconds.
If this bothers you, the best solutions would be adjusting the fan curve to be more aggressive or upgrading to a higher-quality aftermarket cooler. Personally, I've seen good results with the NH-D15S setup—three fans (including two Delta 3400rpm units in a push-pull arrangement)—which delivers cooling performance comparable to a H100i GTX water cooler. The dual heat sinks help manage those spikes effectively.
Still, a brief 90°C spike shouldn't harm your CPU significantly. Intel chips have higher thermal limits, and while prolonged exposure above 90°C isn't ideal, a short-term spike like this is usually harmless.