Question XPS 15 9530 paired with i7-13700H experiences performance issues under stress.
Question XPS 15 9530 paired with i7-13700H experiences performance issues under stress.
Hi my new XPS 15 is running quite hot under 100% CPU with AIDA64. I personally could care less about squeezing every last ounce of performance out of the machine I much prefer the computer to run cooler instead. From what I've read and heard the new Intel and AMD CPUs can tolerate much greater temperatures than those of 5-10+ years ago, even up to 100 C. After a stress test with AIDA64 the CPU climbed to 90 C after 2 minutes the other day and 95 C today. Under normal loads the computer appears to be fine, idling in the 40s. I have three questions:
1. Is this anything to be concerned about? Are modern CPU's designed to tolerate these high temps and are their lifespans at all impacted by high temps like these under stress?
2. Are temps up to 90-100 C considered normal under load?
3. Is there anything I can do to keep the temps lower? Argus Monitor doesn't appear to be able to change the fan curve, Dell Power Manager apparently isn't supported so I can't change the thermal management options, and I'm not sure if capping the CPU frequency in power options would work since a brief inspection of CPU frequency in task manager while running the stress test shows frequencies way below the max frequency.
Thanks!
1| No
2| You might attempt to undervolt, but it remains within the specifications.
3| Swap in higher-quality thermal paste and pads. You can adjust the voltage using ThrottleStop. Lift the rear of the laptop with an eraser placed centrally beneath the hinge area. Ensure proper ventilation by using air conditioning.
This situation isn't something to worry about. Contemporary CPUs are built to approach their upper temperature limits. For the i7-13700H, that's around 100°C.
For a laptop of this category, consider these adjustments:
Try Intel XTU to reduce power consumption or lower the clock speed. However, I'm uncertain if this works with Dell XPS models.
Modify the "Maximum Processor State" settings in the Control Panel, then navigate to All Control Panel Items, Power Options, Edit Plan Settings, and change Advanced Settings. Intel CPUs usually manage the boost clock speed based on this setting.
Activate the feature that disables turbo boost at the operating system level by opening an administrator command prompt and executing:
powercfg -attributes sub_processor perfboostmode -attrib_hide
This will display an option in Processor Power Management as previously noted under "Processor Performance Boost Mode."
Keep in mind these changes may slightly impact laptop performance, but they are limited options available.
I also advise against altering the thermal paste. It's likely a high-performance Honeywell PTM7950 TIM or similar, which requires minimal maintenance. Laptop cooling solutions typically don't exert the same pressure as desktop systems, so a thick TIM is essential to avoid overheating and repeated reapplication.
Alternatively, you might use a laptop cooling pad, but unless it directs more airflow toward the bottom vents or significantly moves heat away from the chassis, its effectiveness will be limited.
Thank you for your patience, I apologize for the delay in replying. I'll attempt to understand throttlestop and observe its behavior.
@hotaru.hino
Thank you too... Do you mean they are built to operate close to, rather than below, optimal performance? From the test results you shared, I noticed the temperature reached 100°C before the fans increased during a stress test (the test was halted afterward), which suggests thermal throttling.
Easy solution here
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhaZqc_mMbE
I also have a 13700h and it keeps trying to reach 5ghz even when it's not needed in games. I understand the temperatures are bothersome. Although the chips are built for it and it's in spec, modern thermal pastes don't seem to hold up well at these high temps. The real problem is the pump-out performance. That's why it makes sense to look for ways to lower the temps. I ended up taking apart my system, upgraded the RAM, switched to NVMe (using PopOS instead of Win11), and applied PTM7950 to the CPU and GPU. Temperatures dropped a bit and improved over time with PMT, but it's reassuring to know there won't be any future pump-out issues—just set and forget.