Temperature fluctuates rapidly during operation.
Temperature fluctuates rapidly during operation.
Your CPU temperature stayed high during idle and then dropped sharply to 31 degrees without any changes in workload or fan speed. This pattern started after you applied new thermal paste two days ago. Someone familiar with the issue can help clarify what’s causing it.
You're checking the temperature using HWInfo or AIDA64, which are the most trustworthy choices. HWMonitor and coretemp tend to give inaccurate readings, particularly with newer equipment.
It seems your i7700k tends to increase idle temperatures noticeably even without heavy workloads, and sometimes this isn't tied to core frequency. It runs cooler with liquid cooling, but the change is comparable to yours. The room temperature stays around 21°C, with idle temps between 27°C and 52°C when the CPU is light (under 3%). Did it stay at 70°C for extended idle time, or did it briefly reach that level?
It remained near 70°C for a short time right after powering on, then dropped to the low 30s, a temperature it has maintained for many hours now.