Temperatures on CPU cores exceed acceptable limits.
Temperatures on CPU cores exceed acceptable limits.
I installed a new cooling setup yesterday, but I’m still puzzled about the high CPU core temperatures during full load. My machine is a Lian Li Lancool II with a Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 ARGB liquid cooler, running an i7-13700k 3080ti with 32GB RAM and DDR5 memory. I’ve plotted the fan flow directions in the attached image and observed the temperatures while using Cinebench R23 for multi-core testing. I followed the instructions carefully, reapplied thermal paste twice to ensure proper adhesion, but the issue persists. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I checked it when the GPU wasn't available and got the same outcome.
Intel uses a high-power limit strategy by assigning an extremely large value to their CPUs. To adjust this, enable the setting in your BIOS with a more practical number—such as 200W on PL1, which reflects long-term power usage and varies slightly across BIOS versions.
Here you'll find identical exhaust fans matched with intake fans. Following the advice from others, place your radiator in the intake position and possibly switch top fans to exhaust roles. Intel CPUs usually overheat, yet achieving 100°C under 170W with a 360mm AIO is quite intense. On my I7-9700 I managed 170W using a cooler rated for 130W, but it had to drop to 165W eventually. The VRMs will eventually throttle the CPU down to 65W for a short time before returning to full power. All this happens at around 22°C room temperature. Edited November 15, 2022 by DreamCat04
i configured five fans across the rad, bringing the total to 360 units. all are drawing in outside air that brings in a cool 20°C from the AC just two meters away. without the side panel, everything runs at full capacity on both cores, maintaining 100°C on one or both, and stays steady at 5.1 ghz for the core speed as long as i keep it running—just not hitting the peak boost levels (5.3/5.4) where throttling occurs.
I’d love to have my processor running at full capacity on 90°C, but I’m still confused about what’s happening. I just bought some thermal paste—Cryofuze and Thermal Gr Kry—and want to see the results. (Currently using Thermaltake TG50). Yes, my radiator gets quite hot, the top fans push a moderate amount of warm air, while the bottom stays cool. I agree with you. It might be the contact pads or the cooler itself is having trouble. It idles about 5°C above room temperature, which is confusing. I tried lowering the power to 185W; it stays between 90–93°C (with a 50/51 boost). One thing I did was cool the room down to around 16°C with full airflow using an AC, and my Cinebench scores almost hit 31k. (I didn’t measure the exact wattage, but it throttled after a session)
That setup is definitely unusual. What aids my grasp of airflow is that hot air climbs, which suggests top fans should likely act as exhaust vents—while front intakes make sense. On the other hand, the CPU might just be overheating a bit. And yes, undervolting helped resolve the issue. As for the fan directions, I thought top should still direct to exhaust, not intake. The goal is to push the hot air out quickly, since warm air naturally rises and these intakes are struggling to contain it.
Are you confirming the pump operates fully? Verify the cold plate for any plastic covering and ensure the paste is applied correctly.