Temperatures rise after reapplying thermal paste
Temperatures rise after reapplying thermal paste
I'm using an Intel i7-6700k processor cooled by a Corsair H100i aio. Usually I set it to OC at 48x with 1.415 volts and it stays around 30°C, but I've been seeing higher readings during heavy loads. To check, I reapplied thermal paste using a pea-sized amount of Arctic MX4 and cleaned the dust while doing so. While removing the CPU to show a friend how it looks and install it, I briefly touched the contact pad. After reassembly, the system ran at 40°C with the AIO reporting the same temperature, suggesting the issue isn’t with paste or pressure. I wiped the old paste and it's now at 40°C under .752 volts. I'm a bit worried about the temperature rise, especially since a 10°C increase with new paste feels off. An outside opinion would be helpful.
Post Script: I tried Cyberpunk 2077 after my minor PC work. It ran around 88°C without overclocking, while the AIO cooled faster. Before any changes, it was likely between 60-68°C with an overclock.
Adjusted the mounting screws and secured them tightly. Temperature dropped to around 35-38°C at less than 0.768 volts. It looks like your assessment was accurate—Cyberpunk 2077 performs best in a 60-68°C range. If an OC brings it back up, I’ll recheck the process and verify the mount pressure again.
It seems typical. Your voltage also matches the expected values from silicon lottery data. You might want to isolate the CPU.
The problem started because an air bubble was present in my AIO. Adjusting the hoses caused a sudden drop in temperature from about 40°C to 30°C.