What issues are present with my CPU?
What issues are present with my CPU?
Yesterday while playing a game, my computer suddenly shut down. After turning it back on, I noticed a CPU overheating warning. This situation made me worried about my AIO cooler (Corsair H80i). I began tracking my CPU temperatures and discovered that idling was unusually high, often reaching between 40-60 degrees, with spikes of about 10 degrees every few seconds. Using OpenHardwareMonitor, the maximum temperature during idle reached 71°C.
This incident occurred unexpectedly, but it hadn’t happened in years before. It was the first time I experienced this issue, though it happened once before when I attempted to render a video without GPU acceleration. After replacing the cooler with the original Ryzen Wraith model and applying new thermal paste, temperatures remained high during idle and gaming. A particularly high spike of 96.3°C was recorded while gaming earlier today.
To my surprise, cleaning the thermal paste didn’t improve things. I then swapped back to the original Ryzen Wraith cooler and re-applied the thermal paste, but temperatures stayed elevated. I’ve attached the OpenHardwareMonitor log from the past 30 minutes for reference, which shows only idle periods and when I was away from the system.
Details of my setup:
- CPU: Ryzen 7 3700X
- Cooler: Corsair H80i → now Wraith
- Motherboard: B550 MORTAR
- RAM: 32GB DDR4 at 3600MHz
- Storage: NVMe M2 WD Blue
- GPU: RTX 3060
- Power Supply: Corsair TX750M
- Chassis: Zalman Z11 Plus
- Operating System: Windows 11
- Monitor: BenQ X265
I’m seeking advice and appreciate any insights.
My specifications are:
Ryzen 7 3700x
32GB DDR4 3600MHz
B550m mortar
few fans available
When sharing a troubleshooting thread, it's standard to provide your complete system details. Please list the specs in this order:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
Include the PSU's age along with its make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this time.
(corsair h80i)
Does the radiator actually cool the system or are only the tube and pump block feeling warm?
I didn't expect it to make a difference since my chassis and GPU aren't connected to my CPU cooling. Anyway, the fan was really tiring.
Bring back the wraith cooler and the temperatures appear to be getting better; however, they remain quite elevated, frequently hitting 90 degrees or higher during gameplay.
On the other hand, your chassis does assist with heat dissipation. Maintaining proper airflow is crucial. Could you tell me which thermal paste you applied during the reapplication? What technique did you follow for spreading it?
It might be due to excessive paste application (beyond what's needed to seal microscopic scratches and pits, which act as an insulator). Alternatively, the paste could have been reused during installation of another cooler, thereby bringing in air (another insulator).
Yeah, you're right there. The situation seems like a Zalman Z11 Plus (still from 2013), and the airflow here might not be as effective as with newer models. I have one intake at the front, a CPU cooler, and an exhaust at the back.
The thermal paste is Arctic MX4, but it's probably a bit old—around 3 or 4 years ago. It looked good and spread well. I placed a small rice grain-sized particle in the middle of the CPU to help it spread evenly.
Regarding the Wraith, it actually shows better temperatures than my Corsair H80i, though still quite high.
I apply a rice grain size at the CPU center, which has always worked well for me over the years. I never reuse the paste; after each cooling period, I thoroughly clean it with isopropyl alcohol before applying fresh thermal paste.
After opening a tube of paste, it seems it needs to be used soon. The paste might not be in good condition. It could be worth switching to a new tube and giving it another try. Arctic MX-4 is suitable for your requirements. Noctua Nt-H2 is also a strong option. The rice size technique, though commonly recommended, may not always be the most accurate method. You might consider using the 5 dot method (search online) or spreading the paste evenly across the chip with a plastic tool to ensure uniform application. Let us know your experience.