[SOLVED] 2 Year Old Computer Running Hot

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justinj

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Ok, for some reason my 2 year old (still high end sort of; bought right before the bitcoin craze) computer is running hot. My core temps are in the 70s-80s or more during Borderlands 3 in ultra and insane settings. I'm thinking it might be due to the cooler and I might need to buy a new one and redo the thermal paste. I say that because it was a very tight fit to begin with. The cooler I have is enormous and the RAM bumps up right against it and I'm a little worried that it didn't seat properly, tight enough. Nothing else has changed with the original hardware. Video card and all fans are running fine as far as I can tell. Settings say cpu fan has a 1300 RPM or so. I still have not overclocked anything (because I haven't needed to). No changes to bio

So I'm wondering:
  1. If you there's anything else I'm missing before I move forward with the plan to buy a new cooler?
  2. If that's the right choice, are there any recommendations for a new cooler with my setup below?
  3. I've never cleaned a processor before but it looks like I need 99% isopropyl alcohol and a bunch of q-tips? (https://www.google.com/search?q=how...me&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_L3e0XZa7CsuItQXvwrXIBA27 ).
  4. Any other advice or anything else I should consider upgrading?

Thank you for your help.

My build:
Nov 5, 2017

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7GHz 6-Core Processor ($399.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - R1 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($88.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($207.65 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($141.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 500GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($233.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital - BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($116.39 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB SC Black Edition Video Card ($749.99 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT - Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair - RMx 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.89 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Dell - S2417DG 23.8" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($406.30 @ Amazon)
 

justinj

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For what it’s worth i would say temps are only 5 degrees better. But hey I’ll take it. I do wish it were better but I am hoping that getting new shorter RAM will let me lower the first (right) fan down and pull in more air. That should also let me close the case. Alternatively I guess I could either switch coolers or put it all in a full tower but I would like to avoid the hassle.

FYI I used grizzly paste and temps dropping roughly 5 degrees (just eyeballing it) are with the case open before and after.
 
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Both are good ideas, and I am sure Karadjgne would agree. Having one of the biggest air coolers on the market with a snug mid-tower case is going to cause some to not get out fast enough. Staying with that cooler probably means going to a larger case if you are still unhappy with temps. Alternatively, if you like the case, you could always switch to water, as there are some great options on the market right now, and the case was pre-built to accept many water cooling solutions.

Personally, I have the opposite problem. I am using a carry-over cooler from my 2500k on my 4790k. The Cooler Master has plenty of room to get the heat away from the CPU, but the 212 can't adsorb and push the hot air away fast enough to keep temps low on this CPU. Since my overclocking days are over I don't really care, as long as it doesn't throttle.
 

justinj

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Agree with scout_03 short of a case change and bmockeg which in the NZXT has a fair few HD cages blocking airflow. You have a very good specked PC with the 8700K and 1080Ti so if and when you can a move to a higher airflow case like the Fractal Design Meshifi C it will do wonders for temps.

Ok, then more I think about this the more upset I'm getting. :mad: I want lower temps (sound like I'm spoiled I know).

Sorry to keep this thread alive forever and ever. Maybe I just need to switch to a better case (the one listed above?) or to a full tower? Are there any good full tower recommendations? I need to check specs as 1cm wider would be nice as I could leave the cooler as is with the fan slightly offset (to be above the RAM stick). Current case is 8.5 inches wide.

If I switch to a new case, would it be as simple as taking my PSU and motherboard with all components as is/plugged in and then just disconnecting and reconnecting inside the new case (i.e., plug and play)?

Last question - I noticed my video card is in the top slot near the cooler. Any reason not to move it down to the bottom slot and clear some room away from the cooler?

Thanks again everyone. I feel like I owe you at this point.
 
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As far as plug and play, yes. New case just move everything over and turn it on. Temperature is all personal preference as long as it isn’t over heating. I use a Corsair carbide 600c. I’ve got an EVGA 280mm AIO on my 9900k and a 1080ti with a NZXT G12 bracket and a NZXT x62 280mm AIO on it. With my 9900k oc to 5.0 and my 1080ti overclocked while gaming I get 35c for my 1080ti! My 9900k is in the 60s, fluctuates with cpu usage. Now I also run all fans at 100% and don’t care about noise as I use a gaming headset.

There are a bunch of good cases if you decided to go with a new one. I’d look for anything that supports at least 2 280mm radiators or larger for future upgrade capability.
 

justinj

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As far as plug and play, yes. New case just move everything over and turn it on. Temperature is all personal preference as long as it isn’t over heating. I use a Corsair carbide 600c. I’ve got an EVGA 280mm AIO on my 9900k and a 1080ti with a NZXT G12 bracket and a NZXT x62 280mm AIO on it. With my 9900k oc to 5.0 and my 1080ti overclocked while gaming I get 35c for my 1080ti! My 9900k is in the 60s, fluctuates with cpu usage. Now I also run all fans at 100% and don’t care about noise as I use a gaming headset.

There are a bunch of good cases if you decided to go with a new one. I’d look for anything that supports at least 2 280mm radiators or larger for future upgrade capability.
I've never used liquid cooling before... is it simple enough by now?

One case that might work in the cases forum is Cooler Master MasterBox NR600 . Do you guys think that would work for me? It's wide enough for sure. Also, Fractal Design Focus G might be ok. No idea if those work with liquid cooling.
 

justinj

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Are you speaking of a boxed AIO liquid cooler, or custom watercooling?

First, yes, second, sort of yes, but more complicated than the first yes.
I would go with the easier of the two. Is it more complex than air cooling and does it require maintenance? I already have the cryorig so would only change if it’s easier and also that much better.
 

justinj

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Check this one out
Looks good but I think it’s actually too wide. I need at least 9.5” but I’d rather not have more than 11.5”.