[SOLVED] 90c cpu temps while gaming

[fidesachates]

Hi all,

I've read around for a while and think I need some specific advice / confirmation of what I understand.

I have a brand new i7-9700k CPU with a Noctura NHU9S cooler installed on a Gigabyte Z390 M Gaming motherboard inside a Thermaltake Urban S1 microAtx case; my GPU is a GTX 2070 and those temps stay around 60. When I play Assassin's Creed Origins, the cpu temps reach 90-95 (measured with HWInfo, Open hardware monitor, and Gigabyte's own software); reading around, this is not a good temp so I'm looking for some advice. I opened the case while gaming to see if that helped, but it only dropped it by 3-5 degrees.

I played Witcher 3 and temps were around 80 degrees.

My thoughts on what I need to do:

1. I should probably reapply the thermal paste. It's possible I applied too much the first time. Also, it wasn't a smooth operation; once I placed the fan on, I moved it around a decent amount as I tried to screw the cooler in.
2. Per the pictures below, I think I've got an airflow problem. because the rear case fan is blowing air out while directly across from it is the CPU cooler that's blowing air towards the cooler. I assume the correct thing to do is to rotate my cooler so the fan is facing the front of the case.
3. I should put in ties for cable management to improve the airflow.

My questions for the community:

1. Are my thoughts on what I need to do reasonable?
2. Is there anything else I should consider?

 

[Mooons]

Yes reapply thermal paste. Make sure you seat the CPU Cooler correctly.

 

[fidesachates]

Yes reapply thermal paste. Make sure you seat the CPU Cooler correctly.

Thanks. I hope you won't mind answering two follow up questions for confirmation:

1. Would my mistake of potentially too much paste and then shifting the cooler around after seating it really cause the CPU usage to go to 90 degrees? How many degrees should I expect to shave if I do it correctly?
2. Was my analysis correct of my fan situation? I should move the cooler fan to face the front because it's taking air into the cooler?

 

[Nemesia]

Hi. You don't have to turn the cooler around. Just move the fan to the other side pushing air inside the cooler.

 

[fidesachates]

Hi. You don't have to turn the cooler around. Just move the fan to the other side pushing air inside the cooler.

Ah gotcha thanks!

 

[Mooons]

1. Would my mistake of potentially too much paste and then shifting the cooler around after seating it really cause the CPU usage to go to 90 degrees? How many degrees should I expect to shave if I do it correctly?
2. Was my analysis correct of my fan situation? I should move the cooler fan to face the front because it's taking air into the cooler?

Putting too little or too much paste can cause the CPU to heat up. You want the perfect amount in order for it to be evenly cooled.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-comparison,5108-3.html

Just move the fan and you should be fine. Don't have the exhaust fan blowing into your CPU cooler.

 

[fidesachates]

Yes reapply thermal paste. Make sure you seat the CPU Cooler correctly.

Hi. You don't have to turn the cooler around. Just move the fan to the other side pushing air inside the cooler.

Thank you both.

I have done all the tasks I outlined. The results are somewhat middling. I gamed for a couple hours after I finished and at random points I took note of what HWInfo was showing me.

Average / Max
84/91
84/91
82/94
80/94
83/91

From looking at the plot it seems it can sustain getting over 85 during cutscenes, but during normal play it's between 80 and 85.

What do you guys think? Can I leave it like this or do you recommend some other action for me to take? I'm open purchasing additional hardware if you think it's warranted.



Feel free to not read,
During cleaning and re-applying the thermal paste, it got quite messy. I managed to get paste onto the sides of the CPU as well as the pins underneath. After careful cleaning, it seemed like I got most of it (some staining was hard to remove). First thing I did after boot was run a novabench and it seems like performance is still where it was before. But I think the lesson I've taken away here is to clean the chip while it's in the motherboard instead of taking it out.

 

[fidesachates]

Final update on this thread.

I discovered that the U9S allows for a dual fan situation (in that it comes with clips); I had a spare fan lying around so I installed it. Just did a fast 15 minute gaming session and I see a clear improvement.

Average/Max
65/80

The fan I installed is really loud so I'll likely at some point get a newer better one, but at least I'm operating at safer temps now. Thanks for listening!

P.S. after installing it, weirdly the game started stuttering occasionally (maybe 10 times in 15 minutes) and tearing if I was turning my point of view really fast. I'll try to get to the bottom of that in a different thread. Thanks everyone!