logzz :
9900k ... 280 AIO ... Idle temps 53c on the package ... 1% usage ... spike to 70c-80c ... just sitting ... opening ... super small load ... turbos to 4.7ish ... jumps to 100 ...
Q: Is your AIO new, or used from a previous build?
There are four problems with AIO's:
(1) All AIO's
will eventually fail. It’s not a question of
if; it’s a question of
when. Pumps have moving parts that wear out, so those which run 24/7/365 are prone to premature failure. AIO units are notorious for failures due to inferior pump quality, whereas custom loops typically use high-end pumps which have greater longevity.
(2) Coolant can evaporate over time due to "permeation" which can cause impeller "cavitation" due to bubbles.
(3) AIO's are sealed Closed Loop Coolers (CLC), which unlike custom loops, are not designed to be cleaned of sediments and refilled.
(4) Also unlike custom loops, AIO's use dissimilar metals (aluminum radiator / copper water block). This causes galvanic corrosion which produces sediment over time. Even new AIO's may contain sediment due to inadequate flushing after being manufactured. Some particles can become relatively large over time, which can create blockages resulting in flow problems.
Simply installing, moving, handling or otherwise disturbing the unit, new or old, is enough to dislodge particles, whereupon the next power-up, the now free-floating particles can circulate into the impeller chamber and stop the impeller. Since the impeller is magnetically coupled to the motor (no direct shaft), the motor will continue to run while the impeller is stopped. So
"hearing" the motor running or "feeling" vibration does not indicate flow, nor does Pump RPM in various software utilities.
Without an actual in-line sensor, proper flow is difficult to verify. Under normal operation, even at 100% workload, there should be only a minimal temperature differential between the tubes. However, if one tube is hot while the other is cool, it indicates little to no flow. This can be verified by checking the tubes with an infrared (IR) thermometer. Further, if the water block is hot while the radiator is cool, it also indicates little to no flow.
Concerning idle temperatures and spiking:
"Package" temperature is typically the hottest Core. Nonetheless, some monitoring utilities are infamous for assigning the wrong label to the wrong sensor, meaning that "package" may not actually be
package.
Q: What are your Core temperatures?
Q: Which monitoring utility are you using?
As
MeanMachine41 suggested, Hardware Info is highly recommended. It's known to be accurate, reliable and provides advanced monitoring details:
• Hardware Info -
https://www.hwinfo.com/download.php
Core temperatures respond instantly to changes in load. Intel’s specification for Digital Thermal Sensor (DTS) response time is 256 milliseconds, or about 1/4th of a second. Since Windows has dozens of Processes and Services running in the background, it’s
normal to see rapid and random Core temperature “spikes” or fluctuations, especially during the first few minutes after startup.
Any software activity will show some percentage of CPU Utilization in Windows Task Manager, where unnecessary Tray items, Startups, Processes and Services that contribute to excessive spiking can be disabled.
6th Generation processors introduced "Speed Shift" technology in Windows 10, which responds much faster to changes in workload than "SpeedStep" due to having many more Core speed and Core voltage transition levels.
Since 7th through 9th Generation Speed Shift is twice as fast as 6th Generation, some users complain of Core temperature spikes which can also cause fluctuations in fan RPM at idle. Motherboard manufacturers are implementing BIOS updates that include separate SpeedStep and Speed Shift settings with more flexible fan curves and time delay options.
Concerning "stress" tests:
Stress tests vary widely and can be characterized into two categories;
stability tests which are
fluctuating workloads, and
thermal tests which are
steady workloads. Intel tests their processors at a
steady 100% TDP workload to validate Thermal Specifications. Prime 95
version 26.6 is a
steady 100% TDP workload.
Utilities that don't
overload or
underload your processor will give you a valid thermal baseline. Here’s a comparison of utilities grouped as
thermal and
stability tests according to % of TDP, averaged across six processor Generations at stock settings rounded to the nearest 5%:
All tests will show 100% CPU
Utilization in Windows Task Manager, which indicates processor resource activity,
not % TDP
workload. Core temperatures respond directly to Power dissipation (Watts), which is driven by workload.
As shown in the scale above, Prime95 v26.6 Small FFT’s provides a true and steady 100% workload. No other utility so closely replicates Intel's test conditions. So if Core temperatures are below 85°C, then your processor should run the most demanding
real-world workloads without overheating.
4th through 9th Generation i9, i7, i5 and i3 CPU’s have
AVX2 Instruction Sets. Prime95 versions
later than 26.6 run AVX/2 code on the CPU's Floating Point Unit (FPU), which is an
unrealistic workload that can produce Core temperatures
up to 20°C higher. As per Intel’s Datasheets, TDP and Thermal Specifications are validated “without AVX”.
• Prime95 v26.6 (non-AVX) -
http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=15504
It's been suggested that you should test using AIDA64 ... but
which test(s)? AIDA64 has
15 possible stress test selections which yield 15 different Core temperatures.
Shown in the lower-left corner of the scale, AIDA64's individual CPU test is a steady workload, but it's just 70% TDP, which is poorly suited for thermal testing because Core temperatures are deceivingly low. Only the CPU/FPU test combination is about 100% TDP workload. All other AIDA64 test selections are fluctuating workloads, which aren't well suited for thermal testing.
As explained, and as shown on the scale above, when running a "thermal" test use Prime95 v26.6 Small FFT's.
You may want to read this:
Intel Temperature Guide -
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1800828/intel-temperature-guide.html
Assuming your AIO is installed correctly:
(1) The evidence you've provided so far points to an AIO blockage problem.
Q: For troubleshooting purposes, do you have a decent air cooler to swap out for your AIO?
(2) All processors have thermal spikes that can be minimized but not eliminated.
CT