[SOLVED] AMD Ryzen 5 3500 high temps under load

[Flay_Gunnar]

Hey guys, I just built a system a month back, and I'm facing some heating issues.
Basic specs:

• Ryzen 5 3500
• MSI B450 Tomahawk Max
• MSI GTX 1660 Super XS OC
• Antec NX200 case

I checked the temps using MSI Afterburner, and I was getting CPU temperatures of 50-60 C when idle and 75-80 C under load (Tried with FFXV and Jedi Fallen Order). GPU temps were also hitting 80 C under load.
Ambient temperatures are in the 25-30 C range, and are bound to climb to around 35-38 during summer. I've been cleaning out dust regularly (and it's a rather new system), so that can be ruled out. Also, all BIOS is up to date.
The system is not overclocked, and I don't plan to do so in the near future. Presently using stock fans ( stock CPU fan and one exhaust fan on the back of the case).

While I do realize that 80 C is (barely) acceptable, I'd rather push those temps down a little, for longevity of the hardware. What would the best solution be for this scenario?
Getting an aftermarket CPU cooler was one option I was considering, and I've narrowed it down to 3 options:

• Noctua NH-L9x65 SE-AM4
• Deepcool Gammaxx 400
• Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

I know for a fact that the Noctua variant would fit (since it's low profile), but I'm not that sure about the other two. On the other hand, the other two are significantly cheaper, which helps. I'm not quite sure about how to calculate the fit either, since the NX200's specs mention that the Max supported CPU height is 165 mm. The Noctua fan is just around 60 mm, so it should fit, but the other two are larger, so I'm not all that sure.
Which of those coolers work best? Or is there a better option in that price range that I missed? Also, would they fit?
Also, one last question - would it help to add additional case fans?

 

[bmockeg]

Hey guys, I just built a system a month back, and I'm facing some heating issues.
Basic specs:

• Ryzen 5 3500
• MSI B450 Tomahawk Max
• MSI GTX 1660 Super XS OC
• Antec NX200 case

I checked the temps using MSI Afterburner, and I was getting CPU temperatures of 50-60 C when idle and 75-80 C under load (Tried with FFXV and Jedi Fallen Order). GPU temps were also hitting 80 C under load.
Ambient temperatures are in the 25-30 C range, and are bound to climb to around 35-38 during summer. I've been cleaning out dust regularly (and it's a rather new system), so that can be ruled out.
The system is not overclocked, and I don't plan to do so in the near future. Presently using stock fans ( stock CPU fan and one exhaust fan on the back of the case).

While I do realize that 80 C is (barely) acceptable, I'd rather push those temps down a little, for longevity of the hardware. What would the best solution be for this scenario?
Getting an aftermarket CPU cooler was one option I was considering, and I've narrowed it down to 3 options:

• Noctua NH-L9x65 SE-AM4
• Deepcool Gammaxx 400
• Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

I know for a fact that the Noctua variant would fit (since it's low profile), but I'm not that sure about the other two. On the other hand, the other two are significantly cheaper, which helps. I'm not quite sure about how to calculate the fit either, since the NX200's specs mention that the Max supported CPU height is 165 mm. The Noctua fan is just around 60 mm, so it should fit, but the other two are larger, so I'm not all that sure.
Which of those coolers work best? Or is there a better option in that price range that I missed? Also, would they fit?
Also, one last question - would it help to add additional case fans?

I’m more concerned about your case and fan setup because both your GPU and CPU are running pretty hot.

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

I’m more concerned about your case and fan setup because both your GPU and CPU are running pretty hot.

The case has an inlet fan on the upper back, which is what comes in by default. Do you mean that adding case fans would help in this case?

 

[bmockeg]

The case has an inlet fan on the upper back, which is what comes in by default. Do you mean that adding case fans would help in this case?

You have an inlet fan on the back???? Your only fan?

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

You have an inlet fan on the back???? Your only fan?

I'm not entirely sure if it's an inlet, but yeah, there's only one case fan. Here's the case specs: https://antec.com/product/case/nx200.php

 

[bmockeg]

You NEED to put two case fans on the front blowing in. The only fan is exhaust. This will fix your temps.

 

[cryoburner]

Yeah, I agree that adding some fans would likely help. Putting a couple 120mm intake fans in the front, and having the rear fan as exhaust would probably help temperatures. The rear fan is likely already configured to exhaust air if you left it in its original orientation.

If you want a CPU cooler, I wouldn't pay extra for a low-profile cooler like that Noctua when most 120mm tower coolers are likely to cool more effectively for less, and should fit. Something like a Hyper 212 or a Freezer 33 or 34 should be under 160mm, so your case should have the clearance.

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

You NEED to put two case fans on the front blowing in. The only fan is exhaust. This will fix your temps.

Hmm... I guess that makes sense. But there's this little issue though - the cabinet has a solid (non-perforated) front plate, so I'm not sure how it would be able to let in all that much air. Would that be a problem?

Yeah, I agree that adding some fans would likely help. Putting a couple 120mm intake fans in the front, and having the rear fan as exhaust would probably help temperatures. The rear fan is likely already configured to exhaust air if you left it in its original orientation.

If you want a CPU cooler, I wouldn't pay extra for a low-profile cooler like that Noctua when most 120mm tower coolers are likely to cool more effectively for less, and should fit. Something like a Hyper 212 or a Freezer 33 or 34 should be under 160mm, so your case should have the clearance.

So 2x inlet and 1x exhaust would work well enough? There's also that possible issue I mentioned above...
If there's enough clearance, then that's great. The Freezer coolers aren't available where I'm at, but yeah, the Hyper 212 shouldn't be a problem. Any thoughts on the Deepcool model?

 

[bmockeg]

Hmm... I guess that makes sense. But there's this little issue though - the cabinet has a solid (non-perforated) front plate, so I'm not sure how it would be able to let in all that much air. Would that be a problem?



So 2x inlet and 1x exhaust would work well enough? There's also that possible issue I mentioned above...
If there's enough clearance, then that's great. The Freezer coolers aren't available where I'm at, but yeah, the Hyper 212 shouldn't be a problem. Any thoughts on the Deepcool model?

There should be air inlet areas to allow front fans to bring in cool air. If not then it’s the worst case design ever.

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

There should be air inlet areas to allow front fans to bring in cool air. If not then it’s the worst case design ever.

I ran the same temp checks with the side panel open, and neither the CPU or GPU were crossing 74 under load, so it looks like it really is an airflow issue.

I guess that's what I get for skimping on the case. I've ordered two case fans, and I'll see if that improves the temps. If that alone isn't enough, then I'll mod the case a bit to improve the airflow (found a video on Youtube showing exactly that for this PC case).
This is pretty stupid, since the price of the two extra fans plus that of the case would've got me a better case with 3 fans... Mistakes were made haha.

 

[bmockeg]

I ran the same temp checks with the side panel open, and neither the CPU or GPU were crossing 74 under load, so it looks like it really is an airflow issue.

I guess that's what I get for skimping on the case. I've ordered two case fans, and I'll see if that improves the temps. If that alone isn't enough, then I'll mod the case a bit to improve the airflow (found a video on Youtube showing exactly that for this PC case).
This is pretty stupid, since the price of the two extra fans plus that of the case would've got me a better case with 3 fans... Mistakes were made haha.

Airflow will 100% fix your issue.

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

Alright, so I added in two case fans, and that hardly made any difference in the temps. From what I figure, there's a gap between the front plate and the bottom of the case, leaving a 2 cm x 15 cm slot for air inflow. This doesn't seem to be enough, so I'll cut open a little slot in front of the case to let in more air.

I made this little diagram to help visualize it:

The small red line represents the opening I'll be adding into the case, and the green boxes are the fans. The back plate is fairly perforated, so air can escape well enough from there. The purple lines denote openings with dust filters attached, mainly for outflow. There's also a small filtered air inlet for the PSU under the GPU, near the back plate, which I forgot to add in.
Presently, air inflow seems to be the biggest issue (although I'm not all that sure about the overall airflow either). I tried placing a deflector between the top of the GPU and the gap between the two new fans, but that didn't achieve much either.

Finally, coming to my actual question: will this new cutout be enough to solve this? Or is there some better way to go about this?

 

[bmockeg]

Can you take the front panel off and see how it performs?

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

Can you take the front panel off and see how it performs?

Tried that out, and here are the results:

CPU:

Load Avg - 70
Load Max - 80

Idle Avg - 52
Idle Max - 62

GPU:

Load Avg - 72
Load Max - 73

Idle Avg - 33
Idle Max - 34

The average Load temps on the CPU are around 4-5 C lower than without the front plate, while the max temp isn't all that different. The temperature fluctuates quite a lot though, which I heard is normal for Ryzen CPUs.
The GPU is significantly cooler without the front plate (7-8 C), and its temperatures are pretty stable.

 

[bmockeg]

Those still seem like pretty high temps with the front panel removed. This is one reason I don’t recommend cheap cases. I prefer at least 5 fan cases.

 

[RodroX]

Even the very old, cheap, and still awesome Gammaxx 400 will be better than the stock AMD cooler (I would spend a bit more and get the Hyper 212 Black or the Arctic Freezer 34 esport duo).

Also 80° C even thought it looks high is not terrible.

As for idle temps I suggest you check this: press Windows key+R to open the "run" windows, write down powercfg.cpl and press enter, it should bring you the following windows:

Make sure Ryzen Balanced power plan is selected, then pree on change plan configuration (sorry I don't have english images)

Then, press where it said something like Avanced energy options:

And finally check the minimum cpu state is betwen 5% and 15%:

Cheers

 

[bmockeg]

Even the very old, cheap, and still awesome Gammaxx 400 will be better than the stock AMD cooler (I would spend a bit more and get the Hyper 212 Black or the Arctic Freezer 34 esport duo).

Also 80° C even thought it looks high is not terrible.

As for idle temps I suggest you check this: press Windows key+R to open the "run" windows, write down powercfg.cpl and press enter, it should bring you the following windows:

Make sure Ryzen Balanced power plan is selected, then pree on change plan configuration (sorry I don't have english images)

Then, press where it said something like Avanced energy options:

And finally check the minimum cpu state is betwen 5% and 15%:

Cheers

80c for a CPU is pretty dang high.

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

Those still seem like pretty high temps with the front panel removed. This is one reason I don’t recommend cheap cases. I prefer at least 5 fan cases.

Hmm... Then what would you recommend that I do?
Buying another case would be quite a waste, and I would rather keep that as a final option. Is there any other way to fix the temps?

Even the very old, cheap, and still awesome Gammaxx 400 will be better than the stock AMD cooler (I would spend a bit more and get the Hyper 212 Black or the Arctic Freezer 34 esport duo).

Also 80° C even thought it looks high is not terrible.

As for idle temps I suggest you check this: press Windows key+R to open the "run" windows, write down powercfg.cpl and press enter, it should bring you the following windows:

Make sure Ryzen Balanced power plan is selected, then pree on change plan configuration (sorry I don't have english images)

Then, press where it said something like Avanced energy options:

And finally check the minimum cpu state is betwen 5% and 15%:

Cheers

Considering how the max rated temperature is (should be - can't find the 3500 on AMD's site, for some reason) 95C, 80C isn't all that bad... But yeah, I'd rather reduce the temps as much as possible.

The Gammaxx 400 looks to be the best value for money to me, so I'll probably go for that one. The Gammaxx GT also looks like a fairly good option, although the price is comparable to the Hyper 212 Black.

I'll try out the steps you mentioned here in a few hours and get back to you. Thanks!

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

As for idle temps I suggest you check this: press Windows key+R to open the "run" windows, write down powercfg.cpl and press enter, it should bring you the following windows:

Make sure Ryzen Balanced power plan is selected, then pree on change plan configuration (sorry I don't have english images)

Then, press where it said something like Avanced energy options:

And finally check the minimum cpu state is betwen 5% and 15%:

Cheers

Well, it looks like those settings are already in place.

I've made that cutout that I mentioned before, and it gave me slightly better CPU temps, but the GPU was reaching around 78C.

 

[cryoburner]

Have you tried moving around the fans in various configurations? Generally, for most cases, the fan configuration you are using should work well, but it's possible that something else might work better for a given setup. Perhaps try moving those front fans to the top instead, for example, as intakes, and see if that helps at all. Or maybe remove some PCIe slot covers to reduce the amount of heat building up under the graphics card. It might take some experimentation. It sounds like you are in a warm climate, so higher than average temperatures might be expected.

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

Have you tried moving around the fans in various configurations? Generally, for most cases, the fan configuration you are using should work well, but it's possible that something else might work better for a given setup. Perhaps try moving those front fans to the top instead, for example, as intakes, and see if that helps at all. Or maybe remove some PCIe slot covers to reduce the amount of heat building up under the graphics card. It might take some experimentation. It sounds like you are in a warm climate, so higher than average temperatures might be expected.

That's a pretty interesting idea, and I'll try putting that into practice. I've tried disabling one of the new fans (so one inlet and one exhaust), but that didn't change the temps much. I'll try moving the new fans to the top of the case.
I'll try removing the PCIe slots covers as well - that sounds like a reasonable option.
I just ordered the Gammaxx 400, and it should arrive later today. That would most likely fix the CPU temps, as long as airflow isn't too messed up.

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

The CPU cooler was delayed a bit (received a damaged item and had to get it replaced), but I thought up a (possibly) decent airflow diagram, and wanted to run it by you guys. How does this look?

It's a slightly more accurate diagram of the case, with the upper front fan moved to the top. Also, this takes the CPU cooler into consideration, and has two PCIe slots on the back (under the GPU) removed. The box at the bottom represents the PSU shroud (somewhat perforated, with a few openings all over).
Is this a workable solution?

 

[cryoburner]

You'll have to test it to know for sure, but it seems like a good way to keep the cpu supplied with somewhat cooler air.

Depending on how the front area is designed though, the one front fan may end up drawing warmed air from the case back into that front shroud area through the open hole where there's room for another fan to be mounted, since the fan will create lower pressure in there. It might potentially be worth blocking off that one unused fan hole to prevent warmed air from being recirculated like that.

 

[Flay_Gunnar]

You'll have to test it to know for sure, but it seems like a good way to keep the cpu supplied with somewhat cooler air.

Depending on how the front area is designed though, the one front fan may end up drawing warmed air from the case back into that front shroud area through the open hole where there's room for another fan to be mounted, since the fan will create lower pressure in there. It might potentially be worth blocking off that one unused fan hole to prevent warmed air from being recirculated like that.

So I put this into practice yesterday (moved the fans to the configuration shown in the diagram, blocked off the front fan slot and fixed the CPU cooler), and I'm seeing some major improvement in the CPU temperatures. While the idle temps were fluctuating between 42 and 55, the load temps (measuring after 15 minutes of FFXV) were surprisingly even, mostly around 64-68, with fairly rare spikes going up to 70 C. I believe that takes care of the CPU temperature, which is now really good. Thanks a bunch!
The only remaining issue now is the GPU temps, which are still staying around 78 C on load. I've removed the PCIe slots, but that doesn't seem to have changed much.
About half the air from that front fan seems to be going into the PSU shroud, so perhaps adding some deflectors may be a good idea. I'm thinking two deflectors, like so (marked in orange, updated image):

I'll be trying this later today, and I'll update here how that goes. Any suggestions?

 

[RodroX]

78c for a GPU at load is ok, could be a bit better, but is ok