Question ASUS Sabertooth 990fx 2.0 with AMD FX 9590 overheating

Dec 11, 2019
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Hello, looking for some help. My set up is continuously overheating and I can't figure out why. Here is my setup:

Corsair 400D full tower case
ASUS Sabertooth 990fx 2.0 Motherboard
AMD FX 9590 5.0Ghz processor
2x 8 GB Corsair vengeance DDR3 RAM
EVGA GEFORCE GTX1080 graphics card
Thermaltake Water 3.0 AIO water cooler 360mm in a push pull configuration (6 fans)
I have a fan in the back (140mm), 2 in the front (140mm) and 3 more on the bottom (120mm)
I leave the glass off the side of the case

I am at a loss. Everything I am reading from other posts say their 120mm coolers are too small or not seated properly, not enough air flow, poor wiring management, etc. My configuration should be more than enough and I am still overheating. I stream TV on one monitor and game on the other, or at least I try to. I have moved the case from under the desk to the top of the desk, which helped but takes up a lot of room. When I put it back on the floor to the side of the desk tonight, it immediately started overheating again. Now, everytime I open my games, it locks up. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
It is overheating because that board, and really, any board up to an including the Crossfire, are simply NOT capable of supporting that stupid high TDP, high leakage chip. There is really NO board and NO cooling configuration that works well with that CPU which is exactly why it was crappy even when new, and short lived. Those in the know, have known since early on that it was a CPU to be avoided and mostly these are CPUs we don't hear much about since the last four years except through those unfortunate enough to have ended up with one.

It is further unfortunate for you that the problem is primarily NOT strictly CPU core cooling where the problems are at. It is with a lack of suitable VRM configurations, VRM overheating and VRM throttling, in most cases. Even the best boards such as the Crossfire Formula, 990FXA-UD7, Extreme 9 or Sabertooth 990fx r2.0 are simply and plainly not good enough. Nothing is good enough for trouble free operation with those CPUs AND in most cases where there has been any level of success in using these 9590 CPUs there has been a need for users to downclock and undervolt them in order to get VRM operation under control.

To be clear, there is practically nothing, short of reconfiguring this to the 9370 specifications, that is likely to give you any remedial relief. They are simply problematic, slipshod products.
 
As darkbreeze said, the 9590 has issues with pretty much any board or cooling solution anymore.

This is especially since vrms and silicon degrade over time. Really the 9590 shouldn't have existed, but i digress.

You can see vrm and CPU temp using a combo of AMD overdrive and hw info, but hssuming no hardware fault, whether it is CPU or VRM throttling the solution is the same.

Underclock and undervolt the CPU to 9370 or even lower specifications.
 
Dec 11, 2019
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Thank you very much for the quick answers. Sounds like the board is good but the CPU is crap. Unfortunately I bought it when they first came out and this was my first build, so mistakes were made. How do I underclock and undervolt to 9370 specifications? I will try and google it but figured if someone knew right off that would help. If I were to replace the processor, any suggestions for that board?
 

DSzymborski

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Thank you very much for the quick answers. Sounds like the board is good but the CPU is crap. Unfortunately I bought it when they first came out and this was my first build, so mistakes were made. How do I underclock and undervolt to 9370 specifications? I will try and google it but figured if someone knew right off that would help. If I were to replace the processor, any suggestions for that board?

In your defense, while the 9590 is my most hated CPU of all-time, you did at least buy appropriate parts for trying to use one. You should see some of the cheapo AM3+ motherboards people try to run that on and then they get mad at us when we tell them their $40 motherboard and their $29 cheapo power supply designed in 1997 aren't appropriate for the CPU.
 
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Exactly right. But even with the best hardware, it's impossible. We even have a VERY capable moderator, who did everything humanly possible in terms of good board and cooling, and could never get it to manage properly at the stock configuration. Finally I think he just ditched it too because it was untenable.
 
Dec 11, 2019
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yes, it is quickly becoming my most hated CPU. I cannot even download the programs from the noob guide without it overheating tonight. I even keep the room my computer is in at 66 degrees... thinking of trying a 9370 or 8350. they aren't bad in price on Newegg, as long as you don't mind waiting on it to get here from China.
 

DSzymborski

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yes, it is quickly becoming my most hated CPU. I cannot even download the programs from the noob guide without it overheating tonight. I even keep the room my computer is in at 66 degrees... thinking of trying a 9370 or 8350. they aren't bad in price on Newegg, as long as you don't mind waiting on it to get here from China.

Honestly, the 9370s are a pain too. I'd just stuff in the 8350 and call it a day and avoid the headaches. It's not like you're getting a massive benefit for the aggravation. You can use stuff like the cooler, the GPU, and presumably, the quality power supply just fine whenever you do a more significant platform upgrade. I'd honestly be tempted to do it anyway; Ryzen's prices are extremely reasonable.
 

Karadjgne

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With an AIO, I'd not leave the side off the case, it basically negates any need for case fans, has 0 airflow properties. The aio itself will be what cools the cpu, regardless of whatever else is going on in the case. The only fan missing is one that's aimed directly at the VRM's and other heatsinking surrounding the socket.

That 360mm AIO shouldn't be having any issues keeping even that particular cpu under decent(ish) temps. It's a 350w cooler on a 220w cpu.

I'd definitely be looking into VRM cooling, that's an old board and the thermal padding used under the VRM's heatsinks might be degraded from age/usage/heat and adding to issues.

What thermal margin is Overdrive reading?
 
I know this is not a true fix as Everyone has said but this may be some relief.
Seeing how there isnt much air blowing across the Vrm's from water coolers you could try what I came up with for a gigabyte 970 sli when I had a fx8350 on it.

View: https://m.imgur.com/a/shKzLVH


1 trip to a hardware store for a corner bracket, longer bolt, washer, nut, and a cpu fan I was not using.
I used a hacksaw to cut down the corner bracket so it wouldn't block any air flow to the exhaust fan, drilled a new hole then Attached the cpu fan to the bracket.
Removed the bottom lower inside fan screw and with the longer bolt went through the fan and case then nutted on the back of case.
Good Luck and Happy Holidays Everyone
 
A home brewed VRM cooler will help, some.

VERY good case cooling, with maximum intake and exhaust fans, in all locations not taken up by the AIO cooler, will help, some.

Nothing will help, completely.

What you want to actually do, and nothing is required to be downloaded in order to do it, is to go into the BIOS and reduce the CPU multiplier from 4.7 to 4.5Ghz and reduce the maximum possible turbo boost clock speed from 5.0Ghz to also 4.5Ghz. That CPU can easily handle 4.5Ghz, and it should be much better at that speed than a stock FX-8350. Be sure to LEAVE AMD Cool N Quiet enabled in the BIOS. Also, in the advanced power settings configuration section of control panel, make sure that the minimum processor power state is set to 8% and the maximum set to 100%. I would use the Performance setting, and then change that minimum processor power state option to 8%. Don't forget to save that setting as well before you exit the power management applet.

That means that in the BIOS, you will want to set the base clock to 45 and set the maximum turbo boost to 45, but leave the low power C states enabled and leave or set Cool N Quiet to enabled in addition to making the changes in the windows control panel power options that I mentioned. That should help tremendously even without any other changes to the cooling configuration other than putting the side panel back on so that you can get incur a draft over those motherboard VRMs. Rigging up a home brewed VRM cooling fan as can be found through a quick search is not a bad idea either and will help if you decide later you want to try something a bit higher, but honestly I'd stick to about 4.5Ghz across the board with that CPU.
 

bryanc723

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yes, it is quickly becoming my most hated CPU. I cannot even download the programs from the noob guide without it overheating tonight. I even keep the room my computer is in at 66 degrees... thinking of trying a 9370 or 8350. they aren't bad in price on Newegg, as long as you don't mind waiting on it to get here from China.
Look on craigslist or Ebay. I bought a used 8350 from CL for $45. Works perfectly. I see several on ebay for around $50-$80 regularly as well.
 
In fact, an FX-9590 which has been underclocked is BETTER than an FX-8350, because it has to be a much higher binned piece of silicon to have been selected to BE an FX-9590 to begin with. So at the lower specifications, it should be, for what it is anyhow, very stable and at least somewhat more efficient, potentially even running on a lower voltage than an actual FX-8350, which could be beneficial.

Given the fact that it is a 9590 and that the OP has a very good board, I'd be dead set on running with a 4.5Ghz OC. No boost, just multiplier at 45, Cool N Quiet enabled, Windows power profile set to Performance with a minimum Processor power management setting of 8% in the advanced power settings for that power plan. I think that is the best expectation for that configuration.
 
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Karadjgne

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All of the 125w FX are the same architecture, same basic cpu. The only difference being internal voltages/power. A 6350 is nothing more than an 8320 with 1 node disabled, a 8320/8350/8370 are identical other than clock speed settings and cpu signiture, the 9 series are the same but select binned/cherry picked and given higher voltage settings to match the high clock speeds.

Drop the speeds and voltages on a 9590 gets you nothing but the best binned 8350 there is, OC an 8350 to 4.5GHz will get you the exact same thing as underclocking a 9590 to 4.5GHz.

No point re-buying what you already own.