Question Cause of CPU overheating

[bookmark_of_the_devil]

Hi all,

My CPU is overheating to the extent that Windows won't even boot anymore. In Setup it slowly ramps up to 89C and if I try to boot, my pc shuts down (an Intel CPU so I guess it's nearing 100C) so maybe the CPU cooler could be failing.
But I have here 2 images of one of the fan cables going to the cooler which looks damaged.
Here are 2 images (I hope they're not too big).
Looks like some sort of corrosion; I think the CPU and its cooler are still ok.
Would I be needing a new fan? I don't think changing the cable will be safe enough.
Thank you.

-bookmarkOTD

cable1
cable2

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Looks like your AiO leaked. I would say it's time to replace it.

What cooler is it and how long have you had it?

 

[bookmark_of_the_devil]

Looks like your AiO leaked. I would say it's time to replace it.

What cooler is it and how long have you had it?

I have a Corsair cooler but it doesn't show anything more.
My pc is 7 years old now.

The AiO is the big back fan, right?
Is it easy to replace when you're doing it for the first time?

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

I have a Corsair cooler but it doesn't show anything more.
My pc is 7 years old now.

The AiO is the big back fan, right?
Is it easy to replace when you're doing it for the first time?

The AiO is the liquid cooler, which includes the cooling block on top of the CPU, the tubing, and the radiator. There are fans connected to the radiator.

It's not that difficult. Just take note of where connectors are connected. Some AiOs have different connectors. It's not too difficult.

 

[bookmark_of_the_devil]

The AiO is the liquid cooler, which includes the cooling block on top of the CPU, the tubing, and the radiator. There are fans connected to the radiator.

It's not that difficult. Just take note of where connectors are connected. Some AiOs have different connectors. It's not too difficult.

So I'd have to order this one (or similar)?
Corsair

The info says it's a liquid cooler though, does that mean there's water running through the tubes?
I see I DON'T have to replace the fan itself then, good. *sigh*

And then I'd have to do the thermal paste with the CPU part, right?

[update]
I managed to find my pc specs (full):

• Motherboard: X99-A-II-ASUS-1801​
• Form Factor: ATX​
• CPU socket type: Socket 2011-3​
• Chipset: Intel X99​
• Intel Core i7-6800K, specs:​
• Release date: 2016​
• Microarchitecture: Broadwell​
• Core Name: Broadwell-E​
• Manufacturing Process: 0.014 micron​
• Socket Type: Socket 2011-3​
• The Number of Cores: 6​
• The Number of Threads: 12​
• Multiprocessing: Not supported​
• Frequency: 3.4 GHz​
• Maximum Turbo Frequency: 3.6 GHz​
• L1 Cache: 192 KB (code)​
• 192 KB (data)​
• L2 Cache: 1.5 MB​
• L3 Cache: 15 MB​
• Thermal Design Power: 140 Watt​

I hope I can still find a cooler for it, as you can see it came out in 2016 ...

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

If you want an AiO you will likely have to get the same size that you currently have depending on your case. However, if all you can fit is a 120mm radiator, then I would highly recommend a tower air cooler, which will perform better and cost a fraction of the price. It will also prevent future pump failures or radiator leaks.

These are my favorites from the makers and price points. Even the cheapest one on this list will cool just as good or better at full load than a 120mm AiO.

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($32.90 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Fuma 3 67.62 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 Black Edition Rev.C 67.62 CFM CPU Cooler ($52.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.98 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($109.95 @ Amazon)

Link to review of Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE outperforming Corsair H100i Elite 240mm AiO.
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se/2

 

[bookmark_of_the_devil]

If you want an AiO you will likely have to get the same size that you currently have depending on your case. However, if all you can fit is a 120mm radiator, then I would highly recommend a tower air cooler, which will perform better and cost a fraction of the price. It will also prevent future pump failures or radiator leaks.

These are my favorites from the makers and price points. Even the cheapest one on this list will cool just as good or better at full load than a 120mm AiO.

CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($32.90 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Fuma 3 67.62 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 5 Black Edition Rev.C 67.62 CFM CPU Cooler ($52.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool AK620 68.99 CFM CPU Cooler ($64.98 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 82.52 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.95 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($109.95 @ Amazon)

Link to review of Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE outperforming Corsair H100i Elite 240mm AiO.
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se/2

MrN1ce9uy,​

Thanks for all the time you obviously put into your reply.

The way I see it though there is no way I can fit in any cooler larger than 130mm even though the manual case states you could go as large as 180mm.
Here's the link to the manual:
Storm Stryker Manual
And here are some more images I took:
back_of_case
inside1
inside2
inside3
side_view

The tower air coolers you mention seem very "long" (compare with "side_view" image) to be able to fit plus all coolers are at least 154mm. The "inside3" image shows the 2 bottom holes of the biggest cooler I'd be able to put in there. If I were to go any further I'd have to somehow remove a block to the right of the cooler that contains 10 USB slots and my internet slot.
So I definitely need a 120mm-to130mm cooler to put in the case.

I think I'm getting some serious pc use withdrawal syndrome (no kidding), with each passing day the stress/frustration seems to increase and I'm already taking several pills for my "issues".
Tomorrow it'll be a week ...

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

MrN1ce9uy,​

Thanks for all the time you obviously put into your reply.

The way I see it though there is no way I can fit in any cooler larger than 130mm even though the manual case states you could go as large as 180mm.
Here's the link to the manual:
Storm Stryker Manual
And here are some more images I took:
back_of_case
inside1
inside2
inside3
side_view

The tower air coolers you mention seem very "long" (compare with "side_view" image) to be able to fit plus all coolers are at least 154mm. The "inside3" image shows the 2 bottom holes of the biggest cooler I'd be able to put in there. If I were to go any further I'd have to somehow remove a block to the right of the cooler that contains 10 USB slots and my internet slot.
So I definitely need a 120mm-to130mm cooler to put in the case.

I think I'm getting some serious pc use withdrawal syndrome (no kidding), with each passing day the stress/frustration seems to increase and I'm already taking several pills for my "issues".
Tomorrow it'll be a week ...

You will be removing that 120mm radiator and the fan on the front of the radiator (leaving the back fan for exhaust.) That will free up room to fit most or all of those coolers. The only issue you may run into is RAM clearance. I see your first RAM slot is empty, so that will help. There have been times where I had to simply move the front fan on the CPU cooler up on the cooling tower to fit over the top of the RAM. Other coolers, such as the Noctua NH-D15S are designed to leave room for RAM and the GPU by shifting the tower over (up) and leaving off the front fan. There may be some research you will have to do to ensure the cooler you pick fits with your GPU and RAM. It looks like you will have plenty of room on the top and rear.

 

[bookmark_of_the_devil]

You will be removing that 120mm radiator and the fan on the front of the radiator (leaving the back fan for exhaust.) That will free up room to fit most or all of those coolers. The only issue you may run into is RAM clearance. I see your first RAM slot is empty, so that will help. There have been times where I had to simply move the front fan on the CPU cooler up on the cooling tower to fit over the top of the RAM. Other coolers, such as the Noctua NH-D15S are designed to leave room for RAM and the GPU by shifting the tower over (up) and leaving off the front fan. There may be some research you will have to do to ensure the cooler you pick fits with your GPU and RAM. It looks like you will have plenty of room on the top and rI

Sorry but with time I'm getting less and less of the vocabulary, plus the fact that I'm a "inside-a-pc" n00b.
Should I remove the rear fan first, this being the entire "block" of the fan? Looking at it carefully it seems to consist of 3 parts with 2 screws on either side.
The case only allows for 130mm max since that's the space between the holes the fan is using now and the holes for a bigger fan.
I don't think the left RAM slots will be a problem: I have 4 on the left and 4 on the right with the 4 left's being unused. I've got 48Gb in total on the right (one of the right slots is broken).

So I think I should find myself a 120mm-130mm rear fan which protrudes less than 3cm more than the current fan. The total depth must be 120mm max so 120mm max in every dimension should be ok.

Is a tower air cooler a fan which does not have cables going into the CPU box (sorry but I call it "box" since I could at the time choose between a boxed or unboxed CPU)?
And also, what if I find such a fan/cooler: if it supports socket 2011 without the "-3", would it still work?
I think the best I could do is order a number of fans with the right specs, try them one by one, pick one among the ones that work and send the others back (I'll be buying from amazon.de since I live in Europe).

 

[Eximo]

Sorry but with time I'm getting less and less of the vocabulary, plus the fact that I'm a "inside-a-pc" n00b.
Should I remove the rear fan first, this being the entire "block" of the fan? Looking at it carefully it seems to consist of 3 parts with 2 screws on either side.
The case only allows for 130mm max since that's the space between the holes the fan is using now and the holes for a bigger fan.
I don't think the left RAM slots will be a problem: I have 4 on the left and 4 on the right with the 4 left's being unused. I've got 48Gb in total on the right (one of the right slots is broken).

So I think I should find myself a 120mm-130mm rear fan which protrudes less than 3cm more than the current fan. The total depth must be 120mm max so 120mm max in every dimension should be ok.

Is a tower air cooler a fan which does not have cables going into the CPU box (sorry but I call it "box" since I could at the time choose between a boxed or unboxed CPU)?
And also, what if I find such a fan/cooler: if it supports socket 2011 without the "-3", would it still work?
I think the best I could do is order a number of fans with the right specs, try them one by one, pick one among the ones that work and send the others back (I'll be buying from amazon.de since I live in Europe).

I think you are confusing multiple measurements and the cooler hardware concepts. A tower style CPU cooler does not have a fan directly connected to the rear of the chassis. You simply install a fan there. When you have an AIO like you have, the radiator and fan are attached to the back.

The radiator of a tower CPU cooler will be above the CPU entirely. No tubes/wires go to the chassis. Only the wires for the fan go to the mainboard.

Your chassis supports a maximum cooler height of 186mm. Which is more than pretty much all CPU coolers on the market. This is a height measurement.

CPU coolers are designed to fit sockets, and yours is LGA-2011

Something like these would work, with that last one maybe needing the second fan removed:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01MQCK1PJ?tag=pcp05-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00CWY5J7Q?tag=pcp05-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0CL9J6W5W?tag=pcp05-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

 

[bookmark_of_the_devil]

I think you are confusing multiple measurements and the cooler hardware concepts. A tower style CPU cooler does not have a fan directly connected to the rear of the chassis. You simply install a fan there. When you have an AIO like you have, the radiator and fan are attached to the back.

The radiator of a tower CPU cooler will be above the CPU entirely. No tubes/wires go to the chassis. Only the wires for the fan go to the mainboard.

Your chassis supports a maximum cooler height of 186mm. Which is more than pretty much all CPU coolers on the market. This is a height measurement.

CPU coolers are designed to fit sockets, and yours is LGA-2011

Something like these would work, with that last one maybe needing the second fan removed:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01MQCK1PJ?tag=pcp05-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00CWY5J7Q?tag=pcp05-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0CL9J6W5W?tag=pcp05-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

So you mean the TOP fan should be replaced and not the REAR one?
I measured the top one and it is in fact 180mm but the rear fan is attached to the CPU block with two ribbon cables and it's that one that has the brownish/rusty color on it, indicating (I think) some sort of damage.
rear fan attached to cpu block

Also, when I booted into Setup I was pretty sure I could hear the rear fan speed up like crazy after a couple of minutes, but I was focussing on that one and not on the top one. And the top fan doesn't show any damage signs.

So should I first replace the top one and see how that goes?
I just now tried to unscrew the rear fan but it's got a cable that goes out the back of the motherboard and they probably first attached it and then inserted the motherboard ... messy and pro stuff. I'll screw it back in then.

 

[Eximo]

So you mean the TOP fan should be replaced and not the REAR one?
I measured the top one and it is in fact 180mm but the rear fan is attached to the CPU block with two ribbon cables and it's that one that has the brownish/rusty color on it, indicating (I think) some sort of damage.
rear fan attached to cpu block

Also, when I booted into Setup I was pretty sure I could hear the rear fan speed up like crazy after a couple of minutes, but I was focussing on that one and not on the top one. And the top fan doesn't show any damage signs.

So should I first replace the top one and see how that goes?
I just now tried to unscrew the rear fan but it's got a cable that goes out the back of the motherboard and they probably first attached it and then inserted the motherboard ... messy and pro stuff. I'll screw it back in then.

The rear fan is part of your AIO and a new AIO would replace it if you were to buy one.

An air cooled CPU cooler won't replace that particular fan as it will come with fans to be mounted to itself. Not to the rear of the chassis.

You currently have something like this:

https://nzxt.com/assets/cms/34299/1...system.png?auto=format&fit=crop&h=1000&w=1000

The suggestion is to switch to something like this:

https://cdn.avadirect.com/blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ac-1.png

The fan and radiator you have there now, would go away. You could keep that fan though and continue using it if you want. Ideally you would get a new 120mm fan to go at the rear of the case.

 

[bookmark_of_the_devil]

The rear fan is part of your AIO and a new AIO would replace it if you were to buy one.

An air cooled CPU cooler won't replace that particular fan as it will come with fans to be mounted to itself. Not to the rear of the chassis.

You currently have something like this:

https://nzxt.com/assets/cms/34299/1...system.png?auto=format&fit=crop&h=1000&w=1000

The suggestion is to switch to something like this:

https://cdn.avadirect.com/blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ac-1.png

The fan and radiator you have there now, would go away. You could keep that fan though and continue using it if you want. Ideally you would get a new 120mm fan to go at the rear of the case.

Some remarks:
- what will happen to the 2 cables that go from the rear fan to the CPU as it is now, can I just detach them?
- the radiator, is that part of the rear fan or is it the "fan" up top? Like I said, inside-pc-hardware noob ...
(checking the internet they always mention "radiator fan", as if it's just one part so I can't know what's exactly what)
- if I'd leave the rear fan/radiator/both as-is, I MAY have only 120mm space left and it'd be all very close indeed
- in your first post you mention a top 180mm fan replacement, but now you're ignoring this part and suggest I add in this new one. And (sorry) but if you just say radiator I take it you mean part of the rear fan.

So to summarize, I could:
- take out nothing and put in the style of fan in your last post
- replace the rear fan with a new one but not attach it to the CPU block any more and put in the style of fan in your last post
If I choose no2 I wouldn't know compatibility or how to connect it, unless it's clearly stated in a manual somewhere.

Sorry if I answer somewhat late sometimes, the stress plays havoc with my back ... 😵

 

[Eximo]

Some remarks:
- what will happen to the 2 cables that go from the rear fan to the CPU as it is now, can I just detach them?
- the radiator, is that part of the rear fan or is it the "fan" up top? Like I said, inside-pc-hardware noob ...
(checking the internet they always mention "radiator fan", as if it's just one part so I can't know what's exactly what)
- if I'd leave the rear fan/radiator/both as-is, I MAY have only 120mm space left and it'd be all very close indeed
- in your first post you mention a top 180mm fan replacement, but now you're ignoring this part and suggest I add in this new one. And (sorry) but if you just say radiator I take it you mean part of the rear fan.

So to summarize, I could:
- take out nothing and put in the style of fan in your last post
- replace the rear fan with a new one but not attach it to the CPU block any more and put in the style of fan in your last post
If I choose no2 I wouldn't know compatibility or how to connect it, unless it's clearly stated in a manual somewhere.

Sorry if I answer somewhat late sometimes, the stress plays havoc with my back ... 😵

I don't know where you got the reference to a 180mm fan. I have not mentioned doing anything but replacing your CPU cooler and physical limitations you have there. 186mm is the maximum height CPU cooler your system can accept, it has nothing to do with any other fans in your system.

AIO consists of the CPU pump/block, coolant tubes, Radiator, and Fan. The fan is basically an independent component that can be replaced, removed, kept, whatever. If you don't want to buy an additional fan, you can use that same fan without the radiator in place.

The images I linked should be quite illustrative. Though looks like one of them didn't appreciate being linked to.

Typical 120mm AIO. Radiator and fan attached to the rear exhaust.
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https://i.redd.it/6orj2h8v2sh71.jpg

Typical air cooler, with a rear exhaust case fan. The different colored fans really illustrate which components are separate.
https://cdn.avadirect.com/blog/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ac-1.png

You can keep the fan you have now, but you will need to remove the radiator and CPU pump/block. Then a new cooler would be installed onto the CPU. This will come with its own fan.

There are labeled 4-pin fan headers on the motherboard. Three pin fans can also be plugged into these.

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA2011/X99-A_II/G11090_X99-A_II_UM_WEB.pdf?model=X99-A II

Pages 1-2, and 1-3

That would be CPU_FAN, CPU_OPT, and if you choose a new 120mm AIO you would plug the pump into W_PUMP. The rear exhaust fan can also be connected to H_AMP_FAN

CPU coolers come with instructions as well. You shouldn't have any trouble following them. Many CPU cooler manufacturers also have full video guides.