Question Cinebench makes my CPU temp immediately jump to 100 C and gets a 1180 score on 12900k

[pharaohfluid]

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I just built my first PC and decided to do some benchmarking. When I tried running Cinebench on my 12900k, I got a shockingly low score of 1180. I looked it up and couldn't find anyone with the same issue, just people complaining about getting 20k on a 12900k lol. I checked Core Temp and it reported 95-100 C on all my cores when I started the Cinebench testing. As soon as I stopped it, the temperatures immediately dropped to 50 C within milliseconds. Pretty sure that defies the laws of thermodynamics lmao so i would assume its a software issue?

 

[uWebb429]

i would assume its a software issue

I would assume that it is a cooling issue. Intel CPU core temperatures really can go up and down instantaneously.

You need a high end AIO cooler to keep a 12900K cool during Cinebench. What are you using? Is it tight to the CPU?

What motherboard are you using? Run HWiNFO and have a look at the Vcore voltage while the CPU is loaded running Cinebench. Default voltage can add a lot of excess heat and make a 12900K difficult to keep cool.

When doing Cinebench comparisons make sure you are comparing the same version. R23 and 2024 are not comparable.

 

[pharaohfluid]

My cooler is the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE. Is it normal for the CPU temperatures to go to 95-100C during Cinebench?
My motherboard is the ASUS Prime Z790-V. It's a pretty obscure model, came with the Micro Center bundle I got.
Oh, so the Cinebench 2024 average for 12900k is 1582 apparently. That would make more sense, but even if that's the case it's still 50% slower. I'm away from my PC right now so I can't verify it.
I should also mention that I only plugged in an 8-pin connector for my CPU, because I have this really stupid daisy chain cable thats hard to bend and fit into the port.

 

[TerryLaze]

20000 is the normal-ish score for cinebench 23
Around 1000 would be normal-ish for cinebench 24
So make sure you compare your results to results from the same version of cinebench...

Intel Core i9 12900K @ HWBOT

31,366 submissions, 74.066/100 hw index

hwbot.org

 

[pharaohfluid]

1000 is 50% lower than the average 1500 though, so I wouldn't consider that "normal-ish" lol
I'd say normal-ish is like 1400 at least

 

[uWebb429]

Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120

That is an excellent air cooler but it is not enough cooling to keep a 12900K from thermal throttling during Cinebench.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se/2

You could try installing a Thermalright contact frame. That might help a little. If being able to run Cinebench 2024 at maximum speed with zero throttling, you will probably need to install a much more expensive AIO.

I would first try using a -50 mV offset undervolt. Less voltage equals less power consumption and less heat.

 

[mdd1963]

Given potential cooling limitations with air coolers, one *could* adjust max clock speeds, TDP limits (PL1, PL2, boost duration, etc.) and even core voltage within Intel's XTU....

I'd also check to see if MCE is enabled within BIOS, which will significantly affect generated heat if MCE is allowing BIOS to boost all cores higher than Intel's single core/max boost spec..(it will boost them as high as possible as long as not thermal throttling!)

 

[pharaohfluid]

So should I disable or enable MCE?
If Cinebench is throttling because its putting my CPU under abnormal stress, then I'm fine with that. As long as the performance when its doing everyday tasks is good I' m happy. I ran CPU-Z and UserBenchmark and they were like 40-50 percentile which I can settle with.

 

[TerryLaze]

at maximum speed with zero throttling,

(it will boost them as high as possible as long as not thermal throttling!)

New CPUs will always thermal throttle (both amd and intel) , that's how they are designed, and if you go crazy and way above and beyond on the cooling it will throttle on V or on W or on A, bottom line it is nonsense to still call it throttling, it's just the limit of what any one cooler can provide, and if that limit is above what amd/intel warrants for the CPU and gives you decent performance than that's all that matters.

Case in point the ag400 is a ~$20 + cooler and cools 247W and the 12900k is warranted up to 241W
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amazon-basics-cpu-cooler-review/2

 

[thestryker]

It would be worth checking the clockspeeds and power consumption during Cinebench. It seems like your system is throttling pretty seriously while running it. Peerless Assassin should be pretty close to if not capable of cooling the 12900K up to stock PL2 of 241W.

 

[pharaohfluid]

Does Cinebench overclock the CPU? If so, then I suspect it's just because I didn't plug in the extra 4-pin connector so there's not enough power going to the CPU.

 

[uWebb429]

Does Cinebench overclock the CPU?

No it does not.

Your CPU cores are reaching 100C. That triggers the CPU to slow down due to thermal throttling. You need better cooling to run Cinebench at full speed.

 

[thestryker]

... I suspect it's just because I didn't plug in the extra 4-pin connector so there's not enough power going to the CPU.

Your cooler cannot cool enough to run into the 300W EPS12V limit so even if you were running without power limits it's not due to the missing motherboard cable.

 

[TerryLaze]

No it does not.

Your CPU cores are reaching 100C. That triggers the CPU to slow down due to thermal throttling. You need better cooling to run Cinebench at full speed.

Well, it does use more power than games or your normal desktop work so in that sense it does make the same issues appear as overclocking would.
It can make the CPU hit limits when nothing else (normal conditions) would.

 

[pharaohfluid]

UPDATE

https://imgur.com/a/j60DAZg

View: https://imgur.com/a/j60DAZg


Yep. I ran my PC for a whole goddamn year before finally deciding to open it up