CPU overheating and high usage starts randomly

[agileyetiii]

About a week ago I was running a game on my PC and it was going fine no problems. I leave and come back an hour later turn my PC on and go to start up the same game. I see that I have dropped from the 200 fps I normally get to barely getting 30 fps. I open up task manager and my CPU is at 80% (normally 20-30) and the only things I have running are Discord, the game, and Spotify. I close Discord and Spotify but there is no change. I then think it may just be the game so I test a few others and I have the same result. So more time goes on and all of a sudden my PC shuts off and says I have a CPU temp error. Since then I overheat with about a 10% load and if I run a game for more than 15 mins the PC will shut off. I've never had any issues with the PC. I've done a defrag, updated drivers, updated Windows, cleaned my cooler (Asetek 550lc), reapplied thermal grease, added another case fan, and cleaned the rest of the PC. I have no idea where to go from here.

My specs:
ASUS Z170-Pro Gaming
Intel I5-6600K
NVIDIA GTX 960
ADATA XPG Z1 4X4GB DDR4-2400 MHZ
Asetek 550LC

 

[CompuTronix]

agileyetiii,

On behalf of Tom's Moderator Team, welcome aboard!

The problem you've described is, unfortunately, all too common.

If you check your Core temperatures, you'll see that your i5 6600K is reaching "Throttle" temperature, which is 100°C. The reason for the high temperatures is because the pump in your Asetek 550LC has failed.

The unit needs to be replaced, so check your warranty. If the unit is still in warranty, then you can have it replaced through an RMA request. If it's no longer in warranty, then you'll need to purchase a replacement cooler.

Since the 6600K doesn't include a stock cooler, hopefully you or a friend have an air cooler available so your rig won't be down during the RMA process, or while waiting for a new replacement to arrive.

Sorry I don't have better news for you, but we see many of these pump failure problems on our Forums every day.

Nevertheless, welcome aboard!

CT

 

[PdxPetmonster]

As stated above, chances are your cooler has failed. Does it come with any monitoring software? Also, you can also try and plug the pump power connector into a molex adapter, if you have one. That could rule out whether the motherboard header failed or not. I had that same issue myself, thought it was the pump, ordered a new AIO, installed it, temps were still terrible. I then tried a molex adapter for the pump power and boom, was working, it was the header on the motherboard that died.