[SOLVED] CPU overheating on old games ?

[Zihabou]

I just brought a new pc and my cpu is going crazy as soon as I rise up the fps cap. It worked well for about 2 weeks then I noticed once that the fans went on a fast and furious once. The cpu temp was showing 100 degree. Nothing did shut down or anything but the sound of the fan was not a normal sound. I capped the fps and it went much better, never going above 65-70 while gaming.

Though today, I tried to rise the limit a bit because I play on a 165hz monitor and I found it stupid to limit it to 60 fps. I rised up to 165 and the problem happened again, showing 100 degree and the fans fighting like never. otherwise it is a rock stable 35-40 on idle, 40-50 while browsing, and 60-75 while gaming, so I don't think that there is an hardware problem. I just think the gpu is throwing his guts to run games that don't need it.

Any advice ?

Model : 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-11900KF @ 3.50GHz
Logical cores : 16

Display device : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 on GA102-A GPU
Display driver : 496.49
BIOS : 94.02.42.00.2c

 

[rgd1101]

and what are these old game?
what cpu cooler do you have?
full system spec? include brand and model of the psu

did you load test the cpu? might just be your cooler

 

[NightHawkRMX]

If this is a prebuilt, what model?

What CPU cooler does it use?

The 11900KF is going to require a very good cooling solution and a case with good airflow in order to remain cool.

 

[Zihabou]

and what are these old game?
what cpu cooler do you have?
full system spec? include brand and model of the psu

did you load test the cpu? might just be your cooler

Well ut's For Honor and World of Warcraft which are quite demanding and online but eh, it's designed to run rdr2 on ultra...

I don't know all the specs but it's the MSI infinite x11th if it helps. I maybsend more apec when I come back from work.

 

[Zihabou]

If this is a prebuilt, what model?

What CPU cooler does it use?

The 11900KF is going to require a very good cooling solution and a case with good airflow in order to remain cool.

Yes MSI prebuilt, Idk the cooler brand how can I know ?

It's a brand new pc so it's strange that the cooler is already tired no ?

All I know is the model : msi infinite x11

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

Ouch. An MSI prebuild? Just be thankful it actually runs games at all.

You will neee to replace the CPU cooler and case to get acceptable temps at high FPS. That will not be easy in an MSI prebuild…

 

[Zihabou]

Ouch. An MSI prebuild? Just be thankful it actually runs games at all.

You will neee to replace the CPU cooler and case to get acceptable temps at high FPS. That will not be easy in an MSI prebuild…

Why so ? And so it is "normal" ? I mean, I was concerned there was a problem with the hardware but if it is just a cooling problem, well it can wait a bit. What is the downside of caping fps ? Sonfar everything run quite smooth when cap is on

 

[mdd1963]

Via Intel's XTU, you might try lowering peak clock speeds by 100-200 MHz, and possibly apply a slightly lower core voltage offset.

(There will be an unnoticeable FPS decrease dropping peak clock speeds from 4.9-5.0 GHz to 100-200 MHz, but, you can test the impact yourself to see if it is an acceptable amount, and might allow you to live with existing marginal cooling. Not sure what cooling solution they are using, but, if a smallish case, many manufacturers like to 'sound great' by using liquid cooling, but, a little AIO with but a 120 MM radiator (even a 240mm will be marginal under heavy load) will suck on an 11900K, for example....

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Looks to have a 120mm liquid cooler, and a case with next to no airflow. A 120mm aio is nowhere near enough cooling for an 11900k, even with a case with good airflow.

You could upgrade the cooler and case, or you could underclock your CPU and undervolt it to help it run cooler.

Poor design choices by MSI, but about par for the course with prebuilts.

 

[Phaaze88]

The airflow is a point of concern, but the real problem is the Coreliquid R AIO used in the Infinite X. There was another user I assisted with this not too long ago.
https://www.msi.com/Desktop/MEG-Infinite-X-11th/Gallery
Checking the gallery, we're presented with a picture of the rear, and there's a black cube in the radiator - a crappy Pump-In-Radiator model.
They are very limited in use.
-120mm does not last with this design, and should be skipped entirely. The Kraken M22 also suffers from high rates of failure.
-360mm doesn't last due to its size.
-240/280 will meet the same fate if they can't be mounted at the front with the radiator inlet+outlet at the bottom.


You have to replace that cooler - it's not going to get any better.
Either another 120mm AIO - not another Coreliquid R or PIR model - or you use an air cooler. The latter option will require you to take the cooler out to take a height(mm) measurement off the cpu, since Msi does not provide air cooler clearance normally... or someone knows what the clearance is already?

Well another option is to return the whole PC...

 

[NightHawkRMX]

I'm in favor of returning it. It will take ~$75-100 for a good 280mm aio cooler and then another ~$50-75 for a case I'd needed.

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

He could return it, but then what? It's not like good PCs with GPUs are just available everywhere right now. That said, at least with a prebuilt PC from a smaller OEM that uses off-the-shelf cases and doesn't make them out of plastic and put their logo all over, you would stand a chance of getting a case with good airflow up front and a cooler strong enough to cool your CPU at full load.

OP, I don't blame you for expecting a brand new PC from a well-known brand to just "work" and "play games at high FPS" right out of the box, but sadly that is not how things work in the PC gaming industry. Because PCs are so ridiculously expensive, system builders cut corners to keep costs down. MSI are no exception, and in fact they have proven themselves totally untrustworthy here in my view by giving you a plastic-fascia PC case with a 120mm AIO from a dubious brand to cool an enormously powerful CPU. This does not make me think of them as a good quality company...

The case they used is not good enough, and the cooler they used is not good enough. Everything else seems fine. There's nothing "wrong" with the PC so you can't exactly return it as faulty, it's still working, just not at high FPS. You could lock it to 60FPS and have a great time. But that's not why you bought a 165Hz monitor and not why you spent over $1500 on a gaming machine, just to be capped to 60FPS like every other joe schmo. You could underclock the CPU but again, why should you have to sacrifice performance because MSI didn't do their job and supply a case and cooler actually good enough to cool the CPU they sold you?

So yeah. If you bought it online I think you have 2 weeks to change your mind and return it. I would buy a different brand. Go for a smaller OEM, not MSI. Skytech come highly recommended in the US. Not sure where you live but there are smaller OEMs all over. You will probably even save money over the MSI.

 

[Zihabou]

Thanks for all the insightfull answers... I can't get it back since I have it for a month now, too late. Guess I will have to deal with it and hope that msi will provide some kind of support if it goes wrost

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

Thanks for all the insightfull answers... I can't get it back since I have it for a month now, too late. Guess I will have to deal with it and hope that msi will provide some kind of support if it goes wrost

Manufacturer support is bad at the best of times, but with MSI you are truly on your own when it comes to any problems.

No matter, PCs are designed to be user serviceable and maintainable. Anything that breaks in it can be replaced. Plus you have websites like this one where people will help you out.

you need to buy a new case with better airflow and a new CPU cooler. Together these will come to around $150-$200. It’s a big expense and you shouldn’t have to pay it on top of what you already spent on the PC, but it’s the only way you’re going to get good performance in games. With that case and that cooler you will be forever dropping FPS at high refresh rates due to overheating.

Alternatively, the free option is that you could keep the hardware you have, set the refresh rate to 60Hz and use VSync in all games, which would ensure you get a rock solid 60FPS at all times and limit the load on the CPU so it never overheats.

Up to you really.

 

[Zihabou]

Hello there,

I made another thread this morning because the situation has kind of evolved yesterday, but I'll resume here because I'd like your advice on this weird events.

So Yesterday I was playing that game that made my cpu go to 70-90C with 100C short spikes without the fps cap, unless that yesterday, it was going to those temperatures despite the fps cap. I was like "alright, it's over then, let's see how it goes". After a few minutes, The 100C has been reached and the vents went crazy, I decided to close and let it cool.

When I tried to close, my pc freezed and got my my first BSOD. It was stuck on 100% info collection so I had to hard shut down the pc since it was still running the vents wild and I didn't wanted to let my cpu burn in case it was still under load.

WHen turned back on, everything was kind of fiune. I didn't launch that specific game again though. In the evening when brosing on youtube, I heard a big "POP" sound, and then, nothing. It is more than likely a capacitor that blowed up, but the strange part is that now, everything run just fine.

32-40 degree on idle
40-50 on videos
50-65 ROCK STEADY on this game that was causing the most overheating
I did not go up 70 degree since yesterday after the POP. DIdn't tried to uncap fps yet though.

Uuh, is that possible that a faulty capacitor was making the cpu overheating for nothing, and that now it has blown, the power supply of the cpu are back to normal ?

Should I be concerned of that sound and of an eventual blowed up capacitor ? I smell no odor, there is no weird sound, overall the pc seem... fixed ?

 

[TommyTwoTone66]

Um… seems crazy. Could be that your AIO cooler had an air bubble or something stuck in it, the pop was it resolving itself, and now it’s running ok?

if it was a capacitor or some component on the motherboard popping you would likely not be able to turn the PC on, so I don’t think it was that.

either way just enjoy it while you can.

 

[Zihabou]

Um… seems crazy. Could be that your AIO cooler had an air bubble or something stuck in it, the pop was it resolving itself, and now it’s running ok?

if it was a capacitor or some component on the motherboard popping you would likely not be able to turn the PC on, so I don’t think it was that.

either way just enjoy it while you can.

Definitely strange. I really don't get what happened. You right, isue with the motherboard would have caused visible problems. At least as shut down. I'll keep an eye on the other answers and keep getting feedback if anything change, but somehow right now, it seems much better. I'll keep in mind that my cooling solution may not be on touch with the processor I am using though. But Christmas approach and it's not really the time to get into expensive upgrades for a pc that cost me a lot already.

Very, Very weird