[SOLVED] CPU running at high temperatures while gaming - Intel Core i7-7700

[Knova3]

Hi there,

I recently upgraded my PC. I got several new parts including a new CPU (Intel Core i7 7700). I've notice that it runs higher than what I ever saw with my Intel Core I5 9400F. With some games such as AC Valhalla, it runs steady at about 90 - 95 degrees, sometimes getting up to 100 degrees celcius. It seems to idle between 35 - 40 degrees.
When playing a games like Anno 1800, it runs between 70 - 80 degrees.

I installed the CPU myself. my cooler is the stock cooler than came with my I5, and it is less than 2 years old. I've double checked that the cooler is on correctly, it has made contact and is not loose. I removed the old thermal paste and added my own of course. I applied it in 5 dots, with the larger one being in the middle.

I do not know why it is running so high. Would anyone be able to tell me?

 

[John Chesterfield]

There are a couple of things wrong here, but your main one is using that stock cooler. You need a cooler designed for the i7, not a stock one designed for a cooler running i5. Stock coolers should really only be used with the processor they were designed for. But the other thing is that the i7 isn't an upgrade, it's a sidegrade at best and possibly even a downgrade due to the i5 having better IPC than the i7.

Did someone advise you that the i7 was 'better'?

 

[Knova3]

There are a couple of things wrong here, but your main one is using that stock cooler. You need a cooler designed for the i7, not a stock one designed for a cooler running i5. Stock coolers should really only be used with the processor they were designed for. But the other thing is that the i7 isn't an upgrade, it's a sidegrade at best and possibly even a downgrade due to the i5 having better IPC than the i7.

Did someone advise you that the i7 was 'better'?

Ah I see. I'm not too knowledgeable on CPU's, clearly. I will order an i7 cooler to install.

Not really, I assumed that the i7 was better as it has more cores, a higher clock speed and it's newer, is this not necessarily true?

 

[erifino10]

Ah I see. I'm not too knowledgeable on CPU's, clearly. I will order an i7 cooler to install.

Not really, I assumed that the i7 was better as it has more cores, a higher clock speed and it's newer, is this not necessarily true?

well techincally, the i7 have more threads and have hyperthreading, BUT, is has two less physical cores, the i5 has 2 more physical cores which is 6, instead of 4 in the i7’s, unless you want to use the i7 for rendering apps like autocad, then itll be better, but if youre using it for gaming, i5 is better since it also has a higher memory bandwidth, and higher single core performance for games that is cpu bound and memory intensive like the microsoft flight sim 2020

 

[John Chesterfield]

Ah I see. I'm not too knowledgeable on CPU's, clearly. I will order an i7 cooler to install.

Not really, I assumed that the i7 was better as it has more cores, a higher clock speed and it's newer, is this not necessarily true?

The i7 doesn't have more cores as such, it has more threads. Actual cores are generally better, which the i5 has more of. It also has a better IPC (instructions per clock) than the i7, so I'd hazard a guess it'd be slightly faster in some if not most instances.

But if you're keeping the i7, there are plenty of good aftermarket coolers you could go for. Link them here and people will tell you if they're any good.

 

[Knova3]

@John Chesterfield @erifino10
Hmm, ok then, thanks for helping me understand that. I still have my old i5 in my desk, but I still want a better one than that, so I'll return the i7 if I can and get a better i5. What ones would you recommend? My old one is the Intel Core i5-9400F.

Mainly just want it to be able to run the more recent games like AC Valhalla, Watchdogs Legion, Cyberpunk etc at higher setting with no framerate drops (and of course without burning a whole in my motherboard haha)

 

[erifino10]

@John Chesterfield @erifino10
Hmm, ok then, thanks for helping me understand that. I still have my old i5 in my desk, but I still want a better one than that, so I'll return the i7 if I can and get a better i5. What ones would you recommend? My old one is the Intel Core i5-9400F.

Mainly just want it to be able to run the more recent games like AC Valhalla, Watchdogs Legion, Cyberpunk etc at higher setting with no framerate drops (and of course without burning a whole in my motherboard haha)

the bare minimum would be an i5 9600KF, but if you really want to go all out, an i7 9700F would be nice

 

[Knova3]

the bare minimum would be an i5 9600KF, but if you really want to go all out, an i7 9700F would be nice

Thank you both for your help with this. I will go get a new cooler for the i7.