CPU temperature fluctuates

[OplitaSpartano]

i have a 7700k and arctic freezer 240mm
when my pc is in idle cpu temp fluctuates from 33°C to 55°C
is it normal?

 

[SchizTech]

If the CPU is really idle it's temp should stay low. 55C is closer to the temp you should expect at full load with a good cooler.

Are you sure there are no background tasks loading the CPU (by checking the Performance tab in the task manager)?

 

[OplitaSpartano]

If the CPU is really idle it's temp should stay low. 55C is closer to the temp you should expect at full load with a good cooler.

Are you sure there are no background tasks loading the CPU (by checking the Performance tab in the task manager)?

My question is about temp fluctuation
According to you why does cpu temp fluctuate for 20 C?

 

[SchizTech]

No, at idle it shouldn't change that much, hence my concerns above. A difference that large ordinarily indicates the chip is at load, as opposed to idle.

 

[OplitaSpartano]

No, at idle it shouldn't change that much, hence my concerns above. A difference that large ordinarily indicates the chip is at load, as opposed to idle.

When i used cpuid hwmonitor my pc was running google chrome, some downloads and some software installations
According to you if my pc was at load is that fluctuation normal?

 

[SchizTech]

IT sounds a bit on the wide side for a relatively light use case like that described. How long a period was this observed over?

 

[OplitaSpartano]

2 hours

 

[SchizTech]

That sounds more reasonable.

If you want to get a good read on the cooler though, first let it sit idle for a few minutes (preferably restart and let it sit a few minutes and watch temps) then do a load test. There are 'burn-in' tests like Prime95 or Intel burn test that put a high load on the CPU as a stress testing mechanism. That sort of test will basically keep the CPU at 100% load for as long as it takes to complete the tests. The first test gives you the floor (you want to see it steady around a low temp) and the stress test will let you see how hot the CPU will get.

 

[OplitaSpartano]

Thanks