Question i7 10700k CPU Temp Spikes

[ATLak]

I recently bought a PowerSpec G436 from Micro Center with an i7 10700k CPU and have a question about temperatures. When running DCS (flight sim), which a fairly resource intensive game, I'm getting temperature spikes into the 90s that come down after fan speed picks up. This generally happens when I start gameplay and sometimes intermittently throughout a session. I haven't noticed this with other applications/games.

Here's a screenshot from NZXT CAM that shows the temp spikes. Is this normal? Should I be concerned about these temp spikes?

 

[jay32267]

First I would do a quick check on the cooler just to make sure it was snug.

If it is snug...then I'd go into the BIOS and experiment with raising the fan curve.

I recently had to do something similar on a new build.

Also...how are your case temps? If you run with the case open....do the temps drop significantly?

 

[rickypicky5]

Those temperatures, both idle and load, are too high for a Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L on a i7-10700K. It likely wasn't installed properly. Like Jay said, make sure it's snug, and maybe even re-do the heatsink part of the installation by removing it from the CPU, clean the CPU&Heatsink, reapply thermal paste to the CPU, and reseat/tighten down the heatsink.

 

[ATLak]

I just checked and the cooler is quite snug - it didn't have any give. I did raise my fan curves after I noticed the temperature spikes and it looks that did help somewhat, but the spikes are still happening.

My idle temperature is ~34-35 - is that too high? One other thing I want to mention - this is only happening with DCS . If I run other games and in other situations under high load, CPU temp generally stays in the ~60s.

Given that the spikes are only happening with DCS, do you still think its an installation issue with the cooler? Thanks for the help.

 

[rickypicky5]

I guess idle temps in the mid 30's isn't that bad and gaming temps in the 60's not bad either. Limited research indicates DCS should not be that CPU intensive, so I'm quite surprised you're seeing temps in the 90s.

 

[ATLak]

One quick update: I just ran a Cinebench benchmark and my CPU temp immediately spiked to 97 and stayed there the entire time it was running.

Think you're right that there's something wrong with the cooler potentially. Is there a possibility there's something wrong with CPU itself or is that unlikely?

 

[rickypicky5]

One quick update: I just ran a Cinebench benchmark and my CPU temp immediately spiked to 97 and stayed there the entire time it was running.

Think you're right that there's something wrong with the cooler potentially. Is there a possibility there's something wrong with CPU itself or is that unlikely?

I doubt if it's the CPU. Make sure all the case fans are spinning - the ones in the front should be pulling in air from outside the case and the one in the back be pushing air out of the case. The ones attached to the radiator should be pushing air through the radiator and out of the top of the case. If they're doing what they're supposed to be doing, then I'd either re-do the heatsink part, as stated above, or take it into Microcenter and explain what is happening.

 

[Zerk2012]

Make sure your pump is at 100% all the time.