Question i7-10700KF reaches 100°C when gaming ?

[rems1989]

Hi everyone
I'm experiencing very high CPU temperatures with my Intel i7-10700KF.

During idle it stays around 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, and in light games like Balatro or while browsing, it goes up to around 60 to 65. In heavier games like Returnal, it can reach as high as 100.

The pump seems to be running properly at full speed. One tube is warm, which suggests the liquid is circulating.

I've already reapplied thermal paste, cleaned the PC, adjusted the fan curves in BIOS, updated all drivers, and even reinstalled Windows 11 recently.

PC Specs
Mobo: MSI Z490 Gaming Plus
CPU: Intel i7-10700KF
GPU: RTX 3070
RAM: 16GB DDR4 at 3000MHz
Cooler: Corsair H60 Liquid
PSU: 750w

I'm out of ideas and wondering if anyone has suggestions or has seen similar behavior?
Thanks in advance.

 

[punkncat]

IMO, you need a bigger AIO.

Pull off the case side cover. Point a house fan if you have one, or not, and see if temps are better. If they are then you have a case flow problem. If they aren't it is likely the AIO.

 

[rems1989]

IMO, you need a bigger AIO.

Pull off the case side cover. Point a house fan if you have one, or not, and see if temps are better. If they are then you have a case flow problem. If they aren't it is likely the AIO.

Thanks a lot for your answer
Just an important correction, it's not an H60 but a H100x
The case side panel is already removed.

I’ll try to see if I can find a house fan to test with and check if temps improve.

 

[punkncat]

Make sure that the pump and lines aren't set up in a way that the pump could have an air bubble in it. It would go to follow that if the AIO is the same age as the 10th gen it likely could be going bad. It is not unusual to see AIO begin to fail ~5+ years. I tend to agree with your own troubleshooting method about feeling a hose, Can you feel that same level of heat on that hose side of the rad?

Do you happen to have an air cooler laying around of a suitable size to test with?

 

[rems1989]

the pumps have the same temperature all along except for the lukewarm one which is warm
towards the radiator.

Unfortunately, I don't have an air cooler available to test with. :/

Do you think I have to buy a new AIO ? if yes the same should be ok or an other one ?

I send you the pics of the computer to show you the setup :

https://imgur.com/a/AiR7mxz

View: https://imgur.com/a/AiR7mxz

 

[Phaaze88]

Image 3: bottom and back
That AIO isn't supposed to be oriented that way - not unless the cpu block has a window to allow you to see inside it.
There's likely air collecting in the pump, and that's no good.

 

[rems1989]

the computer was hanging on a wall in the previous owner's home, and I think the computer was the other way round (down was up and up was down). Do you think I should put it on the floor in the opposite position? if you think i need to move some parts can you tell me how to do it because i'm a noob ^^

here is a pic of all the setup :

https://imgur.com/a/L9ouIQA

View: https://imgur.com/a/L9ouIQA#fMEfumo

View: https://imgur.com/a/L9ouIQA#fMEfumo

 

[Phaaze88]

Do you think I should put it on the floor in the opposite position?

Yes. Please flip the case.

 

[beyondlogic]

the computer was hanging on a wall in the previous owner's home, and I think the computer was the other way round (down was up and up was down). Do you think I should put it on the floor in the opposite position? if you think i need to move some parts can you tell me how to do it because i'm a noob ^^

here is a pic of all the setup :

https://imgur.com/a/L9ouIQA

View: https://imgur.com/a/L9ouIQA#fMEfumo

View: https://imgur.com/a/L9ouIQA#fMEfumo

pump is struggling in the position you have it in flip the case the other way will make the pump have a easier time moving the fluid

 

[rems1989]

I tried to upside down the computer and now the computer is like that (there is a glass on the top fyi) :

https://imgur.com/a/DqbLhIS

View: https://imgur.com/a/DqbLhIS


I launched the game returnal again and i have these Hwmonitor & Hwinfo64 show me that it's 100°C again (sorry it's in french) :

https://imgur.com/a/4i1clsg

View: https://imgur.com/a/4i1clsg
. When i'm just on the web browser i have 55-70 °C

Also I've just realized that a screw is missing from the watercolling casing. I bought the "4studs115x 1200 1366" here but i'll receive it in 14 days

 

[Phaaze88]

Also I've just realized that a screw is missing from the watercolling casing. I bought the "4studs115x 1200 1366" here but i'll receive it in 14 days

You mean from the mounting bracket? Well that's definitely not helping - the glass panel doesn't either, but it's not a serious as the former. Gonna have to wait for you to get those screws in.

 

[JayGau]

According to the H100i manual, you should have a ubs2 connector to connect the cooler to the motherboard and use iCUE to monitor it and control the fans and the pump. iCUE should also give you the liquid temperature. If the liquid is too hot, you have either a problem with the pump or the radiator/fans. If it's too cold, it's because the cooler block is not well installed on the CPU so the heat is not well transferred to the liquid (which is very likely if a screw is missing from the mounting brackets).

 

[rems1989]

i'll check later for the usb.
but know it's getting worst during the game balatro (low cpu usage normally) :

https://imgur.com/a/D2yigGX

View: https://imgur.com/a/D2yigGX

 

[rems1989]

I discussed on an other forum and i'm convinced to buy a new cooler.

I noticed multiple versions of both the Phantom Spirit and the Peerless Assassin.
Could you please advise which specific model would be best suited for my setup?

1. Thermalright Phantom Spirit : i saw like 5 or 6 products on the link
2. Thermalright Peerless Assassin : same, many prodcuts looks the same to me..
3. an other one ?

If possible, could you share the exact link to the recommended product ?

 

[Kreploon9]

Grab either of those coolers, they will do well.

Make sure you have a steady flow of incoming air into the chassis.

 

[rems1989]

I set up the phantom 120 SE as well as a new corsair 2x16gb ram (3200Mhz). I also enabled XMP in the bios.

Temperatures in games are much better! I get a maximum of 65°C and I still have a little stuttering in game (returnal) but it's probably because I set all graphics to epic (DLSS = balanced)

Finally, do you see any other problems in the test results or in the settings to optimize my PC?

I've included screenshots of everything I think might help (hwinfo64 after playing returnal, msi bios settings screenshot, cinebench CPU & GPU, 3D mark steel nomad test, returnal game performance test).

https://imgur.com/a/v9MxKrN

View: https://imgur.com/a/v9MxKrN


Thank you very much again, you've been a great help!