[SOLVED] i7 9700k high CPU temperatures

[BrandweermanSam]

Hello,

Recently I have rebranded my system and ever since I have experienced significantly higher CPU temperatures than before.
I would like to know if this would be considered as normal behavior considering the parts.

Parts:

CPU: Intel Core i7 9700K
CPU Cooler: Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4
Case: Be Quiet! Pure Base 500DX (5 case fans in total, 2 intakes and 3 exhausts. I don't think case airflow is the issue.)
MOBO: ROG Maximus X Hero (Wi-Fi)

I exchanged the CPU, Motherboard and case when I upgraded.

I see temperatures ranging from around 30C/86F while idle, between 70C/158F and 80C/176F while gaming with spikes up to 90C/194F.
Cinebench gets me dangerously close to thermal throttle territory usually not more than 5C/41F off Tj. Max is 100C/212F)
My chip is running at stock speeds.

I used Cooler Master HTK-002 thermal paste, roughly pea size as is usually advised.
Coming from an i5 that never really ran above 70c this is quite a significant increase in temperature and I was hoping to do some overclocking on this chip at some point.

Can someone explain to me what may be happening to my CPU temperatures?

Thanks,

Sam

 

[mdd1963]

Install/run HWMonitor and CPU-Z..

On CPU-z, select /bench/stress CPU...(hit 'stop' when stress test is over)

see what clock speeds and temps are being sustained for 15 minutes... (stock speeds would be sustained 4.6 GHz across all cores; any higher than that is NOT stock, and, would likely exceed your cooler's capabilities)

Reviews I had seen of the Dark Rock Pro4 with a 9700K (Carey Holzman on Youtube used that combo several times) even running Prime95/ Balanced showed it hitting 80-85C during that test, so, clearly the cooler is not the 'final stop' of 9700K air coolers.

You might try searching for slightly lower but still stable core voltage alternatives (Intel's XTU makes this quite easy, with .005V downward increments possible)

 

[BrandweermanSam]

Install/run HWMonitor and CPU-Z..

On CPU-z, select /bench/stress CPU...(hit 'stop' when stress test is over)

see what clock speeds and temps are being sustained for 15 minutes... (stock speeds would be sustained 4.6 GHz across all cores; any higher than that is NOT stock, and, would likely exceed your cooler's capabilities)

Reviews I had seen of the Dark Rock Pro4 with a 9700K (Carey Holzman on Youtube used that combo several times) even running Prime95/ Balanced showed it hitting 80-85C during that test, so, clearly the cooler is not the 'final stop' of 9700K air coolers.

You might try searching for slightly lower but still stable core voltage alternatives (Intel's XTU makes this quite easy, with .005V downward increments possible)

Thanks for your response,

I've stressed my CPU for about 15 minutes in CPU-Z and temperatures we're surprisingly good. I don't think I've tested this benchmark on this configuration yet.
Temperatures steadily climbed up to 80C/176F over the course of about 3 minutes then kind of stayed there. Maximum reported was 83C/181.4F.
As for the clocks, this chip is definitely stock. 4602MHz was the max reported while benchmarking.

But when trying Cinebench again the same issue returns. Not 2 minutes in testing my CPU reaches Tj. max and I stopped the benchmark.
I know Cinebench is notorious for toasty temperatures you'll likely never see outside of the benchmark but I still feel like something is wrong here. Or am I just asking too much from my cooler when I run that particular test on an i7?

And the other thing I still don't understand is the temperatures it reports after I've had my computer on for an extended time and played some games.
I always have Core Temp running in the background for gathering thermal data. Usually after a few hours it reports max temperatures of 90C/194F+

Do you reckon my cooler is being used to it's full potential like this or if there's something that might hold it back? I still feel like something is off.
If not though, and these results are to be expected, I might try to lower the voltage if possible.

 

[CompuTronix]

BrandweermanSam,

On behalf of Tom's Hardware Moderor Team, welcome aboard!

Manually setting Core voltage to a lower value is always a good step to lower Core temperatures. However, the reason you're a bit confused is that most users don't realize how much workloads vary between games and assorted stress tests.

Games, apps, streaming, rendering, transcoding and most utilities have partial, fluctuating workloads with fluctuating Core temperatures that are not well suited for testing thermal performance. “Stress” tests vary widely and can be characterized into two categories; stability tests which are fluctuating workloads, and thermal tests which are steady workloads.

Utilities that don't overload or underload your processor will give you a valid thermal baseline. Here’s a comparison of utilities grouped as thermal and stability tests according to % of TDP, averaged across six processor Generations at stock settings rounded to the nearest 5%:

Although these tests range from 70% to 130% TDP workload, Windows Task Manager interprets every test as 100% CPU Utilization, which is processor resource activity, not actual workload. Core temperatures respond directly to Power consumption (Watts), which is driven by Core voltage and workload.

As you can see, CineBench R23 and Prime95 Small FFTs (No AVX) are 100% workloads, while CPU-Z > Bench > Stress CPU is only 80%. It's likely that whatever games you haven't mentioned, can push your CPU to around 90%, which would put your Core temperatures between CineBench and CPU-Z.

Also, heat buildup inside your case over time may be a contributing factor, so try running the same games with case covers removed. If Core temperatures are significantly cooler over the same period of time, it means you need to improve case cooling. Moreover, the 9700K is an 8 Core 8 Thread processor which is essentially a 9900K without HyperThreading, meaning the 9700K consumes about 12% less Power (Watts) and runs about 5°C lower.

Nonetheless, unlike earlier processors, although 9th Generation uses solder instead of paste between the Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS) and the silicon Die, the the Die and solder are quite thick, which decreases thermal conductivity and adversely affects Core temperatures.

Here’s a detailed explanation by Mechatronics Engineer, Roman “der8auer” Hartung:

Further, since all computer temperatures are relative to ambient (room) temperature, in order to draw any useful apples-to-apples comparisons, we always need to know your ambient temperature, for which the International Standard is 22°C (72°F). What is your ambient?

At the top of each of our Forums you'll see "Sticky Threads" which are valuable information resources that are permanently "stuck" in place so they're always available for everyone's benefit. We encourage our Members to check the Stickies, as they frequently contain the information you seek, which can save you time searching for answers from sources that may be somewhat less than well informed.

If you look at the top of the CPUs Forum you'll see our Intel CPU Temperature Guide 2021. I suggest that you read the entire Guide, but focus on Section 9 - The TIM Problem, Section 11 - Thermal Test Basics and Section 12 - Thermal Test 100% Workload.

Once again, welcome aboard!

CT