Question Intel i7-13700K 3.4ghz draws up to 281w, is that normal ?

[TheFabled]

With my new processor in place, I've done a lot of stress testing on three different coolers, AIO and Air coolers.

And i have noticed that my CPU is drawing up to 281W, but i was under the impression it had a max pull of 253w. Anyone know why it exceeds it?
Can it be because my RAM is using X.M.P? I have not overclocked my CPU, but can it be some setting that boosts it somewhere that I've overlooked or something?

I'm just wondering, it might not be an issue that it goes this high, but i haven't configured it to do so, and i don't want to put unnecessary stress on it.

Rig:
MSI Z790 Carbon Wifi
Intel I7-13700K 3.4ghz
64GB Corsair Vengeance 6000 MHZ DDR5
Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 Rev.7
ASUS RTX 4090 TUF

 

[SyCoREAPER]

With my new processor in place, I've done a lot of stress testing on three different coolers, AIO and Air coolers.

And i have noticed that my CPU is drawing up to 275W, but i was under the impression it had a max pull of 253w. Anyone know why it exceeds it?
Can it be because my RAM is using X.M.P? I have not overclocked my CPU, but can it be some setting that boosts it somewhere that I've overlooked or something?

I'm just wondering, it might not be an issue that it goes this high, but i haven't configured it to do so, and i don't want to put unnecessary stress on it.

Rig:
MSI Z790 Carbon Wifi
Intel I7-13700K 3.4ghz
64GB Corsair Vengeance 6000 MHZ DDR5
Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 Rev.7
ASUS RTX 4090 TUF

MSI BIOS' for whatever reason have it set to unlimited power. Those spikes are normal, at least I had them but in the bios I limited it (but then I think I removed the limit for an OC).

If it bothers you or you want to see if temps drop a bit, lower limit in bios. Otherwise don't worry about it.

 

[Karadjgne]

Those are Intel specs run on a default spec'd motherboard using Intel defaults. Not an MSI or Gigabyte or Asus mobo that commonly like to announce that their motherboards out-perform the competition. To claim that, they ignore Intel recommended specs and allow greater power, relaxed restrictions, to the cpu.

So as long as you have cooling potential for the wattage, the cpu will boost more cores to higher clocks, for longer time periods, upto the point of instability.

13700k can exceed 300w without issue in some 'default' motherboard bios, simply due to exaggerated vcore voltages to maintain stability at highest default boosts.

Intel mobo vendors do not care at all about what it takes to get the performance, that responsibility is entirely on the user to provide sufficient cooling, they only care that it Can get the clocks and be stable.

 

[TheFabled]

So as long as you have cooling potential for the wattage, the cpu will boost more cores to higher clocks, for longer time periods, upto the point of instability.

Actually, to my big surprise, the arctic liquid freezer II 360 cannot prevent it from reaching 100c even on 250w at times, this was very surprising to me, as i thought the Liquid freezer was rated for over 300 watt. I have even tried it on full speed on pump and fans before i start stress testing, but it really struggles. Also using Arctic MX-6 cooling paste. I might have to take it off once again, and recheck if i really have full contact, or maybe that 300 watt figure i read somewhere isn't correct, i don't know.

Might also be that the 13700k simply isn't a very good design when it comes to dissipate heat.

 

[Phaaze88]

Actually, to my big surprise, the arctic liquid freezer II 360 cannot prevent it from reaching 100c even on 250w at times, this was very surprising to me, as i thought the Liquid freezer was rated for over 300 watt. I have even tried it on full speed on pump and fans before i start stress testing, but it really struggles. Also using Arctic MX-6 cooling paste. I might have to take it off once again, and recheck if i really have full contact, or maybe that 300 watt figure i read somewhere isn't correct, i don't know.

Might also be that the 13700k simply isn't a very good design when it comes to dissipate heat.

If it were direct die and on custom loop, perhaps. Otherwise, there's too many restrictions that bring energy transfer efficiency down, like:
-the IHS.
-the solder layer.
[TIM used between cooler and cpu is a given, so I won't count that.]
-ambient temperature.
-AIOs have low flow rate - compared to custom loops, at least.

Plus, Intel designed these cores to push towards 100C to attain max performance, because as far as they're concerned, if it's not around that temperature, performance is being left on the table.

 

[TheFabled]

Plus, Intel designed these cores to push towards 100C to attain max performance, because as far as they're concerned, if it's not around that temperature, performance is being left on the table.

Oh, i had no idea about that actually. Dayhum you learn something new every day 😊

 

[Karadjgne]

Actually, to my big surprise, the arctic liquid freezer II 360 cannot prevent it from reaching 100c even on 250w at times

This is where we run into historical thinking that hasn't evolved into the general populace yet.

The cores do the work, create heat. They also have thermistors to gather data about the temps being run. They get accessed every 256ms. That created heat has to travel through the top layer of silicon, then the Tim, then the IHS, then the paste, then the cold plate of the pump before it gets transfered to the coolant. That takes a second or 3 to accomplish.

Back in the day, i7's were the big boys, and they ran 77w-130w on average, and did not boost, they were static cpus that went from idle to turbo speeds on whatever cores were needed at set voltages. Today's cpus can reach in excess of 350w and have 'smart boosts' where boosting is done not only by voltage used but temps as well.

The Arctic 360 is a 350w± capacity cooler. You are shoving 250w+ at it, it's going to see high temps. That same cooler on a 130w cpu will have different results because the cooling capacity exceeds double the load wattage, so in that case temps will not be the limiting factor for boosts , voltages will be. So on a lower rated cpu, you'll not see 100°C, maybe 80°C at best under max possible boost.

This is the whole premise behind large water cooling loops with Uber rads as some of those rads alone are capable of 600w± capacity.

My loop is @ 450w capacity in a very limited (really non existent) airflow mITX case, my cpu is running at PBO settings, so sees just over 96w at absolute max according to HWInfo64. Highest recorded temp under Prime95 small fft AVX disabled is 73°C.

Dynamic cpus are going to boost as long as they can, with as high a clocks as it can manage, with as many cores as possible, as long as the cooling is sufficient to keep it out of throttle temps.

With a 275w cpu, anything less than @ 500-550w capacity is going to allow for a rise in temp, so at 550w capacity you might see low 70's, but as the capacity diminishes, the temps go up for the same boost. Once capacity isn't large enough, you get to 100°C and boost numbers start dropping off to maintain the cpu at 100°C or less.

Dynamic cpus do not get runaway temps like static cpus do, because static cpus boost according to bios settings until reaching shutdown/throttle temps, where as Dynamic cpus are self limiting, boosting as high as temps and voltages allow for.

By comparison, the Noctua NH-D15 is closer to 250w± capacity and even that cooler is really not recommend for the i9 K class cpus.

 

[TerryLaze]

Plus, Intel designed these cores to push towards 100C to attain max performance, because as far as they're concerned, if it's not around that temperature, performance is being left on the table.

That's not the whole story.
The highest boost is designed to go up to 100 degrees, the cores are designed to go upto 130 , or at least to survive until that temp, so intel leaves a 30% safety margin above their highest boost.

@TheFabled see if you have this adaptive boost setting in the bios and disable it, that would show you how well the cooler would cool the CPU under normal conditions.

Intel® Adaptive Boost Technology

Opportunistically increases all-core turbo frequency when current, power, and thermal headroom exists. Works below a temperature limit of 100°C.

Intel® Core™ Processors Technical Resources

Intel® Core™ processors technical resources list includes applications notes, datasheets, packing information, product briefs, and more.

www.intel.la

Volume 2:
"Thermal Trip: The processor protects itself from catastrophic overheating by use of an internal thermal sensor. This sensor is set well above the normal operating temperature to ensure that there are no false trips. The processor will stop all executions when the junction temperature exceeds approximately 130 °C. This is signaled to the system by the THRMTRIP# pin."

 

[TheFabled]

@TheFabled see if you have this adaptive boost setting in the bios and disable it, that would show you how well the cooler would cool the CPU under normal conditions.

Intel® Adaptive Boost Technology

Opportunistically increases all-core turbo frequency when current, power, and thermal headroom exists. Works below a temperature limit of 100°C.

It is set to auto.
The Choices i have is:

Auto
Adaptive Mode
Override Mode
Offset Mode
Adaptive + Offset Mode
Advanced Offset mode (VF Point)
Adaptive + Advanced Offset mode (VF Point)
Adaptive + Offset + Advanced Offset mode (VF Point)

 

[TerryLaze]

It is set to auto.
The Choices i have is:

Auto
Adaptive Mode
Override Mode
Offset Mode
Adaptive + Offset Mode
Advanced Offset mode (VF Point)
Adaptive + Advanced Offset mode (VF Point)
Adaptive + Offset + Advanced Offset mode (VF Point)

If there is no off you would have to test all of them...or wait for somebody that knows for sure, a pic of that whole page of your bios would also maybe be helpful.