New i5 4960k idles at 50 C

flyingsnorlax

Reputable
Dec 2, 2015
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4,510
Hi all,
I just bought and installed an intel i5 4690k cpu, and it's been idling at 50 degrees Celsius. i cleaned off the old thermal paste from my cpu cooler (Thermaltake CLP0556 39.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler), installed the cpu on my motherboard(MSI H81I Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard), applied the new thermal paste to the cpu, and reinstalled the cpu cooler.

any idea what the problem might be? I appreciate any help.
 
That is rather high for idle.

- What is your ambient room temp?
- Your motherboard is ITX, is it correct that you have an ITX build and a case with very close components?

Honestly the Thermaltake CLP0556 isn't a very good heatsink for the i5 4960k. I see that you have an ITX motherboard though, so if you have an ITX build your potential cooling options are going to be rather limited.
 


My case is a Cooler Master HAF Stacker 915F Mini ITX Tower case, it's about 70 percent vents with a single large case fan close to where the motherboard sits, so i don't think it's a ventilation issue.

 


-ambient room temperature is about 70-75 degrees F
-my build is correct for the motherboard form factor i've chosen, as far as i know.

would you suggest i get a different heat sink then? i don't want to do liquid cooling, and i wouldn't want to spend more than $30-40 on a heat sink.
 
Yes, though I'm not sure the one I would typically recommend would work in your rig.

For $30 the Cryorig H7 would be my typical recommendation, but it has these dimensions: L98 x W123 x H145mm so you would need to check if your case has clearance for the full-sized heatsink.

The C1 model would be more likely to fit, but it is unfortunately about $20 over your proposed budget:

CPU Cooler: CRYORIG C1 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $59.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-12-02 17:21 EST-0500
 
Hello... 1) Thermal paste "less is better"... just a thin film is needed... also needs a week or so to settle, spread and conform.
2) What is the CPU speed during the 50c readings?... a BIO's CPU temp reading will be at full clock speed... Windows Desktop will not be.
3) as a "simple test" remove a cover off your case and re-monitor Temps.
4) Try giving the Screws for the Cooler another "Twist down".