[SOLVED] Replacement for i7-4790K

Mar 8, 2021
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Hello. I didn't see another thread on this particular topic, so hoping I'm not repeating.

I think I have a failing i7-4790k on an Asus Maximus Hero VII Motherboard. It keeps overheating and blue screening. I have tried EVERY other imaginable fix (redid thermal paste, cleaned dust, scanned viruses/malware, updated drivers and much more) and can't figure the problem out. Thinking the CPU is failing.

I know about the CPU-upgrade site , but not sure I fully understand how to use it. If it isn't too much trouble, hoping someone can recommend a CPU to replace the i7-4790k that will work with my set up. Hoping to get similar (if not better) performance at lowest possible price. I saw some renewed CPU's, but very wary of going down that path. Probably looking for new.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.
 
Solution
Hi JackCat.

The i7-4790K is the best CPU you can use on that board.
  • Intel® LGA1150 4th, New 4th & 5th-Generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors Ready
https://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-ASUS/MAXIMUS_VII_HERO.html

They are around 150-200 on ebay used. New you can forget that. It's too old and you will pay a fortune for one new. Like 300 dollars.

Might as well buy a 100 dollars board with a new CPU and RAM and upgrade that platform :)

Used i7-4790k at 200 dollars or a new one at 300 dollars or this below.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($164.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock B460 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX LGA1200 Motherboard...
Hi JackCat.

The i7-4790K is the best CPU you can use on that board.
  • Intel® LGA1150 4th, New 4th & 5th-Generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors Ready
https://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-ASUS/MAXIMUS_VII_HERO.html

They are around 150-200 on ebay used. New you can forget that. It's too old and you will pay a fortune for one new. Like 300 dollars.

Might as well buy a 100 dollars board with a new CPU and RAM and upgrade that platform :)

Used i7-4790k at 200 dollars or a new one at 300 dollars or this below.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($164.99 @ Best Buy)
Motherboard: ASRock B460 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($92.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $332.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-03-08 22:42 EST-0500
 
Last edited:
Solution
Thank you for your response. So, you feel ok about used CPU's? Are you suggesting I find a used i7-4790k?

If you want to spend 150-200 dollars for a I7-4790K you can do it BUT it's the same price as an Intel 6 cores CPU. It's that price because it's old.

If you just want to replace the CPU go ahead and buy the used CPU but if you can afford 150-200 dollars for the used old CPU you can probably spend 100 more and get a totally new platform with a new CPU, board and RAM and be a lot more happy than just spending 200 on a used CPU to get the same performance no?

I recommend you buy a new platform :)
 
Do not prematurely waste your money.
Such failures for an intel chip are rare.
Find out first why your 4790K is overheating.
What is the make/model of your cpu cooler?
What is the make/model of your case and what is the fan arrangement?
Have you overclocked?
perhaps you inadvertently did so by selecting the optimized default settings in your motherboard bios.
What is the make/model of your psu?
A failing psu can cause all sorts of strange and difficult to diagnose problems.

Run HWmonitor.
The low temperature should be in the 10-15c. over ambient range.
Much higher, and your cooler is failing or is not mounted well.

Under load, up to 85c occasionally is ok.
If you see 100c. it means that your cpu has detected a dangerous temperature and has throttled.
It will not normally shut down.
A lack of airflow over the motherboard VRM chips is a more likely cause.
AIO coolers can be a contributor.
 
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Mar 8, 2021
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$300-350 for cpu, 16gb ram, and a mobo? really? I can't imagine that is possible while also getting the same performance. But I honestly don't know. My machine is basically built for Photoshop. So, need to be able to have at least as good specs as what I was getting from the Hero VII, i7 and 16gb of ddr3
 
$300-350 for cpu, 16gb ram, and a mobo? really? I can't imagine that is possible while also getting the same performance. But I honestly don't know. My machine is basically built for Photoshop. So, need to be able to have at least as good specs as what I was getting from the Hero VII, i7 and 16gb of ddr3

Well your CPU was released in 2014. A 160 dollars 6 cores CPU and 16GB of DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz and a 100 dollars motherboard is superior to what you have.

Might want to read the other post. You can probably fix your issues.

I was a bit excited to tell you to switch to a new platform from a 2014 platform when you can probably just fix the issue if it can be fixed.

But to answer to your question a new platform around 300-350 will definitively be better than what you have.
 
Mar 8, 2021
9
0
10
Do not prematurely waste your money.
Such failures for an intel chip are rare.
Find out first why your 4790K is overheating.
What is the make/model of your cpu cooler?
What is the make/model of your case and what is the fan arrangement?
Have you overclocked?
perhaps you inadvertently did so by selecting the optimized default settings in your motherboard bios.
What is the make/model of your psu?
A failing psu can cause all sorts of strange and difficult to diagnose problems.

Run HWmonitor.
The low temperature should be in the 10-15c. over ambient range.
Much higher, and your cooler is failing or is not mounted well.

Under load, up to 85c occasionally is ok.
If you see 100c. it means that your cpu has detected a dangerous temperature and has throttled.
It will not normally shut down.
A lack of airflow over the motherboard VRM chips is a more likely cause.
AIO coolers can be a contributor.


Thank you for your response. It's a Fractal case. Two fans on the front, one on the back. I actually had a fourth fan on the top but it didn't help the problem (temps were running exactly the same) and the noise was driving me mad.

No on overclocking.

I'm using the stock fan that came with the processor.

BUT... I don't know about accidentally hitting optimized default settings in bios. But my sense is that since I never messed with bios, it is running normal. I'm away from that computer until Thursday so won't know whether that is the problem.
 
Mar 8, 2021
9
0
10
Well your CPU was released in 2014. A 160 dollars 6 cores CPU and 16GB of DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz and a 100 dollars motherboard is superior to what you have.

Might want to read the other post. You can probably fix your issues.

I was a bit excited to tell you to switch to a new platform from a 2014 platform when you can probably just fix the issue if it can be fixed.

But to answer to your question a new platform around 300-350 will definitively be better than what you have.


Thank you. Appreciate your time. Hoping to figure this out. It's an annoying issue...
 
Today, the K suffix processors do not come with a stock cooler.
Users needs vary and usually the stock cooler was discarded in favor of something much stronger.
If you are using the stock cooler, with the pc shut down, nudge the cooler to see if it wiggles.
Look at the back of the motherboard to verify that all 4 pushpins are through and locked.
There is a trick to get the cooler on level, it is to push down on diagonal pairs at the same time.
If you do it one at a time, it will never be level.

Since the cpu is a relatively hot one under load, I would replace the cooler with a better quality cooler.
I like the noctua coolers, they are quiet and easy to install.
A good one will fit if you have 160mm headroom in the case.
Fractal makes many cases, so the make/model is necessary to see the specs.
Noctua has some good links for suitability of their coolers.
Here is their link for the 4790K:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-214
NH-U12s is likely a good choice for you.

----------------how to mount the stock Intel cooler--------------

The stock Intel cooler can be tricky to install.
A poor installation will result in higher cpu temperatures.
If properly mounted, you should expect temperatures at idle to be 10-15c. over ambient.

To mount the Intel stock cooler properly, place the motherboard on top of the foam or cardboard backing that was packed with the motherboard.
The stock cooler will come with paste pre applied, it looks like three grey strips.
The 4 push pins should come in the proper position for installation, that is with the pins rotated in the opposite direction of the arrow,(clockwise)
and pulled up as far as they can go.
Take the time to play with the pushpin mechanism until you know how they work.

Orient the 4 pins so that they are exactly over the motherboard holes.
If one is out of place, you will damage the pins which are delicate.
Push down on a DIAGONAL pair of pins at the same time. Then the other pair.

When you push down on the top black pins, it expands the white plastic pins to fix the cooler in place.

If you do them one at a time, you will not get the cooler on straight.
Lastly, look at the back of the motherboard to verify that all 4 pins are equally through the motherboard, and that the cooler is on firmly.
This last step must be done, which is why the motherboard should be out of the case to do the job. Or you need a case with a opening that lets you see the pins.
It is possible to mount the cooler with the motherboard mounted in the case, but you can then never be certain that the push pins are inserted properly
unless you can verify that the pins are through the motherboard and locked.

If you should need to remove the cooler, turn the pins counter clockwise to unlock them.
You will need to clean off the old paste and reapply new if you ever take the cooler off.
Clean off old paste with alcohol and a lint free paper like a coffee filter.
Apply new paste sparingly. A small rice sized drop in the center will spread our under heat and pressure.
Too much paste is bad, it will act as an insulator.
It is hard to use too little.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nemesia
Mar 8, 2021
9
0
10
Today, the K suffix processors do not come with a stock cooler.
Users needs vary and usually the stock cooler was discarded in favor of something much stronger.
If you are using the stock cooler, with the pc shut down, nudge the cooler to see if it wiggles.
Look at the back of the motherboard to verify that all 4 pushpins are through and locked.
There is a trick to get the cooler on level, it is to push down on diagonal pairs at the same time.
If you do it one at a time, it will never be level.

Since the cpu is a relatively hot one under load, I would replace the cooler with a better quality cooler.
I like the noctua coolers, they are quiet and easy to install.
A good one will fit if you have 160mm headroom in the case.
Fractal makes many cases, so the make/model is necessary to see the specs.
Noctua has some good links for suitability of their coolers.
Here is their link for the 4790K:
https://ncc.noctua.at/cpus/model/Intel-Core-i7-4790K-214
NH-U12s is likely a good choice for you.

----------------how to mount the stock Intel cooler--------------

The stock Intel cooler can be tricky to install.
A poor installation will result in higher cpu temperatures.
If properly mounted, you should expect temperatures at idle to be 10-15c. over ambient.

To mount the Intel stock cooler properly, place the motherboard on top of the foam or cardboard backing that was packed with the motherboard.
The stock cooler will come with paste pre applied, it looks like three grey strips.
The 4 push pins should come in the proper position for installation, that is with the pins rotated in the opposite direction of the arrow,(clockwise)
and pulled up as far as they can go.
Take the time to play with the pushpin mechanism until you know how they work.

Orient the 4 pins so that they are exactly over the motherboard holes.
If one is out of place, you will damage the pins which are delicate.
Push down on a DIAGONAL pair of pins at the same time. Then the other pair.

When you push down on the top black pins, it expands the white plastic pins to fix the cooler in place.

If you do them one at a time, you will not get the cooler on straight.
Lastly, look at the back of the motherboard to verify that all 4 pins are equally through the motherboard, and that the cooler is on firmly.
This last step must be done, which is why the motherboard should be out of the case to do the job. Or you need a case with a opening that lets you see the pins.
It is possible to mount the cooler with the motherboard mounted in the case, but you can then never be certain that the push pins are inserted properly
unless you can verify that the pins are through the motherboard and locked.

If you should need to remove the cooler, turn the pins counter clockwise to unlock them.
You will need to clean off the old paste and reapply new if you ever take the cooler off.
Clean off old paste with alcohol and a lint free paper like a coffee filter.
Apply new paste sparingly. A small rice sized drop in the center will spread our under heat and pressure.
Too much paste is bad, it will act as an insulator.
It is hard to use too little.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can say for sure that when I replaced the thermal paste, I had a bear of a time getting the cooler back on. So, it is possible I mounted it poorly. But I also had a hard time getting the cooler on the first time; and the computer didn't blue screen for at least three or more years. Then it started blue screening. And then I replaced thermal paste and remounted.

I went digging into the archives of my brain and remembered it was the Fractal Arc Midi R2 case.

It's definitely worth trying this option. Thank you for helping me out with this.
 
@JackCat
The cheapest solution is to get a 120mm tower cooler with 4 to 6 heat pipes for $30-70. The Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo v2 would work fine and is $40, but newegg has a $10 rebate making it $30. https://www.newegg.com/cooler-master-rr-2v2e-18pk-r1/p/N82E16835103309

The Evo v2 has a better mounting method than the older Hyper 212 Evo and other older models. The Black Edition and RGB Black Editon (faster fan than BE) have the same mounting method as the Evo v2. Your temps should be around 35-45c at idle and under gaming loads you are likely to see 65-75c. I'm not saying it's the best cheap solution, I'm just saying it's A solution. There are other coolers with better performance, but they are going to be more expensive than the Hyper 212 Evo v2.

Lastly, most of the large coolers will require a back plate be installed on the back of the motherboard for mounting the cooler. You might need to remove the motherboard unless your system case has a large enough opening on the motherboard mounting tray.
 
I can say for sure that when I replaced the thermal paste, I had a bear of a time getting the cooler back on. So, it is possible I mounted it poorly. But I also had a hard time getting the cooler on the first time; and the computer didn't blue screen for at least three or more years. Then it started blue screening. And then I replaced thermal paste and remounted.

I went digging into the archives of my brain and remembered it was the Fractal Arc Midi R2 case.

It's definitely worth trying this option. Thank you for helping me out with this.
An older but goodie case.
Your case can handle a cooler as tall as 180mm.
You can leave the motherboard mounted.
Remove the left side panel for access to the back.

The noctua coolers have very good and quiet fans.
They come with a very good tube of paste and also include a now noise adapter if you don't want to fiddle with motherboard fan controls.
Buy a good cooler now, and you can use it on a future high powered cpu upgrade,
NH-D15s is about the best:
https://www.newegg.com/noctua-nh-d15s-chromax-black/p/13C-0005-001M2
 
the problem with the stock cooler is also that the pins fail over time as might be the case with yours. even a Gammaxx 400 or Cooler Master 212 should be able to keep that processor relatively cool. try that before investing more money than you need to
 
Mar 8, 2021
9
0
10
@JackCat
The cheapest solution is to get a 120mm tower cooler with 4 to 6 heat pipes for $30-70. The Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo v2 would work fine and is $40, but newegg has a $10 rebate making it $30. https://www.newegg.com/cooler-master-rr-2v2e-18pk-r1/p/N82E16835103309

The Evo v2 has a better mounting method than the older Hyper 212 Evo and other older models. The Black Edition and RGB Black Editon (faster fan than BE) have the same mounting method as the Evo v2. Your temps should be around 35-45c at idle and under gaming loads you are likely to see 65-75c. I'm not saying it's the best cheap solution, I'm just saying it's A solution. There are other coolers with better performance, but they are going to be more expensive than the Hyper 212 Evo v2.

Lastly, most of the large coolers will require a back plate be installed on the back of the motherboard for mounting the cooler. You might need to remove the motherboard unless your system case has a large enough opening on the motherboard mounting tray.

Thank you. Still hoping it is a cooler issue and not a processor failure of some sort.
 
Mar 8, 2021
9
0
10
An older but goodie case.
Your case can handle a cooler as tall as 180mm.
You can leave the motherboard mounted.
Remove the left side panel for access to the back.

The noctua coolers have very good and quiet fans.
They come with a very good tube of paste and also include a now noise adapter if you don't want to fiddle with motherboard fan controls.
Buy a good cooler now, and you can use it on a future high powered cpu upgrade,
NH-D15s is about the best:
https://www.newegg.com/noctua-nh-d15s-chromax-black/p/13C-0005-001M2

Thanks again.