[SOLVED] Temp spike after thermal paste

snaw

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Sep 28, 2018
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Hi guys!
Yesterday i changed my CPU thermal paste. I cleaned it with wipes (including CPU cooler), everything went well.
I put 1 dot of paste at the center and 4 dots (a little smaller) at the corners of the CPU.

Since then, my CPU (2 years old) whenever it reaches 55º goes up to 65º and starts to decrease, and again, when it reaches 55º goes up to 65º and it keeps going like this...

I know this, because my CPU cooler just spins faster and slower, depending on CPU temp and the cooler is always changing speed too and i can hear it.

Is this normal? Thanks!

CPU: AMD ryzen 5 2600X
CPU Cooler: Wraith Spire (the original)
 
Last edited:
Solution
Windows. That's what's causing the spikes. Anytime it starts up a process or service. Think of it the same as an AC compressor, soon as it starts the motor sucks a lot of juice and makes a lot of noise. Few seconds later, the initial onrush is over and it only takes a small amount of power to keep spinning. Windows works the same way. At startup of anything, it has to work to link all the appropriate drivers and files, after researching what it needs and going to find the correct addresses and registry keys. Once all that's done and over with, temps settle down as the work is done with, only work left is the actual program.

Everybody bounces, it's not an intel thing or a Ryzen thing or anything wrong with the pc. It's a windows thing.
May 3, 2020
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1
15
What prompted you to change the thermal paste?
Those temperatures you mention are triggering the fan speeds based on your system cpu temperature thresholds, so in a sense it is perfectly normal.

Since it is new behaviour, it's just too much paste on there (one dab in the center, the size of a grain of rice) -- it's really all you need. Too much and it won't dissipate heat effectively.

Also , be very careful when you replace the cooler/heatsink back down. Place it directly down and straight in place, it needs to squish out evenly. And once it's down, do not let it twist or lift up while you're securing it back in place... It's not hard to do, but it's also very easy to bungle this part! I've been there :)

Good luck!
--moisto
 

snaw

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Sep 28, 2018
36
3
4,545
What prompted you to change the thermal paste?
Those temperatures you mention are triggering the fan speeds based on your system cpu temperature thresholds, so in a sense it is perfectly normal.

Since it is new behaviour, it's just too much paste on there (one dab in the center, the size of a grain of rice) -- it's really all you need. Too much and it won't dissipate heat effectively.

Also , be very careful when you replace the cooler/heatsink back down. Place it directly down and straight in place, it needs to squish out evenly. And once it's down, do not let it twist or lift up while you're securing it back in place... It's not hard to do, but it's also very easy to bungle this part! I've been there :)

Good luck!
--moisto

I bought this CPU 2 years ago, and before i changed the paste the CPU was reaching 90º just on startup.

The paste was already dry, and when i changed it today, it really worked, now it maxes 65º, with the spikes going on, which is a problem, probably because i put too much thermal paste.

Im going to clean it, and put just one dot at the center and try again. I'll give feedback.

Thanks for the answer guys.
 

snaw

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Sep 28, 2018
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So, i just put new thermal paste again, just 1 dot (size of a grain of rice) at the center, and its doing the same.

Here is the video. He reaches near 49º/50º and spikes every time to 60º
View: https://youtu.be/XzVU5uPO_wQ


Could this be, not because of the CPU, but because of the CPU usage? Because I see that is also having spikes, and CPU usage should influence CPU temp.
 
May 3, 2020
8
1
15
Yes brother! Absolutely. CPU usage generates heat, and I do believe your fans simply aren't firing up before it's too hot in the box.

If it was running at 90º C idle before you redid the old paste, check the DC/PWM fan settings in BIOS if you can or with some software.

Your fans could just be ramping up too late, or too specifically set to deal only with hotter climates. Use fan stepping PWM, or just DC mode and go full tilt to find out if your fans/cooler can still a maintain low temperature, if they can't manage a high one.

Moist regards,
--moisto
 

snaw

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Sep 28, 2018
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Yes brother! Absolutely. CPU usage generates heat, and I do believe your fans simply aren't firing up before it's too hot in the box.

If it was running at 90º C idle before you redid the old paste, check the DC/PWM fan settings in BIOS if you can or with some software.

Your fans could just be ramping up too late, or too specifically set to deal only with hotter climates. Use fan stepping PWM, or just DC mode and go full tilt to find out if your fans/cooler can still a maintain low temperature, if they can't manage a high one.

Moist regards,
--moisto

Thank you so much for your answer. I went to the BIOS and the CPU cooler is set to PWM.
It doesn't matter if i put my cooler to spin at 100%, the CPU will do exactly the same... Reach 50º and spike to 60º.
Could be some software making the CPU usage spiking which in turn makes CPU temp spike too?
I'll leave you with all the processes running at this time. Thank you so much!

View: https://imgur.com/zq6GwrZ
 

Karadjgne

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It's a Ryzen. Pea sized isn't the best method anymore. Most Intels and fx have just the one chip, dead center (if a little taller than wider) under the IHS. Ryzens have upto 3 chips with nothing but air in the center, the chiplets are spread out towards the sides. So the full, credit card spread type of paste job is better as its assured to fully cover all the chiplets completely. If the grain of rice is not done exactly right and the paste gets pushed more to one side, there's a good chance at least a small part of one of the chiplets won't get covered and you can get funky temp readings as a result.

Too much paste doesn't affect temps, at all. The cooler base will squash out any excess. What it will affect is your attempts to clean off the old paste and greatly affects the possibility you end up shoving some down into the socket. Which is next to impossible to thoroughly clean and not damage anything.

Op. It's a Ryzen. Not an intel. They work differently. With Intel at idle, it turns down clocks and voltages on all cores, but those cores remain active. Any background tasks get split up, so each core only gets a minor spike in usage/temps. With Ryzen, at idle All the cores Except 1 get turned off, inactive. So the full load of all the background tasks is only on 1 core, not 6 or 8. This results in 2 things, first being idle temps Look higher and spikes Look larger, but really aren't. You see 1 temp, from 1 core, it's not 1 temp taken from the hottest of 6 cores. So it's not the full cpu at 50-60, it's just that 1 core doing all the work.

Expect temp jumps. Windows is almost never idle, it's always doing something in the background, be it security checks, malicious data checks, update checks, performance checks, maintenance etc. Figure idle having 2 meanings, it's either you not doing something on the pc, or it's the pc not doing anything you asked it to do. Windows runs itself, so does its own thing without any input from you 👍
 
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snaw

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Sep 28, 2018
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It's a Ryzen. Pea sized isn't the best method anymore. Most Intels and fx have just the one chip, dead center (if a little taller than wider) under the IHS. Ryzens have upto 3 chips with nothing but air in the center, the chiplets are spread out towards the sides. So the full, credit card spread type of paste job is better as its assured to fully cover all the chiplets completely. If the grain of rice is not done exactly right and the paste gets pushed more to one side, there's a good chance at least a small part of one of the chiplets won't get covered and you can get funky temp readings as a result.

Too much paste doesn't affect temps, at all. The cooler base will squash out any excess. What it will affect is your attempts to clean off the old paste and greatly affects the possibility you end up shoving some down into the socket. Which is next to impossible to thoroughly clean and not damage anything.

Op. It's a Ryzen. Not an intel. They work differently. With Intel at idle, it turns down clocks and voltages on all cores, but those cores remain active. Any background tasks get split up, so each core only gets a minor spike in usage/temps. With Ryzen, at idle All the cores Except 1 get turned off, inactive. So the full load of all the background tasks is only on 1 core, not 6 or 8. This results in 2 things, first being idle temps Look higher and spikes Look larger, but really aren't. You see 1 temp, from 1 core, it's not 1 temp taken from the hottest of 6 cores. So it's not the full cpu at 50-60, it's just that 1 core doing all the work.

Expect temp jumps. Windows is almost never idle, it's always doing something in the background, be it security checks, malicious data checks, update checks, performance checks, maintenance etc. Figure idle having 2 meanings, it's either you not doing something on the pc, or it's the pc not doing anything you asked it to do. Windows runs itself, so does its own thing without any input from you 👍

Thank you so much for the information. So i should not worry with this spike ?
Actually, 55/60º is a good temp for a CPU, using the computer normally, right ?
I'm a programmer and normally i have 20 brave tabs open, more IntelliJIDEA, and now it never reaches more than 63º.
 

Karadjgne

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You are under throttle or performance limiting temps and its a Ryzen, so will limit itself if it starts getting too warm by lowering its boost. You are good at 60's, no worries.

It's only a spike because a program is starting up and there's a huge influx of work being done in a hundred different directions as windows has to link drivers, files, storage etc into one working program. After that, temps settle down as the program runs. It's kinda like when an air conditioner first starts up, takes a bunch of power to get the motor spinning, but only requires a little to keep it spinning.
 

snaw

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Sep 28, 2018
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You are under throttle or performance limiting temps and its a Ryzen, so will limit itself if it starts getting too warm by lowering its boost. You are good at 60's, no worries.

It's only a spike because a program is starting up and there's a huge influx of work being done in a hundred different directions as windows has to link drivers, files, storage etc into one working program. After that, temps settle down as the program runs. It's kinda like when an air conditioner first starts up, takes a bunch of power to get the motor spinning, but only requires a little to keep it spinning.

I understand that, both the CPU and CPU cooler and working fine. I have to see what software in my computer is provoking those spikes of CPU usage.
Thank you so much for your answer.
 

beers

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I bought this CPU 2 years ago, and before i changed the paste the CPU was reaching 90º just on startup.
Are you paranoid now since you waited so long to change it before? You seem more concerned about 60 than 90 :p

60 is fine, if the fan is annoying you can change the curve so it doesn't ramp up until a higher temperature.
 
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Karadjgne

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Windows. That's what's causing the spikes. Anytime it starts up a process or service. Think of it the same as an AC compressor, soon as it starts the motor sucks a lot of juice and makes a lot of noise. Few seconds later, the initial onrush is over and it only takes a small amount of power to keep spinning. Windows works the same way. At startup of anything, it has to work to link all the appropriate drivers and files, after researching what it needs and going to find the correct addresses and registry keys. Once all that's done and over with, temps settle down as the work is done with, only work left is the actual program.

Everybody bounces, it's not an intel thing or a Ryzen thing or anything wrong with the pc. It's a windows thing.
 
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Reactions: snaw
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