Threadripper 2950x Running Hot?

Steverd99

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Jan 14, 2014
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I have testde two coolers on my new Threadripper 2950x and can't get the temp below 52c, is that normal? Using HWMonitor for stats.

Cooler #1 is a Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3, it covers the CPU 100% (Large Air cooler)
While writing this message the CPU is 52C,
Low is 52'C and high is 71'C

Cooler #2 is a Asetek 570LC 120mm (Fatboy) Liquid CPU Cooling System that covers about 80% of the CPU. Lowest recorded temp was 53'C and highest was 69'C

Is this just normal temps for this CPU?
Or should I invest in a 3rd cooler, if so what?

Thoughts please!
 
Solution
First of all, don't use HWmonitor as a first choice for thermal monitoring. Use Ryzen master, or HWinfo, or Core Temp.

Here's why I say that.

HWmonitor, Open hardware monitor, Realtemp, Speccy, Speedfan, Windows utilities, CPU-Z and most of the bundled motherboard utilities are often not the best choice as they are not always accurate. Some are actually grossly inaccurate, especially with certain chipsets or specific sensors that for whatever reason they tend to not like or work well with. I've found HWinfo or CoreTemp to be the MOST accurate with the broadest range of chipsets and sensors. They are also almost religiously kept up to date.

CoreTemp is great for just CPU thermals including core temps or distance to TJmax on AMD...
First of all, don't use HWmonitor as a first choice for thermal monitoring. Use Ryzen master, or HWinfo, or Core Temp.

Here's why I say that.

HWmonitor, Open hardware monitor, Realtemp, Speccy, Speedfan, Windows utilities, CPU-Z and most of the bundled motherboard utilities are often not the best choice as they are not always accurate. Some are actually grossly inaccurate, especially with certain chipsets or specific sensors that for whatever reason they tend to not like or work well with. I've found HWinfo or CoreTemp to be the MOST accurate with the broadest range of chipsets and sensors. They are also almost religiously kept up to date.

CoreTemp is great for just CPU thermals including core temps or distance to TJmax on AMD platforms.

HWinfo is great for pretty much EVERYTHING, including CPU thermals, core loads, core temps, package temps, GPU sensors, HDD and SSD sensors, motherboard chipset and VRM sensor, all of it. Always select the "Sensors only" option when running HWinfo.

In cases where it is relevant and you are seeking help, then in order to help you, it's often necessary to SEE what's going on, in the event one of us can pick something out that seems out of place, or other indicators that just can't be communicated via a text only post. In these cases, posting an image of the HWinfo sensors or something else can be extremely helpful. That may not be the case in YOUR thread, but if it is then the information at the following link will show you how to do that:

*How to post images in Tom's hardware forums



Run HWinfo and look at system voltages and other sensor readings.

Monitoring temperatures, core speeds, voltages, clock ratios and other reported sensor data can often help to pick out an issue right off the bat. HWinfo is a good way to get that data and in my experience tends to be more accurate than some of the other utilities available. CPU-Z, GPU-Z and Core Temp all have their uses but HWinfo tends to have it all laid out in a more convenient fashion so you can usually see what one sensor is reporting while looking at another instead of having to flip through various tabs that have specific groupings.

After installation, run the utility and when asked, choose "sensors only". The other window options have some use but in most cases everything you need will be located in the sensors window. If you're taking screenshots to post for troubleshooting, it will most likely require taking three screenshots and scrolling down the sensors window between screenshots in order to capture them all.

It is most helpful if you can take a series of HWinfo screenshots at idle, after a cold boot to the desktop. Open HWinfo and wait for all of the Windows startup processes to complete. Usually about four or five minutes should be plenty. Take screenshots of all the HWinfo sensors.

Next, run something demanding like Prime95 version 26.6 or Heaven benchmark. Take another set of screenshots while either of those is running so we can see what the hardware is doing while under a load.

*Download HWinfo


For temperature monitoring only, I feel Core Temp is the most accurate and also offers a quick visual reference for core speed, load and CPU voltage:

*Download Core Temp


Of equal importance is what you are using to TEST maximum thermals. Idle temperatures are irrelevant, UNLESS they are very high AND your max temps are beyond spec. Then idle temps are not irrelevant, but having a lower idle temp, say 30°C, has zero benefit over having an idle temp of 50°C if the maximum temps under a full sustained load is the same and is within the acceptable specification.

For you, 71°C is easily within spec if that temperature was achieved running a reliable thermal testing stress utility. There are few of them that can be trusted to actually come within realistic distance of max TDP. The preferred one is Prime95 version 26.6 (AND ONLY that version) running the Small FFT torture test. Heavyload is within a small margin of Small FFT.

Download and install Prime 95 version 26.6, run Small FFT, see what your max temp is using HWinfo.
 
Solution

Steverd99

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Jan 14, 2014
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In Cinebench it jumps to 74'C and then right back down to the 50's.
btw the Cinebench score is 3165 with 8 programs opened.

Prime95 26.6 and HWiNFO
CPU Max was 94.8'C This was with the Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3 Cooler
and CPU also was running at 4.03 gHz, so that's nice to know this can run over 4.0
While I am typing this the CPU is back down to 54.0

Whats your thoughts on the Max temp of 94.8?
Most of the time testing the temps were in the 90-94'C

Thank you
 
WAY TOO HIGH. Are you sure you installed the 26.6 version, and not a different version that uses AVX instructions? AVX versions of Prime95 create way higher, totally unrealistic temps. If you are for sure running version 26.6, then your system is completely out of thermal compliance.

The NH-U14S TR4 should be plenty capable of cooling that CPU. Did you apply thermal paste between the heatsink and CPU heat spreader? If so, how much and in what application method did you use?

Are these thermal readings with the side panel on? How many case fans and what case model do you have? Try it again with the side panel off and see if the temps are lower than before.

Those temps are exceeding the maximum safe thermal envelope by at least 10 degrees. 80 degrees is the maximum safe temperature for all Zen based processors as far as I am aware of.

That may not be including the 20 degree offset though. Download Ryzen master, run the Prime test again and see what temps are reported in Ryzen master.
 

Steverd99

Honorable
Jan 14, 2014
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10,510
Again thank you for the reply.
I installed Ryzen Master which shows Temp 27.13'C while I see 54.3'C in HWiNFO and 54'C on HWMonitor
Yep, what is right? Also I was using Prime95 v26.6 Build 3 WIndows 64

See photo, might make more sense.
temps1_zpsxityzefz.jpg


Also here is my thermal paste pattern from the manual. I might pop the cooler off and see if there is good spread or not.
temps2B_zpss9bqwslc.jpg


It would be nice it the Ryzen Master is the real Temperature.

THoughts?
 
Ryzen master is the real temperature, um, usually. Heh.

Do you have the latest motherboard bios and AMD chipset drivers installed?

What are your full system specs including motherboard, PSU model, memory kit model, case, case fans, etc?

What is your current bios version?

What is your current AMD chipset version?
 

Steverd99

Honorable
Jan 14, 2014
9
0
10,510


Thank you for the replay, the thermal paste video was awesome, so I removed the Noctua cooler and it looked like I have the paste on way too thick, so I redid it like the video - Thank you for the link!!!!

Now Ryzen Master reports 25.25C temperature
HWiNFO shows: CPU Tctl 52.8C and CPU Tdie 25.5'C (Matching Ryzen Maater)

Here is the build basics:
CPU: Threadripper 2950x
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty X399 Taichi
Bios 3.30 (latest)
RAM: 32GB Cosair Vengence DDR 3000Mhz
GPU: GeForce 1080 8GB
Power: 850 Watts - EVGA 850W GQ 80 Plus Gold Power Supply
HD: Samsumg Pro 970 NVM2 M.2
Five case fans: 2 front, 2 top and 1 back

AMD Chipset 17.40.1026