Question What are some ways i can lower my cpu tempatures?

Oct 6, 2019
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I have an AMD FX 8120 8 core processor that works pretty good. My issue is when i try to play games like fortnite my pc will load it up then just shut off, I expect this happens when my cpu temps go too high im not too sure. On the website Can i run it, it says i have more than enough power to play fortnite so now i dont know what to do. Im using a stock cooler and just recently re applied thermal paste. I also have one extra fan on the side of the case.
 
What is your motherboard model number?

Do you have any budget available for applying towards a solution to your thermal issue? Whatever the issue is, it's not going to be a free fix, although I CAN tell you THAT for nothing. :)

Also, what is your case model? How many case fans? What direction is EACH fan blowing?

What if anything have you used to check CPU temperatures? I would recommend that you download and install AMD Overdrive, because that is the only TRUE way to monitor thermals on FX processors. You CAN use Core Temp, but Overdrive is easier and more accurate in this case. Once Overdrive is installed, monitor the thermal margin and make sure you are not dropping below 10°C to TJmax.

If you do not understand thermal margin on FX platforms, then I would highly recommend you gain an understanding of it by reading this which explains thermal margin on AMD FX platforms.

 

PdxPetmonster

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If you're only cooling is one case fan, I'd look to remedy that was soon as possible. If you've got a box fan, or something similar, pop the side of the case off and aim it into the case, then give gaming a try again and see what your results are then.
 
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Just taking off the side panel should tell you whether the problem is a lack of airflow through the case or not. Adding a box fan literally does NOTHING unless the problem is VRM overheating that requires more direct airflow, in which case you have a board problem rather than a CPU or GPU problem.
 
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InvalidError

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If you're only cooling is one case fan, I'd look to remedy that was soon as possible.
A single good fan at the rear behind the CPU's HSF (the best position to guarantee some airflow across the entire PCB and the VRM area typically between the CPU socket and rear panel IOs) is enough to take care of most builds' cooling requirements. More fans allows you to get the same airflow at lower RPMs and lower noise using cheaper fans.
 
Or to get serious airflow with almost no noise, with multiple 140mm Noctua fans. ;)

Fact: Most OEM systems or low budget cases, do not come with a single good fan at the rear. They usually come with a single, small, weak fan at the rear. At least, most the ones I've ever seen or worked on.
 
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What are your full hardware specifications?

CPU
Motherboard
Memory
Graphics card
EXACT power supply model
Motherboard BIOS version
Windows version and bit depth
AMD FX 8120 8 cores
Asus M5A78L-M PLUS/USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard
16gb ddr3
Nvidia gtx 750 ti
Dont know much about my PSU besides it being 500W +
Dont know my bios version
I have win10 64 bit (if you can tell me how to find PSU name and bios version i can do it)
 
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For the specifications, you're right. For the model, that usually TELLS you that those specifications are unbelievable, based on who sold it and what the platform is. As you know, the lack of information on any given model often tells you more than any review could.
 

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
Knowing the PSU is a must, of course (as others have said, you really need to look at it as this is very important information), but I do suspect the VRMs here. 125W AM3+ CPUs are notorious for running like hot garbage on budget AM3+ motherboards, even when officially supported
 
Agreed. At first glance I was thinking that he had a M5A97 EVO or Pro, but being as it's the M5A78L-M Plus, not even a 970 chipset but a 760G chipset, it's definitely not good enough quality for that CPU and given it's age, it's probably even LESS capable than it was when it was new because I'm sure some of those capacitors and mosfets in the VRMs are somewhat broken down by now which is probably why any CPU bound games are having problems. The minute it becomes necessary for the CPU to put in some real work, it's probably throttling itself to death. I'd like to say you simply need to discard this whole mess and not put any money into it, but knowing what region you are from and how hard to come by and expensive hardware is there, I can't do that as easily as I would for somebody else.

It is what it is though. If you want that system to do things it's not currently capable of doing, you are probably going to need both a PSU and a much better motherboard. It is, what it is.
 
Oct 6, 2019
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Agreed. At first glance I was thinking that he had a M5A97 EVO or Pro, but being as it's the M5A78L-M Plus, not even a 970 chipset but a 760G chipset, it's definitely not good enough quality for that CPU and given it's age, it's probably even LESS capable than it was when it was new because I'm sure some of those capacitors and mosfets in the VRMs are somewhat broken down by now which is probably why any CPU bound games are having problems. The minute it becomes necessary for the CPU to put in some real work, it's probably throttling itself to death. I'd like to say you simply need to discard this whole mess and not put any money into it, but knowing what region you are from and how hard to come by and expensive hardware is there, I can't do that as easily as I would for somebody else.

It is what it is though. If you want that system to do things it's not currently capable of doing, you are probably going to need both a PSU and a much better motherboard. It is, what it is.
Im for NA and this was a prebuilt pc i got recently so im guessing thats why certain parts are very old or whatever. So considering what you said the pc is fine if i keep doing stuff that doesnt require a lot of work? I just had a technician replace the PSU a month ago so i doubt its that. But today after school i can check the exact model. As for the motherboard couldnt I just buy a new compatible motherboard that can improve m,y cpu capabilities?
 

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
Im for NA and this was a prebuilt pc i got recently so im guessing thats why certain parts are very old or whatever. So considering what you said the pc is fine if i keep doing stuff that doesnt require a lot of work? I just had a technician replace the PSU a month ago so i doubt its that. But today after school i can check the exact model. As for the motherboard couldnt I just buy a new compatible motherboard that can improve m,y cpu capabilities?

There are a lot of garbage technicians out there who cut corners and throw junk PSUs in computers. We definitely need the exact PSU model. You're being asked this quite intentionally.

You could buy a better quality motherboard, but a proper one is going to be about $100 used and it's really hard to tell you to throw $100 into a disappointing 2012 platform when it's 2019. If the problem is motherboard related, you're better off simply underclocking the CPU so that it's not a 125W CPU anymore.
 
Sorry, as far as region goes I think I mistook this thread for another where the user lives in Hungary. Assuming you are in the US then there are some options that are open to you, but as has been mentioned twice now, by myself and by Dszymborksi, I REALLY don't think the platform is worth putting money into. Not when you could get into a platform that would be MILES better than what you have now, for around 350 bucks. It would cost you at least 200 bucks because they have been out of production and end of life for a good long while now, at least, for a new board of good enough quality to run that CPU without issues, and a used board, given the age of the platform, is a poor and risky investment because most of them are probably not going to last very long and you'll still probably pay around 100 bucks for one. So, it's an option, but it's a lousy option if you ask me.

I would also recommend that unless you are a complete idiot when it comes to doing things of a mechanical nature, there is no need to be paying a technician to do anything for you. I know 14 year old kids and 80 year old men that do this stuff, so if they can, most anybody can. And I'm talking about troubleshooting most problems, replacing hardware like power supplies and motherboards. Installing upgrades, etc.

If you have a phillips screwdriver you can do 90% of what needs done on any desktop computer. If you have that plus a pair of needle nose pliers, you can probably do closer to 100% of it, not counting very advanced testing and things that require equipment none of us are likely to have. Even a basic volt meter can be obtained from Walmart or Harbor freight, if you should ever need one, for less than ten bucks.

So anyhow, back to the issues at hand.

If you want to replace the board, something like this is an option, but could be a risk as I said because you don't know or have any idea how long any used board is going to last, or what it's history of treatment is. It could have been seriously overclocked for five years and now it's ready for the trash pile, and even the seller isn't aware of it. Then again, you could get lucky.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-ASUS-S...579213?hash=item1a87af8ecd:g:wRkAAOSw5B9dvGh9


Something like this, would be a much wiser investment of your money.


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($117.58 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($69.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $251.46
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-01 15:07 EDT-0400
 
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Sorry, as far as region goes I think I mistook this thread for another where the user lives in Hungary. Assuming you are in the US then there are some options that are open to you, but as has been mentioned twice now, by myself and by Dszymborksi, I REALLY don't think the platform is worth putting money into. Not when you could get into a platform that would be MILES better than what you have now, for around 350 bucks. It would cost you at least 200 bucks because they have been out of production and end of life for a good long while now, at least, for a new board of good enough quality to run that CPU without issues, and a used board, given the age of the platform, is a poor and risky investment because most of them are probably not going to last very long and you'll still probably pay around 100 bucks for one. So, it's an option, but it's a lousy option if you ask me.

I would also recommend that unless you are a complete idiot when it comes to doing things of a mechanical nature, there is no need to be paying a technician to do anything for you. I know 14 year old kids and 80 year old men that do this stuff, so if they can, most anybody can. And I'm talking about troubleshooting most problems, replacing hardware like power supplies and motherboards. Installing upgrades, etc.

If you have a phillips screwdriver you can do 90% of what needs done on any desktop computer. If you have that plus a pair of needle nose pliers, you can probably do closer to 100% of it, not counting very advanced testing and things that require equipment none of us are likely to have. Even a basic volt meter can be obtained from Walmart or Harbor freight, if you should ever need one, for less than ten bucks.

So anyhow, back to the issues at hand.

If you want to replace the board, something like this is an option, but could be a risk as I said because you don't know or have any idea how long any used board is going to last, or what it's history of treatment is. It could have been seriously overclocked for five years and now it's ready for the trash pile, and even the seller isn't aware of it. Then again, you could get lucky.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-ASUS-S...579213?hash=item1a87af8ecd:g:wRkAAOSw5B9dvGh9


Something like this, would be a much wiser investment of your money.


PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor ($117.58 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($69.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Flare X 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $251.46
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-01 15:07 EDT-0400
whats so old about my pc? is it the motherboard or what? I would be okay with replacing my motherboard for one that is a lot better but i dont wanna have to buy a whole new system right now when it seems i can just replace one part
 
Your CPU is a 8 year old model, released in 2011. 8 years is FOREVER in PC lifespans. Technically, it's a wonder your motherboard even still works. Most of those old, low end budget boards didn't make it to five years old. They just were not designed to. They were assembled using cheap components without particularly stringent quality assurance standards like higher tiered offerings, and the low quality of the component selection for things like capacitors, mosfets, PC board thickness, trace thickness, etc., all lend themselves to not only less than admirable initial performance but a lack of staying power, ESPECIALLY when used with high TDP processors like yours which they were never actually intended to be used with due to the probable effects of thermal VRM throttling and electrical fatigue on components not designed to withstand that level of stress.

If you can find a GOOD 990FX or 970 chipset board, at a reasonable price, then it may be worth it. If you have to spend more than 100 bucks to get one, then in my opinion that is 100 bucks that would be FAR better put towards a new platform that doesn't have only about a third of the performance of even entry level platforms from current generations.

Any of these would be ok choices, but I seriously believe it to be a waste of your money if you can even find one anymore that is trustworthy and doesn't already have many miles around the block.

(Be sure to check when looking for a motherboard that any of the models shown below are either 990fx, 990 or 970 chipsets. A Z170 Extreme6 for example, is not going to work with your FX processor, so, in this example, you want to look for the 990/990fx Extreme6.)

GA-990FXA-UD7
Extreme6
Extreme9
Fatal1ty 990FX Professional
Crosshair V Formula-Z
Sabertooth 990FX R2.0
GA-99FXA-UD5
MSI GD80V2
M5A99FX PRO R2.0
GA-99FXA-UD3
MSI GD65V2
990FX Killer
Extreme4
M5A99X EVO (R2.0 as well)
GA-990XA-UD3
990XA-GD55
GA-970A-UD3P
M5A97 or EVO or PRO (R.2 as well)
GA-970A-UD3
970 GAMING
970A SLI Krait (USB 3.1 supported)
 
Oct 6, 2019
22
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Your CPU is a 8 year old model, released in 2011. 8 years is FOREVER in PC lifespans. Technically, it's a wonder your motherboard even still works. Most of those old, low end budget boards didn't make it to five years old. They just were not designed to. They were assembled using cheap components without particularly stringent quality assurance standards like higher tiered offerings, and the low quality of the component selection for things like capacitors, mosfets, PC board thickness, trace thickness, etc., all lend themselves to not only less than admirable initial performance but a lack of staying power, ESPECIALLY when used with high TDP processors like yours which they were never actually intended to be used with due to the probable effects of thermal VRM throttling and electrical fatigue on components not designed to withstand that level of stress.

If you can find a GOOD 990FX or 970 chipset board, at a reasonable price, then it may be worth it. If you have to spend more than 100 bucks to get one, then in my opinion that is 100 bucks that would be FAR better put towards a new platform that doesn't have only about a third of the performance of even entry level platforms from current generations.

Any of these would be ok choices, but I seriously believe it to be a waste of your money if you can even find one anymore that is trustworthy and doesn't already have many miles around the block.

(Be sure to check when looking for a motherboard that any of the models shown below are either 990fx, 990 or 970 chipsets. A Z170 Extreme6 for example, is not going to work with your FX processor, so, in this example, you want to look for the 990/990fx Extreme6.)

GA-990FXA-UD7
Extreme6
Extreme9
Fatal1ty 990FX Professional
Crosshair V Formula-Z
Sabertooth 990FX R2.0
GA-99FXA-UD5
MSI GD80V2
M5A99FX PRO R2.0
GA-99FXA-UD3
MSI GD65V2
990FX Killer
Extreme4
M5A99X EVO (R2.0 as well)
GA-990XA-UD3
990XA-GD55
GA-970A-UD3P
M5A97 or EVO or PRO (R.2 as well)
GA-970A-UD3
970 GAMING
970A SLI Krait (USB 3.1 supported)
Is my pc fine to keep using as long as i dont do stuff that really works the cpu? I will look into saving money for an entirely new build but i dont know how long itll take me to save that as im 15. I dont HAVE to game on this pc so ill live without that part but id like to continue using it for school and watch youtube. Would my pc be able to do that and not break anytime soon?
 

InvalidError

Titan
Moderator
Your CPU is a 8 year old model, released in 2011. 8 years is FOREVER in PC lifespans. Technically, it's a wonder your motherboard even still works. Most of those old, low end budget boards didn't make it to five years old.
Eight years USED to be 'forever' back when performance per dollar doubled every other year. Performance per dollar has barely doubled over the past eight years going from ~$200 i5-2500k back then to ~$200 Ryzen 3600(X) today. Of course, things are a bit different when the starting point is an FX CPU.

Board-wise, I have always bought along the cheapest board I could find that had everything I needed on it and all of them so far have lasted 10+ years including more or less 24/7 operation as my main PC from initial build until the next platform upgrade where it gets demoted to living room PC. My current PC has an Asus h77m board (didn't expect to keep it as my main PC for over four years, ended up wishing I got the ATX variant for extra USB3 ports and NVMe in PCIe slots) and is still 100% stable after seven years. My Core2 has an Asus P5Q, still gets used 3-4 hours/day, still trouble-free after 11 years. I'd be disappointed if one of my PCs didn't last 10+ years, especially if performance per dollar continues creeping up as slowly as it has over the past decade. Memory price hasn't improved much since then either, still about the same per GB, that's another disappointment.

As for throwing more money at FX-era CPUs, I definitely wouldn't bother either. Much better off setting that money aside for a platform upgrade.
 
Yeah, but you weren't running 125w CPUs on boards that were designed for 95w processors.


As far as USING your system, I don't really see any reason to not use it. Just don't do things that cause it to wig out. Eventually though, it will likely start wigging out more often and in less demanding situations. The bottom line is, something is already showing signs of "done haddit" and that generally only gets worse with time. Keep things light and it's probably ok for at least a while. It's hard to say though. Motherboards, power supplies, graphics cards, storage devices that were fine one day, might completely die the next day under the best of circumstances, much less when there are already signs that something is wrong. If you are determined to keep using that system, I'd get a better board. That board was never designed with the use of a 125w CPU in mind.
 
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Just taking off the side panel should tell you whether the problem is a lack of airflow through the case or not. Adding a box fan literally does NOTHING unless the problem is VRM overheating that requires more direct airflow, in which case you have a board problem rather than a CPU or GPU problem.

Dark is absolutely right. If you pull your side off and you get an improvement, its a box issue. If not, you have other problems. And a box fan will only help MB temps, not cpu or gpu as the dyes are covered by heatsinks anyways.

Dark has your best answer.
 
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Yeah, but you weren't running 125w CPUs on boards that were designed for 95w processors.


As far as USING your system, I don't really see any reason to not use it. Just don't do things that cause it to wig out. Eventually though, it will likely start wigging out more often and in less demanding situations. The bottom line is, something is already showing signs of "done haddit" and that generally only gets worse with time. Keep things light and it's probably ok for at least a while. It's hard to say though. Motherboards, power supplies, graphics cards, storage devices that were fine one day, might completely die the next day under the best of circumstances, much less when there are already signs that something is wrong. If you are determined to keep using that system, I'd get a better board. That board was never designed with the use of a 125w CPU in mind.
Im down to buy a new pc entirely but like i said ill need time to save that money so Im asking is this pc gonna die SOON? The Pc only wigs out in games like fortnite the rest is perfectly fine (to me).
 

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