I've just built a new PC with a 9800x3d processor, and I've noticed a slight plastic smell during stress testing with CPU-Z. The temperatures seem fine, sitting at 65°C while under load and dropping to 27.3°C when idle. Is this smell normal for a new setup? I've been using an AK620 air cooler for cooling, and my PC is only three days old. Should I be concerned?
4 Answers
Honestly, as long as you don’t smell anything resembling burnt electronics or see smoke, I wouldn't worry too much. I had a similar experience with my PSU just a few months after building my PC; replacing it eliminated the smell for good, so it's something to keep an eye on!
When devices are new, they sometimes give off a 'new car smell'—it's just off-gassing. Your cooler may also be pushing around hot air, which can intensify that smell. Check if it gets worse or changes to something like a fishy odor; that would be a red flag!
Make sure you didn’t leave the plastic sticker on the cooler; that happens way too often! But if it's just a mild plastic smell, you're likely not dealing with anything serious. It’s probably just your components settling in. Keep monitoring the temps just to be safe!
It's not uncommon for new hardware to emit a plastic smell, especially within the first few days. They can off-gas some odors as they heat up, but since your CPU temps are stable, it sounds like everything is okay. Just keep an eye on it. If it starts to smell like burnt plastic or something really off, then you might want to investigate further.
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