Hey everyone! I recently got a new MSI Vector A16 HX laptop, which has a Ryzen 9 8940HX and a 5070ti, along with 16 GB of DDR5 and Windows 11 Home. I've been running into a strange problem where my CPU is reaching temperatures in the 90s°C even when I'm just playing games that aren't too demanding—I'm talking about using only about 5% of the CPU. For instance, while playing an older game like Lord of the Rings Online, I can be standing still with no other players around, and the temperature climbs up to 92°C, while the GPU only hits the low 80s°C or even 70s°C.
On the flip side, when I do stress tests like the Cinebench single and multi-core tests, the CPU stays well below 90°C even under full load for 10 minutes. The highest it got during those tests was around 89°C, so I'm puzzled by why it runs cooler under stress conditions but overheats during light gaming.
I've recently repasted with MX6, and that didn't seem to help, as the issue persists across both old and new games. I'm aware that some people might suggest using a cooling pad, but I'm interested in understanding why this anomaly is occurring first. Any insights would be really appreciated! Thanks!
4 Answers
It sounds like you're dealing with a thermal sensor issue. Sometimes, different sensors on the CPU report temperatures from different areas, which can create inconsistencies. Have you checked the individual core temperatures to see if one core is getting particularly hot? That might help identify the problem.
It could also be that certain games trigger specific CPU behaviors, causing spikes in temperatures. Sometimes, engines can be more demanding in unexpected ways, even when overall CPU usage is low. Keep an eye on that!
Based on your post, this might be an operating system issue, possibly related to background processes or power management settings. Those could be affecting performance during gaming while allowing the stress test to run smoothly. Have you considered checking your OS settings?
Looks like the thermal paste is a factor here. Even though you just replaced it, ensure the cooler is properly mounted and evenly tightened to the CPU. Sometimes, even a tiny misalignment can cause overheating. Check that out first and see if that changes anything.
I appreciate the tip! I’ll double-check the cooler's alignment, but it's strange how it handles full load tests without issue.
I didn't think about checking individual core temperatures! I’ll take a look at those. I heard that the TCTL readings might be inflated to activate fans sooner, which seems plausible.