Hey everyone, I've got a 13900KF CPU and it's running at a pretty high 86 degrees Celsius with only 16% usage. I recently installed a triple fan water cooler and applied new nanodiamond thermal paste, but I'm puzzled as to why the temperature is still so high. The performance of my 9070 XT GPU is fine at 54 degrees, so I don't think it's an airflow issue in the case. Any suggestions on how to lower the CPU temperature? Thanks in advance! (Just to clarify, the water cooler fans are spinning at about 1800 RPM and the pump at around 1400 RPM, although it's hard to tell since the pump is registered as a fan.)
8 Answers
86°C at only 16% usage is definitely not normal for your CPU setup. First, check if the pump is actually operational; you should feel a vibration or see a reasonable RPM in your BIOS. If that's all good, consider remounting the cooler and carefully reapplying that thermal paste. If it still runs hot after that, you may need to investigate BIOS settings or power limits. It sounds like a physical cooling issue. How are your case fans configured for airflow?
You might just want to try replacing the thermal paste again. If that doesn't help, it could be time for a new cooler! I personally found success switching to an air cooler. Just a thought!
I’m not a big fan of AIO coolers. I recommend trying a traditional heatsink and fan setup. If your temperatures drop significantly with that, you’ll know what to stick with!
You should definitely take a look at your intake and exhaust fan setup as it could help your overall case airflow! Also, tweaking the CPU fan curve could make a significant difference. Good luck with it!
It sounds like there could've been an issue with the cooler mounting or maybe even a pump failure. I'd recommend reinstalling the cooler correctly and trying undervolting if your temperatures don’t improve. Good luck!
Consider looking into higher quality heat sinks with fans if you're looking to upgrade your cooling solution. That might help a lot!
There have been BIOS updates causing similar overheating issues, so check if rolling back to an older version might help your setup. Just my two cents, but it’s worth considering!
If all else fails, think about underclocking or undervolting your CPU, or possibly getting a better cooler. You've got a bit of headroom before hitting thermal throttle, but that's still quite toasty!
Exactly, getting that pump running right is crucial! My own 13700K runs around 80°C under stress, and I’ve read that 13900s can tolerate up to 100°C, but you shouldn’t hit those temps at idle.