I'm building my first PC with an Intel i5-12400F and the stock CPU cooler. During gaming, the processor reaches around 95°C, while the other temperatures look normal. The cooler seems firmly attached and doesn't wobble. What should I check to find the cause, and is this temperature expected with the stock cooler?
3 Answers
Case airflow could also be contributing. Make sure you have intake and exhaust fans installed and that they’re oriented correctly, with cool air entering from the front or bottom and warm air leaving through the rear or top. Poor airflow can make an already-limited stock cooler perform even worse.
The Intel stock cooler can run quite hot, especially under sustained gaming loads, but 95°C is still worth investigating. Reinstalling it with fresh thermal paste and making sure all four push pins are fully locked may help. If temperatures remain high, an inexpensive aftermarket tower cooler would generally perform much better.
First, check the simple things: make sure any protective plastic film was removed from the cooler’s contact plate and confirm that thermal paste is present and spread properly. A cooler can feel secure while still making poor contact with the CPU.
The cooler isn’t loose, but I’ll double-check the paste, mounting pins, and fan direction before replacing anything.