I'm running a Core i5-13600KF, an RTX 5070 Ti, and an ASUS H610M-E D4 motherboard. The system originally used a Core i5-12400F and an RTX 3070. It had worked normally for about nine months, including regular gaming, but after running Cinebench R23 for roughly two minutes, I noticed a strong burning smell coming from around the CPU area.
I shut the system down and checked the GPU power connector and power supply, but neither had any visible damage or odor. The CPU VRM area is difficult to inspect because my DeepCool AK620 cooler blocks part of it. After letting the computer cool down, it booted and operated normally. However, the smell returned when I played a CPU-heavy section of Cyberpunk 2077. It did not happen in another game, and I stopped testing after noticing the odor again.
A hardware log showed the reported Vcore VRM temperature rising from about 54°C to 98°C over four minutes, while CPU temperatures stayed around 66–86°C. CPU power peaked at roughly 140 W, with no reported throttling or critical-temperature warnings. The system still performs normally, but I have stopped gaming on it because I'm concerned about the smell.
I ordered an MSI B760M-A PRO WIFI DDR4 motherboard because it should have stronger power delivery than the H610 board. Was replacing the motherboard a sensible fix, or should I be checking the cooler, VRM heatsink contact, cables, power supply, or something else before using the system again?
3 Answers
Before installing the replacement board, remove the AK620 and inspect the VRM heatsink and surrounding components directly. Check that there is no protective film left on the cooler contact surface, that the cooler is mounted correctly, and that the case has airflow across the motherboard. Confirm that every motherboard and CPU power cable is fully seated and undamaged. Do not rely only on HWiNFO or the absence of throttling—those protections monitor temperature and power limits, not every possible electrical or material failure. If the new board is installed, test it first with conservative CPU power limits and stop immediately if the smell returns.
The H610 board is a very basic platform and is not an ideal match for sustained heavy loads from a 13600KF, even if it handles ordinary gaming much of the time. A stronger B760 board is a reasonable upgrade, but it is not proof that the H610 VRM caused the smell, and it may not fix the problem if the source is the cooler, a cable, or another component. Also, a reported VRM temperature around 98°C is high but not automatically destructive; many VRMs tolerate higher temperatures or shut down before immediate failure. The odor is the more important warning sign.
Do not keep stress-testing the system while there is a real burning odor. Shut it down, unplug it, and inspect the motherboard, VRM area, cooler, power connectors, and nearby cables with the cooler and graphics card removed if necessary. A smell can come from a hot component, damaged insulation, adhesive, dust, or even something organic inside the case; the fact that it seems to come from the CPU area does not prove the VRM is the source. Look for discoloration, softened plastic, scorching, bulging components, or melted cable insulation. If you cannot identify the source, have a repair shop inspect it before powering it up again.
The odor was strongest around the CPU area, while the GPU and power supply had no noticeable smell. It only appeared during heavy CPU workloads, so I suspected the motherboard power circuitry, but I agree that I should inspect everything rather than assume.
The computer ran games normally for months, but that does not guarantee the board has enough thermal headroom for sustained all-core loads. Cyberpunk can also produce a different CPU load than many other games, which would explain why the smell appears there and not elsewhere.