My PC has recently developed stuttering, freezes, crashes, and unusually slow shutdowns or restarts. I cleaned out the dust with compressed air and replaced the CPU cooler after the mounting prongs on the old one broke. Since then, the CPU temperature climbs to around 95°C, followed by freezing and eventually a crash. Lowering the graphics settings in Subnautica only extends the time before a crash from several hours to roughly two hours. Before this started, I could play on high settings without overheating problems. The system is built from parts purchased between 2017 and 2020 and includes an Intel Core i7, a Radeon RX 6900 XT, and four 8 GB DDR4 memory sticks. I have tried swapping the RAM sticks, but the freezes continue. What should I check to determine whether the new cooler is installed correctly or the overheating is coming from another component?
1 Answer
The CPU cooling setup is the first thing to investigate. A temperature around 95°C under load strongly suggests the cooler is not making proper contact, the fan or pump is not working, or the cooler is mounted incorrectly. Remove it, clean the old compound from the CPU and cooler with isopropyl alcohol, then reinstall it with a fresh, appropriate layer of thermal paste. Also confirm that the cooler is firmly secured, the fan is plugged into the CPU_FAN header, and any protective plastic film was removed from the cooler base. Pre-applied paste is normally sufficient, so you should not add another layer on top of it; the issue is more likely poor contact or a mounting problem.
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