My AMD Ryzen 7 5700 has been running for about nine months, but it recently started overheating badly. The BIOS reports around 60°C, and in Windows it sits near 80°C even with no applications open. Starting a game makes the temperature climb until the computer shuts itself off. I'm using the stock AMD cooler with its original thermal paste and haven't intentionally changed any CPU settings. I noticed the cooler wasn't actually screwed down properly, and the motherboard backplate had also fallen off. Could that loose mounting be the cause, and should I remount the cooler with fresh thermal paste or replace it?
3 Answers
The processor itself probably hasn’t suddenly gone bad. A sudden increase like this is usually caused by poor cooler contact, dried or disturbed thermal paste, or a failed fan. Check that the fan spins, the heatsink is sitting flat, and all mounting hardware is installed correctly. BIOS temperatures around 60°C and idle Windows temperatures around 80°C strongly suggest a mounting or cooling issue rather than normal behavior.
The stock cooler can handle this CPU when it’s installed correctly, although a larger aftermarket cooler will run quieter and cooler. Some people also reduce temperatures with curve optimizer or lower-voltage settings, but fix the physical mounting problem first before changing BIOS settings.
A cooler that isn’t screwed down firmly is very likely the problem. It needs even, solid pressure against the CPU so heat can transfer into the heatsink. Turn the computer off, reinstall or secure the backplate and cooler correctly, clean off the old paste, and apply a small amount of new thermal paste. Don’t run games with the cooler loose. If the stock cooler still gives poor temperatures after it’s mounted properly, an inexpensive tower cooler such as a Thermalright Phantom Spirit or Arctic Freezer 34 should help significantly.
I found that the backplate had come loose, so I’m securing it again and ordered fresh thermal paste. I hadn’t realized the cooler was not mounted properly.