I just put together a new PC yesterday after not diving into hardware for six years. Everything seems to be running okay, but when I test it with a few games, the CPU temperature skyrockets to 95 degrees, while it idles around 50 degrees. I'm using a Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB cooler, and I've checked the thermal paste to ensure it's spread out evenly, also reseated the heatsink properly. One potential issue I noticed is that I had to lift the external fan about half an inch due to RAM clearance. I have good airflow with two 140mm fans in the front, a 120mm in the back, and two 120mm reverse fans at the bottom. However, even though I'm not facing any performance issues while gaming, I feel that running at 95 degrees isn't ideal! Also, a quick note: make sure to remove any protective stickers on the heatsink before use!
2 Answers
The fan being slightly raised shouldn't be causing major overheating issues since you've got decent airflow with all your fans. The Phantom Spirit cooler should be more than enough for a 9800 x3d CPU. However, 95 degrees is definitely unusual if you're just gaming. Are you sure the CPU is maxing out during gameplay? Also, what's your motherboard model? There have been reports about Asrock boards having issues with the 9800 x3ds.
Did you double-check if there’s a clear protective film on the heatsink? A lot of them require you to peel that off during installation; if left on, it can trap heat and cause higher temperatures. It might be worth removing the heatsink again just to verify!
Yup, I totally spaced on that! Just realized I left the plastic 'remove before use' sticker on. Feeling a bit silly right now!
My motherboard is a GIGABYTE B850M EAGLE WIFI6E. The GPU is a Radeon RX 9070 xt that runs cool at around 26 degrees.