I recently upgraded from a 5900x to a 9800x3D, and I'm facing some serious thermal issues right out of the box. With all settings at stock, my CPU immediately hits 95°C and starts thermal throttling down to 5GHz during stress tests. I achieved a Cinebench R23 score of 21219, but after applying a -30 curve optimizer undervolt in PBO, temperatures dropped to around 85°C, allowing the CPU to boost to about 5225 MHz. I haven't fully tested long-term stability yet, but initial results show a score of 23274.
These temperatures seem way too high, especially since my case panels (NR200P) are currently off. I'm using a Scythe Mugen 5 cooler with two Noctua NF-F12 fans in a push/pull configuration running at full speed, and I've reapplied thermal paste with no improvement.
Is it common for the 9800x3D to run this hot on air cooling right out of the box? The room is a bit warm at 77°F, but I don't think that should cause such a significant impact.
3 Answers
Yeah, the Scythe Mugen 5 seems a bit undersized for the 9800X3D. A Thermalright Phantom Spirit would do a better job at keeping the temperatures down. Just remember that synthetic benchmarks like Cinebench stress the CPU more than regular usage will, so focus on max temps during your everyday tasks.
Cinebench is just a synthetic benchmark, remember that. What are your maximum temps during actual gameplay? Also, if you’re hitting mid-90s while playing games like BF2042, that’s definitely something to keep an eye on.
You might want to consider getting a new cooler for your 9800X3D. The Scythe Mugen 5 might not be up to the task for these CPUs, especially with how hot they can run. From what I’ve seen, dual tower coolers like the Ninja or FUMA series perform significantly better than single tower designs. If you prefer air cooling, the Peerless Assassin or the latest Noctua monster cooler that fits your case are good options. Otherwise, consider an Arctic Liquid 360 v3 AIO if that fits in your setup.
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