I've noticed that my AMD 9800X3D runs at about 85°C when I'm gaming, and when it's idle, it cools down to around 42°C. I'm using a Corsair AIO cooler. Could this high temperature be due to me applying too little thermal paste?
4 Answers
That temperature is pretty normal for gaming. However, it might help to adjust your AIO fan curve, as 85°C is on the warm side. Just keep an eye on it!
You really only need just enough thermal paste to fill the gaps between the CPU and the cooler; too little can definitely cause overheating, though! It’s also worth checking to make sure the screws on your cooler are tightened properly. If they feel secure, maybe give them a quarter turn more to see if that helps lower your temps.
From what I remember, having too much thermal paste isn’t an issue; it’s really about not having enough that can be a problem.
Honestly, 85°C isn’t terrible, but it’s getting up there. You might want to look at the pump settings in your BIOS, especially if it's on a 'silent' profile. That could be causing it to run hotter than necessary while you're gaming.
85°C during gaming isn’t great, right? When I game, I'm usually around 50 to 55°C, so something seems off. What resolution are you gaming at? If it's 1080p, that would help explain it, but if not, we might need to dig deeper into your AIO’s specs and how much thermal paste you used.
I'll give that a shot. They feel tight, but I’ll try another turn!