I upgraded my processor from a Ryzen 5 3500X to a Ryzen 7 5700X, and my RTX 3060 Ti is running warmer than before. Previously, the GPU peaked around 82°C and idled between 30–40°C. Since the upgrade, it reaches about 87°C under load and idles around 35–45°C. Is this temperature increase expected because of the faster CPU, or should I improve my case airflow, clean the card, or replace its thermal paste? I'd ideally like to keep the GPU below 80°C if possible.
2 Answers
You’re no longer as CPU-limited, so the graphics card is likely spending more time near 100% utilization while gaming. You can leave it as-is, or lower the temperature with a frame-rate cap, a mild undervolt, or a more aggressive fan curve. Those options may reduce heat without noticeably hurting performance.
Those temperatures aren’t automatically dangerous, but wanting to stay under 80°C is understandable. Start with airflow and dust maintenance before opening the card. Also compare GPU utilization and room temperature while running the same game and settings, since those factors make a big difference.
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