Hey everyone! I've got this old rig that I've been nursing along since 2011, originally a graduation gift. It's gone through some changes, like a case swap in 2020 and a GTX 970 upgrade, but I'm starting to hit some serious heat issues with my Core i7 960, where temps are consistently hitting 95-100°C. I've tried reapplying thermal paste, cleaning it up, and maxing out the fan speed, but nothing seems to help.
I'm considering if the high temps are just because the chip is aging or if there's something more troubling with the motherboard. I found some LGA 1366 CPUs priced between $50-$80, like the Core i7-980X Extreme Edition, and I'm curious if swapping out the CPU will help with my thermal issues.
Also, I'm thinking about getting an AIO liquid cooler since my Corsair 110Q case can accommodate various radiator sizes. Do more powerful coolers provide a significant benefit? Any suggestions on reasonably priced ones?
Lastly, I'm limited to DDR3 RAM and currently have 12GB in 2GB sticks, which served me well back in the day. I've heard I could potentially upgrade to 24GB with 2x16GB kits, but is there a limitation that would prevent that? Any budget-friendly RAM recommendations would also be appreciated! Thanks for reading my lengthy post; I'd love to hear your insights!
1 Answer
Honestly, have you thought about just building a new system altogether? Tossing more money into this old build won't yield much in terms of performance. If you can manage to save up for a fresh setup, that might be worth it in the long run. But, if you're keen on upgrading, a new CPU like the one you're considering could help, and an AIO cooler should definitely help keep those temps down!
I’m open to a partial build! I’ve got a decent case and GPU that can handle older games. I'm looking to stretch my budget just enough to last until next year before getting a whole new rig.