I just finished building my first PC and overall, I'm really happy with how it turned out! However, I'm a bit concerned about my CPU temperature while it's idling. It's sitting around 55°C, and I'm worried it might be too warm due to improper cooling or issues with the thermal paste application. I have a few theories about why the temperature is higher than I'd like:
- I might have used too much or too little thermal paste.
- The cooler or fan speed settings could be off.
- My case has 'silent' panels, which could be affecting airflow.
- The cooler may not be powerful enough for my CPU.
Here are the specs of my build:
- Front intake: 420mm be quiet Silent Wings 4
- AIO cooler: be quiet Silent Loop 3
- Top exhaust: AIO radiator 360 mm
- Case: be quiet Silent Base 802
- CPU: Ryzen 7 9800x3d
- I also have a 5070Ti, but that shouldn't impact idle temperatures much.
4 Answers
55°C is good, especially in warmer conditions. If you're concerned about heat, you could limit your CPU frequency a bit:
Windows: Control panel > Power settings > Advanced > 'CPU power management' and adjust the 'max CPU state' to 60-70%.
Linux: Use the command `sudo cpupower frequency-set -u 2500mhz`. Just be aware that lowering the frequency could impact performance as well!
It all depends on your environment and how your AIO is mounted. But 55°C is totally normal; I wouldn’t stress over it.
Idle temps can vary. If you monitor with hwinfo64, you'll get more insights. If the CPU is pulling about 20-40 watts, then 55°C is reasonable. Just keep an eye on that SOC voltage because if it’s high, your idle temps might spike.
Thanks! I checked out hwinfo64 like you suggested, and I liked it a lot more than the MSI Center. And funny enough, my temp dropped 5°C when I closed MSI Center. My CPU package power is around 24W and the SOC voltage is 1.205V.
That's great! Sounds like your setup is doing alright.
55°C while idling is actually fine! You shouldn’t worry about it too much.
Thanks! But doesn't that just change the limits instead of solving the root issue?