I've had my Intel i7-11700K for nearly a year without any heating issues, thanks to switching from a Cooler Master AIO to a DeepCool AK500 air cooler. During gameplay, I usually keep an eye on the MSI Afterburner overlay for temps, which stayed below 60°C. But after upgrading to an EVGA 3070 from my previous 1080 Ti, I noticed that my CPU temperature jumps to a staggering 90-100°C as soon as I launch any game, like Rocket League. Interestingly, my CPU usage never hits more than 50%, and the power draw is under 150W. I've already reapplied thermal paste and cleaned my PC, but the problem persists.
5 Answers
It sounds like the 3070 might be pushing your i7-11700K harder than the 1080 Ti did. The AK500 should keep it under 90°C unless there are airflow issues. Make sure to check your CPU fan speed through MSI Afterburner or HWInfo64, and verify that your fan profile in the BIOS is set correctly. Also, consider your ambient temperature; if it's particularly high (like around 30°C), you might need a more powerful cooler. I've had a similar setup and my CPU stays around 77°C with a DeepCool AK620, so a beefier cooler might be necessary!
Check your case and fan setup! When I upgraded my nephew from a 1070 Ti to a 3080, we faced similar heat issues. If your fans were arranged for an AIO cooler, you might need to adjust them for the new GPU, as the extra heat from the GPU can impact CPU temperatures too.
Have you thought about frame rate limiting? It might help keep your CPU temps down.
Like using VSync?
Double-check that you removed any plastic film from the cooler and applied the thermal paste correctly. It might be worth taking the cooler off, cleaning the CPU, and reapplying the paste if needed. Make sure there's no residue left on there. If that's not the issue, then we can troubleshoot further from there.
I applied the thermal paste perfectly fine, so I'm not sure if that's the issue.
Have you tried rolling back your Nvidia drivers? Some versions can cause overheating issues, and it might help with the temperature spikes.
I used DDU to remove old Nvidia drivers and just installed version 566 for the 3070.
I think I have a Corsair 3000D case.