Over the past two months, my PC has started running noticeably warmer in games, even though I haven't changed the hardware or the games I play. It used to stay around the mid-to-high 50s or low 60s °C, but now it often reaches the 60s and sometimes climbs into the low 70s. The system has an ASUS TUF Z790-Plus motherboard, an Intel i7-13700K, an RTX 4080, 64 GB of RAM, a Lian Li AIO cooler, and 10 fans. I repasted the CPU about a month ago. What could be causing the increase, and should I be concerned?
4 Answers
Low-70s temperatures are completely normal for either the CPU or GPU while gaming. You generally do not need to worry unless temperatures are approaching the component’s thermal limit, performance starts dropping from throttling, or the system becomes unusually loud. A 10–15°C increase is worth investigating, but the current temperatures themselves are safe.
The most likely explanation is a higher room temperature. Even if the PC setup and games are unchanged, warmer ambient air means the cooler has less ability to lower component temperatures. Dust buildup, a changed fan curve, or a cooling issue could also contribute, so it is worth checking the filters, fans, radiator, and fan settings.
I’m on the East Coast, but my room’s air conditioning is running cold. Last summer I didn’t see this increase, so I’m not completely convinced ambient temperature is the only cause.
Your hardware is powerful enough that the game, driver updates, or a change in workload could also be causing higher utilization than before. Compare CPU and GPU usage, clock speeds, fan speeds, and room temperature while running the same game and settings. That should show whether the extra heat is coming from higher power draw or reduced cooling performance.
Start with basic maintenance: clean dust from the case, filters, radiator, and fans, then confirm that all fans and the AIO pump are operating normally. Also check whether a BIOS, driver, or motherboard update reset your fan curves or changed power settings. Repasting can help when contact is poor, but since you did that only a month ago, I would inspect mounting pressure and pump operation before repasting again.
The CPU was repasted about a month ago, so I’ll focus on checking the AIO pump, radiator, dust, and fan curves first.
I understand that the temperatures are technically safe, but games like Helldivers used to stay in the 50s and now reach the low 70s even though I haven’t changed anything.