3770k Temp: Idles at around 60 and full load at a max of 69 degrees celsius

TactiCol · Mar 17, 2013

I'm a newcomer to Intel as I've been running AMD systems for many years now.
I've recently done a new build with sabretooth z77 motherboard, 3770k and a sapphire 7970 ghz edition. I am a bit puzzled regarding my idle temps.

My CPU under realtemp and speccy is idling consistently at around the 60 degree mark. If I load a game like guild wars 2 maxxed out then temps will probably go up to around 67 degrees.

I'm kind of confused as to why my idle temps are reading so high when full load shows only a few degrees hotter.

I ran the p95 test and during it's cooldown test it took the cpu temps right down to 29 degrees (c) across all cores. Obviously this would appear to rule out a defective chip so I'm wondering if the motherboards bios has a setting I'm overlooking which is causing the idle temps to be so high.

I'm using stock cooler at the moment and the 2 mini fans that came with the board as well as a couple of case fans to direct heat away from the system. There are no hotspots or even warm spots anywhere in the machine or around the case. It's running very cool and motherboard temps are around the 24/25 degree mark.

I've had a mooch around the bios but am still reading the manual before making any significant settings changes.

I'm wondering if I need to do something with the fan settings to work them a little harder when idling so as to attain a much lower idle temp or whether it's even worth worrying about at all, given the full load temps and p95 results.

If anyone could shed any light on this issue, it would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Col

13thmonkey · Mar 17, 2013

have you disabled speedstep? it should not be disabled.

TactiCol · Mar 17, 2013

Speedstep is enabled.

mi1ez · Mar 17, 2013

60C idle is not good! I should check your cooler is properly mounted.

TactiCol · Mar 17, 2013

mi1ez :

I've had a look at that last night as I thought that might be the issue. I removed the stock cooler and checked the base. The thermal spread was nice and round and it looks as if good contact was made with the top of the chip. It's evenly spread but is quite thin.

I've never installed this style of heatsink and fan so would still not rule out an incorrect fitting but, on the face of it, it seems to be fine. Also the cooldown test performed by p95 took the core temps down to 29 degrees. It also does not raise in temp much when under full load. Maybe 6 or 7 degrees at the most really. I'm utterly baffled.

RetiredChief · Mar 17, 2013

As already noted your idle temps are way higher than normal.
You could download CPU-z and open it. Look at CPU freq at idle, then run a program like prime 95, should see the freq jump up (ie for SB, mine goes from 1.6 GHz to 4.2 Ghz. Idle temp should be no more than around 9 C higher than your room temp typically. Also monitor CPU HSF - how low does RPMs go when goin g between Max load and idle.

Your "loaded" temps seem LOW, But then I do not know who taking that game is. Running prime 95 in blend mode with the stock HSF you should probably reach mid 80's or higher within 15 Min.

My i5-2500 K @ 4.2: Idle is around 30 C, low 60's with prime95 blend mode. (HSF = Zalman 9900-max)
Note: The stock intel HSF is at the bottom of the heap when looking at performance. I never even take it out of the box, use it to keep the box from blowing away.

ADDED: Just read your last post - YOU DID REPLACE the HSF thermal paste.

13thmonkey · Mar 17, 2013

i'd have said poor cooler installation too, but for the (comparatively) low load temps. The push pins are a pain the backside and easy to get not quite right.

as per retired chief, CPU-Z frequency and voltages please. Does your mobo have a bios update outstanding? What mobo is it? have you restored to defaults (an update will do this) ?

TactiCol · Mar 17, 2013

RetiredChief :

I did run p95 in blend mode but it did not even reach 70 degrees when load testing. At 60% load, I noticed the temps went down a fair bit too (much lower than the idle temps).

RetiredChief :

I didn't replace the paste. I just went with the standard pre-applied on the heatsink as I am intending to replace the stock cooler asap.

13thmonkey · Mar 17, 2013

TactiCol :

RetiredChief :

I did run p95 in blend mode but it did not even reach 70 degrees when load testing. At 60% load, I noticed the temps went down a fair bit too (much lower than the idle temps).

RetiredChief :

I didn't replace the paste. I just went with the standard pre-applied on the heatsink as I am intending to replace the stock cooler asap.

the question was more around, is the paste you are using now paste that has been compromised by removing and replacing the hsf?

TactiCol · Mar 17, 2013

13thmonkey :

Motherboard is sabretooth z77 with 1805 bios. If I restore to defaults the bios seems to want to set the cpu at 3.9 ghz. I've overridden that and set it to run at the standard 3.5.

CPU-z shows 3500 MHZ and core voltage at 1.024v It does not move from this figure at all except maybe to go .1 down or up on the mhz. ie: 3500.1

satyamdubey · Mar 17, 2013

BIOS updated?

TactiCol · Mar 17, 2013

13thmonkey :

TactiCol :

the question was more around, is the paste you are using now paste that has been compromised by removing and replacing the hsf?

I don't know if it's been compromised but the problem existed from the first time I fired up this new build.

13thmonkey · Mar 17, 2013

TactiCol :

OK that tells us where the problem lies, the voltage is not moving and should be from idle to load.

it is not the headsink.

does it do the same if you leave the speed at the default 3.9? I'm thinking that the way that you have set the speed to 3.5 is disabling speedstep.

The way that OC on asus's is by setting the turbo speed, i;d imagine that you should do this for underclocking as well. which is counter intuitive.

TactiCol · Mar 17, 2013

satyamdubey :

I'm running the latest bios according to asus website info. 1805 bios version

13thmonkey · Mar 17, 2013

run it at stock default, 3.9, not 3.5, what happens

TactiCol · Mar 17, 2013

13thmonkey :

The voltage will change accordingly when cpu frequency is changed and locks tight to a particular voltage for that frequency setting. Is there any reason you can think of as to why speedstep would be disabled if it is enabled in the bios ?

My CPU temps in the bios report 35-40 degrees as soon as I log out of windows. When I log back in to windows, the temps quickly move to 60 degrees, almost as if they are being instructed to run at that range. They stay around that range constantly until I load the cpu's, which increases the temps by roughly 7 degrees. My pc is basically not switching to idle as far as I can tell. Any Ideas ?

13thmonkey · Mar 17, 2013

what happens at full bios defaults?

TactiCol · Mar 17, 2013

Guys, Thanks for all your help. I'm such a dumbass. I'd left idle state disabled in my windows power plan. :pt1cable:

Changed that and my idle temps are all around mid thirties now.

The tom's HARDWARE Dunce of the month award goes to

queue drum roll.......

TactiCol

Thanks again guys I feel like a prize plum right now

3770k Temp: Idles at around 60 and full load at a max of 69 degrees celsius

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