New processor, getting high temperatures - what's the culprit?

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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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I'm running a i5-4690K on a MSI Z97A-G45 motherboard with a NZXT Kraken X61 and I'm getting somewhat high temperatures while the CPU is on idle mode. I applied more than enough thermal compound when installing the motherboard and it's running on default settings - no overclock has been applied yet but will one I get the temperature issue figured out. Is there something that I'm missing? I'll post a screen shot of the BIOS if it helps.
 
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Darkbreeze

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Installing "more than enough" is about as bad as using "not enough". You shouldn't need more than a rice grain sized or very small pea sized amount. Too much TIM will actually reduce the heat spreaders ability to exchange heat with the heatsink.

I'd think you know this though. Have you tried applying pressure to the top of the water block to see if temps drop? Sure the pump is at 100% RPM? Make sure your settings for the header the pump is running on are correct for a water pump. Likely you'll want a different setting than you'd use for a fan. Is the pump running off a header or are you using a molex adapter?

I'm probably relating information you already know but it never hurts to double check the basics as those are the things we usually overlook.
 
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synphul

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+1 for darkbreeze's comment, if the cooling is installed and running properly and the temp readings are even ballpark to accurate, 82c is WAY too hot for idle. "more than enough" thermal paste sounds like too much. It's just a very thin film between heatsink and processor ihs to fill in microscopic differences/voids. Beyond that, provided the waterblock is tight I'd look at the cooler itself. If the fan's running, there may be a pump issue or it might have some other factory defect internally causing blockage or restricted flow.
 
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Lutfij

Lutfij

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I also think you applied too much TIM on the block. It's suggested to sue a pea size;
5f5816c4_k3q1D.jpeg

with proper force application as you begin mounting in an alternating cross pattern the TIM should spread out to cover the entire IHS on the CPU.

or you could have 4 more pea sized grains of TIM around the periphery of cooling block like so:
0 --- 0
---0---
0 --- 0

The 0's represent the pea sized TIM.

Furthermore have you moved all the voltages on the CPU out of Auto in BIOS?
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Yeah I think I am going to contact NZXT next to see what they recommend I do, maybe I need to RMA the cooler and get a replacement.
 
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

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Did you try applying pressure to the water block? If you see any temperature change beyond 1-2°C it might indicate that heat is simply not being transferred to the heatsink due to either too much TIM or not enough mounting pressure. In some cases it's necessary to add rubber washers to the backside bracket to increase the mounting pressure slightly. You can also usually tell if the pump is operating by holding your finer on the water block to feel the pump operation. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

Also, if you fire up the system from cold, and feel both hoses near the radiator, they should both warm relatively equally and relatively quickly if the pump is working right. If only one hose warms and the other stays totally cold, the pump is not running. I think that's the way that works. I can't remember, it's been a few months since I had to diagnose a liquid cooling pump. You might double check that or NZXT can probably clarify that procedure.

More often than not this kind of thing is due to the pump not running for one reason or another.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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I'll try that, I also think too I might take the pump off and run it on an extra air cooler for a while and see what that does - if it lowers the temps I'll stick with the air cooler for a while.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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So I ordered a Noctua D14 and I think I'm just not going to use the Kraken anymore until I can get an RMA for it, and even then I think I'll put it on another machine. I was getting some really sluggish feedback from playing games on the White Knight and I don't want to take a risk on frying my CPU.
 
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Darkbreeze

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I personally don't like liquid cooling. I know some guys love it, but myself, I'll choose air every time. If it can't be done using air cooling, it probably exceeds what's reasonably safe for the chip anyhow. GPU's are the exception. I know air coolers can be real estate hogs but they work, you always know if they are cooling or not (Unlike pumps), they don't ever leak (Unless you abuse the heat pipes and poke holes in them somehow, or do what one client did and snip the tops of the heat pipes off so the case cover would clear. Heh. I don't know why it doesn't cool.) I like the D14. Too big for my current rig but when I get a full tower case again I'll definitely either take my D14 off the shelf or maybe get a D15. I think the D14 is fine though. The D15 just seems like overkill for a few degrees difference.

Anyhow, sorry that didn't work out for you but hopefully the Noctua will treat you better.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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It was an experiment that ended poorly, so I'm hoping the Noctua will sort things out. I was wondering why my Dark Knight rig was getting lower temps than my Kraken X61 was. I guess I'll stick with air cooling every time now.
 
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

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I'm assuming that the screenshot above was with the liquid cooler and that you do also have the most recent BIOS installed, is that correct? It may be that the thermal tables are not accurate. It's also very possible that the pump wasn't working because without any active cooling the core or package temp could easily get that high in the short time it takes to get into the BIOS.

 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Since this was a new CPU I'm definitely assuming that a defective pump is to blame. I do have the most recent BIOS installed so that shouldn't be an issue.
 
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