Good VRM Temps?

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TechyInAZ

TechyInAZ

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Jun 23, 2014
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What temp is the point where VRMs get too hot? I have for about an hr been stress testing my i5 4690K at 4.5Ghz at 1.23v, LLC level 8 and 140% on CPU capacity. When I touch the top heatsink on my z97-A it is hot but I can keep touching it forever. on my other one on the left which doesn't get as much airflow I can touch but it is near the point that I can't touch it.
 
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damric


Well you already know :)

ASUS does have a VRM nanny. You would throttle or shutdown if it were activated. I think you are good to go, especially if they aren't burning your fingertips.
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damric

damric

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Sep 17, 2010
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That's how I measure too, lol. If it burns, it's too hot. You could add some cheap heatsinks though for like $10 or so for peace of mind.
 
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InvalidError

InvalidError

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For some people, the point where the VRM is too hot is when the MOSFETs' solder pads reflow and the MOSFETs start dropping off the board.

(Yes, this is an actual problem on some boards and I am surprised the FETs do not blow up first - shows how rugged power semiconductors can be.)
 
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TechyInAZ

TechyInAZ

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Wow that's pretty bad.

So my vrm temps are ok then?

Do the vrm temps get the hottest ONLY when stress testing?

and, will my mobo do an emergency shut down if vrms get too hot?
 
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TechyInAZ

TechyInAZ

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lol I know exactly what you mean, but the vrms are chips that i don't know much about.

Plus I always always double-triple check anything for overclocking because i want to make sure what i know about overclocking is right.
 
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damric

damric

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Sep 17, 2010
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Well you already know :)

ASUS does have a VRM nanny. You would throttle or shutdown if it were activated. I think you are good to go, especially if they aren't burning your fingertips.
 
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TechyInAZ

TechyInAZ

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Ok thx, I was pretty sure it was ok but like I said before I always double check.
 
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damric

damric

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I've certainly abused motherboards way worse and I am yet to burn up a VRM (knock on wood). lol look at the first CPU validation in my sig. Yeah that's 1.76v AFTER vdroop. I had it dialed in MUCH higher in BIOS, and this was air cooled. God Bless MSI and lack of VRM overload protection!
 
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InvalidError

InvalidError

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The VRM FETs' temperature is dictated by their switching and I2R losses, both of which would be highest under heavy load current so yes, the VRM should hit its worst temperatures while under stress.

If you have 100A peak going out across ten phases, that's 10A per phase. With an RDSon of 0.004 ohms and a switching time of 100ns at 250kHz, you could expect about 0.4W of I2R losses and 3W of switching losses per phase. Most of that heat gets conducted away through the motherboard's ground and power planes. The "VRM heatsinks" on motherboards are mainly decorative since most are simply sitting on the FETs' plastic/epoxy packaging.
 
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