i3-6320 cooling advice!

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BGleas86

Commendable
Aug 1, 2016
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Hey everybody! I recently built up a new box, and cooling has been my constant hurdle. Here's what we're working with:

CM Elite 130 Case
Intel i3-6320
MSI H170 mITX mobo
Nvidia GTX 970 reference
CM V-Series 550w full modular
HyperX Fury 16gb RAM
256gb SSD

Built expressly to for Overwatch (which it does magnificently), and with no plans of ever overclocking.

Computer has been up and running a little over a month, and I've been fighting temperatures down as much as possible since then. Front case fan was replaced with a higher CFM unit, but in this chassis the thing is almost for show; CPU temps don't change more than a degree or two regardless of fan speed.

Today the CPU fan has decided to no longer be seen by the BIOS or HWMonitor; it still runs but at a constant and quiet speed. Temps were typically in the low 70s running Prime95, now pushing 80 no matter what I do. All of these numbers seem "fine", but compared to what other people are reporting, they seem high. Obviously, the OEM cooler has to be replaced.

What's the answer here? Noctua's NH-L9i, or an AIO liquid cooler? My concern with any air cooler is that it's going to be pretty starved for anywhere to get air, or anywhere to blow the warm air away; the back of the case is pretty crowded for how much open area the front has. I've never tried Liquid Cooling, but it's the direction I'm leaning now. Noise is a consideration for me, but I game with headphones so some noise under load is far from a deal breaker.

Sidenote: The i3 6320 is a great CPU. I don't do anything too CPU intensive, and it's proven an ideal choice for the gaming I do.
 
Solution
IInuyasha74
80C isn't going to damage anything really, but it is a little warm.

If you are really concerned about it, there are plenty of aftermarket coolers for under $20 that perform better than Intel's stock cooler. It isn't really needed, but if you would like to keep the CPU cooler, it isn't going to take a lot of cash.
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basroil

basroil

Glorious
Oct 19, 2013
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Probably a firmware glitch. Try updating the firmware.

You don't need water cooling or fancy coolers for that CPU, the default intel one is more than enough, and 80C is perfectly fine for intel chips (if you push beyond 85C constantly that might be a concern)
 
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BGleas86

Commendable
Aug 1, 2016
6
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1,510


Typical usage being Overwatch, it was keeping around 65C (no big deal), but after this PWM issue cropped up it's getting into the mid 70s too. Just a little hotter than I'm comfortable with, and this is requiring full time operation of the case fan at upper RPMs which is louder than I'm happy with.
 
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IInuyasha74

IInuyasha74

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May 1, 2013
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80C isn't going to damage anything really, but it is a little warm.

If you are really concerned about it, there are plenty of aftermarket coolers for under $20 that perform better than Intel's stock cooler. It isn't really needed, but if you would like to keep the CPU cooler, it isn't going to take a lot of cash.
 
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Solution
Ecky

Ecky

Illustrious
Feb 3, 2013
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I'd avoid liquid cooling.

I use the L9i in the system in my signature. It's a bit better than Intel's stock cooler, but not as much as you'd think - Intel's provided cooler is actually not half bad for its size, and you can't put a really tall cooler in. You might try the L9x65 instead, it ought to be short enough and is a lot better.
 
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BGleas86

Commendable
Aug 1, 2016
6
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1,510


One thing I did forget to mention was that plugging another PWM fan into the CPUFAN port reports numbers normally; doesn't appear to be a firmware problem to me, but if you think that could resolve the issue I'm still willing to try it.
 
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geofelt

geofelt

Titan
Oct 9, 2006
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Liquid coolers are really air coolers with the radiator relocated.
They still need fresh air to do the job.
Whatever the front 120mm fan brings in, it will exit someplace.



You case has limited height available for the cooler, 65mm because of the psu.
First of all, check that your stock cooler is mounted properly.
I would expect 10-15c. over ambient at idle.
Check that there is no wiggle and that all 4 pushpins are through the motherboard and locked.

Is the stock cooler for the i3-6320 one of those with the copper bottom?
If so, that is good, they are more efficient than the all aluminum ones.

If you want a better cooler, look at something like the big shuriken with a larger 120mm fan.
Here is a review:
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2425
 
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basroil

basroil

Glorious
Oct 19, 2013
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Looks like you already solved the issue (at least according to the thread). From the look of it, it might just be a broken fan
 
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BGleas86

Commendable
Aug 1, 2016
6
0
1,510


Yeah, certain that the fan has gone wrong, just taking in any advice about what to replace it with. I really appreciate the number and the swiftness of replies on here, you guys rock.
 
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BGleas86

Commendable
Aug 1, 2016
6
0
1,510
Will a Big Shuriken function okay even if it's only 7mm from the PSU? It's a short power supply but it would still cover most of the fan. I'm sure I'm overthinking it. I work on jet engines for a living, lol.
 
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BGleas86

Commendable
Aug 1, 2016
6
0
1,510


Funny you should ask. Initially, one pin had not seated and gotten loose, and before I found that temperatures were borderline. Been weeks since that, and Idle temps are 8C less above ambient now, which I'm actually pretty pleased with.
 
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Ecky

Ecky

Illustrious
Feb 3, 2013
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A friend of mine has that same case, and a Big Shuriken. Clearance isn't a problem in terms of cooling, but due to the size of the cooler, installing it, and getting at connectors on the motherboard is a nightmare.

The L9i performs only marginally better than Intel's stock cooler, but it is better, and you don't have a lot of options due to your case layout. I actually really dislike the CM130 due to its placement of the power supply over the CPU. There are plenty of similarly-priced ITX cases that have better layouts. The L9x65 is going to likely be your best bet, but it's also kindof expensive and likely overkill.
 
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