Solved CPU overheating with AIO 240mm cooler

BrandonR · Jan 20, 2025

Hello,

I'm currently running the i9 14900k with the Thermalright Frozen Notte 240 Black ARGB Water Cooling CPU Cooler. I'm having some temp problems specifically while gaming. I've updated to the latest BIOS for my motherboard and I'm really left with what to do in terms of how to solve this without buying a bigger AIO CPU Cooler. However, I could be wrong if these temps are normal.. I'll attach a photo I took of the temps while gaming.

Catnip · Jan 20, 2025

Those temps are too high for a 240mm liquid cooler, IMO. What kind of thermal paste did you use? And did you apply it properly?

Also, make sure that your pump is running.

My i7 13700KF only gets to about 55 to 60C when gaming, and I have an air cooler (Noctua DH15). Even during a torture test, I am lucky to break more than 70C. I don't suggest any benchmarks or torture testing until you solve this temp issue. Your processor is probably throttling anyway and benchmarks would mean nothing. You could also damage that gorgeous i9.

BrandonR · Jan 20, 2025

Thank you for the quick response. I went into BIOS as I had remembered seeing something strange that might be the culprit to this. again, I'm going to post a picture I took in the BIOS and see if anyone can help resolve or if this is even the problem. in the mean time I'm gonna check my MB manual and make sure my AIO is working.

Catnip · Jan 20, 2025

I believe that you want your AIO fan control attached to your CPU fan header so that the CPU can control the fan speed when necessary. Unless the fans are controlled by the pump itself. My old Cooler Master AIO had to have a "speed" line connected to my CPU fan header to tell the motherboard the speed of the fans. That helped the CPU and the AIO to control the fan speed. Do you have the AIO's software installed? That may help control things as well.

It looks as though your pump is running. Take the pump off of the CPU and reapply the thermal paste. Use some good stuff like Arctic Silver and don't apply too much as it can then insulate, rather than conduct the heat away to the pump.

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 20, 2025

This guy on YouTube tested this and wasn't convinced a 240 AIO cooler with an i9-14900k is a good idea. I agree with him.

bobkn · Jan 20, 2025

The pump should be connected to the pump header on your motherboard, which runs it at full speed all the time. (I checked the manual. There is such a header on the TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi.)

The fans on the AIO should be controlled off the CPU fan header. (Whether directly or via a controller.) Are your fans running at max RPM when the CPU is running hot?

The throttling temperature of the 14900k is 100° C, so 80° isn't terrible. I'd expect it to go higher if you really stressed it (like with Cinebench R23).

I don't know about the TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi, but some Asus motherboards set the power limits above Intel's recommended ones by default. (In particular, 250W max.) You may want to check that, If you stay with Intel's limits, the performance loss should be trivial.

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 20, 2025

bobkn said:
I don't know about the TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi, but some Asus motherboards set the power limits above Intel's recommended ones by default. (In particular, 250W max.) You may want to check that, If you stay with Intel's limits, the performance loss should be trivial.

Asus z790 boards now have bios settings in line with the Intel defaults. The TUF board should be the same.

bobkn · Jan 20, 2025

Marcus Vinicus said:
Asus z790 boards now have bios settings in line with the Intel defaults. The TUF board should be the same.

If the BIOS has been updated, I believe so. The early BIOSes pushed things a bit.

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 20, 2025

bobkn said:
If the BIOS has been updated, I believe so. The early BIOSes pushed things a bit.

Yup. It won't fix an issue if the CPU cooler isn't up to scratch though.

MrPig · Jan 20, 2025

How old is this AIO? Mine developed an organic lifeform in the fluid that blocked the flow & I cooked my CPU. Chuck it out & buy a good Noctua.

bobkn · Jan 20, 2025

Marcus Vinicus said:
Yup. It won't fix an issue if the CPU cooler isn't up to scratch though.

If the OP never sees above 80°C, I think that the cooler is adequate.

Enthusiasts may disagree.

(I'm using a 360mm cooler on my I9-13900K system, I admit. I don't recall what max temp results. I don't think I've checked it since the more conservative BIOS updates on my Z690 board.)

PerpetualCycle · Jan 20, 2025

OP image showed a maximum temperature of 100c. A 240 cooler is not really adequate. You need a good 320 or 420 ( maybe a 280 will show some improvement.

You may be able to improve what you have though:
Check and reapply the thermal paste
Is the airflow through the case adequate?
Is the case itself adequate (eg mesh)
Are the fan curves optimized
And lastly, the latest bios intel profiles run hot. You can get around this, without exposing the processor to degradation by Undervoltin.

bobkn · Jan 20, 2025

PerpetualCycle said:
OP image showed a maximum temperature of 100c. A 240 cooler is not really adequate. You need a good 320 or 420 ( maybe a 280 will show some improvement.

You may be able to improve what you have though:
Check and reapply the thermal paste
Is the airflow through the case adequate?
Is the case itself adequate (eg mesh)
Are the fan curves optimized
And lastly, the latest bios intel profiles run hot. You can get around this, without exposing the processor to degradation by Undervoltin.

I missed that. I just saw the unexpanded view.

The CPU is throttling at 100°C.

If the AIO pump is running at full speed (which it should be 100% of the time), and the fans on the AIO are at full speed when the CPU heats up (which ought to be noisy), and the thermal compound was applied correctly, then maybe the 240mm AIO is too weak.

The CPU power settings in the BIOS can be lowered to limit the cooling requirements for the CPU. (But a gamer might balk at losing a few FPS.) There may be other settings in the same vein. (I've never undervolted a CPU.)

It's sometimes possible to drop a few degrees by swapping out the Intel CPU retention mechanism with one of these:

Amazon.com

That frame nominally voids the CPU warranty.

If you're thinking of replacing the 240mm one, a 280mm (two 140mm fans) AIO has 90% of the radiator area of a 360mm (three 120mm) one.

I once used a large Noctua air cooler, but went to AIO water partly to get space around the CPU socket. My current primary rig pretty much requires a water cooler (350W CPU).

PerpetualCycle · Jan 21, 2025

bobkn said:
metimes possible to drop a few degrees by swapping out the Intel CPU retention mechanism with one of these:

Amazon.com

These frames can also be very touchy about the amount and evenness of torque applied across the 4 screws, though this aftermarket frame less than some others. I am using this one and it seems 1/2 of my CPU runs a little hotter than the other but I have been too lazy to tweak it more. Also, if not right, it can mess with your memory stability (not permanently though). So my advice would be not to take that step lightly unless you are experience and patient.

Scott · Jan 21, 2025

The OP's AIO pump is rated at 5300 RPM. Under 2K RPM is really slow.

Frozen Notte 240 BLACK ARGB – Thermalright

www.thermalright.com

bobkn · Jan 21, 2025

Scott said:
The OP's AIO pump is rated at 5300 RPM. Under 2K RPM is really slow.

Frozen Notte 240 BLACK ARGB – Thermalright

www.thermalright.com

Good point.

Even if the radiator is too small for sustained low temperatures, the thermal mass of the coolant should prevent the temperatures from rising quickly, if the pump is moving enough water.

PerpetualCycle · Jan 21, 2025

No matter the pump speed, there is not enough coolant in a 240mm x 27mm radiator to prevent the temperature from rising quickly (for an aio) I would think.

I wonder what the pump sounds like at such a high speed.

BrandonR · Jan 21, 2025

probably not the best idea but does anyone here have a suggestion on how i can.. use this PC til i can afford a 360mm AIO CPU liquid cooler? the soonest I can get one is friday/saturday at most.. next week is the latest. i don't want to damage my CPU. i did open up the case and cleaned out/dusted it out. also replaced the thermal paste. not that it'll make a huge difference but i need some suggestions in the meantime til i can get my hands on a new cooler.

PerpetualCycle · Jan 21, 2025

BrandonR said:
probably not the best idea but does anyone here have a suggestion on how i can.. use this PC til i can afford a 360mm AIO CPU liquid cooler? the soonest I can get one is friday/saturday at most.. next week is the latest. i don't want to damage my CPU. i did open up the case and cleaned out/dusted it out. also replaced the thermal paste. not that it'll make a huge difference but i need some suggestions in the meantime til i can get my hands on a new cooler.

Throttle it. In the BIOS. Depending on the BIOS, you can
-lower the maximum power limits
-lower the maximum current limit
-set the processor to throttle down by a certain amount when AVX instructions are executed (AVX run hot)
- cap the maximum frequency you can run

All of these will run your processor cooler at the cost of drops in performance

But first check that your cooler is setup properly like I mentioned before. Also try and raise the pump speed if it is is not running up to the full rpm. I am not sure it should be hitting 100 rpm but I don't know what was running when it hit 100. Was it light gaming?

BrandonR · Jan 21, 2025

I was playing Delta Force on all low settings. ( not sure if that matters ) but to keep that short.. that is what I was playing when I took a photo of my temps. how much of a performance drop are we expecting if I decide to go that route of lowering the maximum power limits and etc.. ? EDIT: I'm going to check the pump speed and get back to you on this.

Solved CPU overheating with AIO 240mm cooler

Well-known member

Attachments

My Computer

Forum Nitwit

My Computer

Well-known member

Attachments

My Computer

Forum Nitwit

My Computer

Semper paratus

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Semper paratus

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Semper paratus

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Syzygy

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Syzygy

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Syzygy

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Syzygy

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Similar threads