6700K Dark Rock 3 - too high temps

[RudiSZT3]

Hi everyone!

I have a 6700K cpu, and I tried to overclock.
I can easily reach 4.5 GHz with 1.255V Vcore in BIOS (AIDA read 1.232-1.248V while 100% load WPrime), and I use LLC level 5 in BIOS (there are 8 levels on ASUS borads). My core temps are somewhere between 75-80°C.

When I set core ratio to 46, I have to set core voltage at least 1.3V to stay stable. I know, that it's normal when you try to overclock, that at some point you have to increase voltage much more, than the prevoius step. My problem is that my core temps are way too high (85-90°C) when running WPrime95 27.9 (Small FFT-s), though this 1.3V is absolutely not much for the clock speed.

As I read cpu cooler reviews here at TPU, I saw that be Quiet! Dark Rock 3 (non-pro) have similar or slightly better cooling performance like be Quiet! Dark Rock TF or Noctua NH-U12S. In cpu cooler reviews TPU use 1.4V when they overclock 6700K to 4.6 GHz. And the similar performance Dark Rock TF and U12S can keep the cores at 72°C when Wprime is running, 79-80°C when AIDA64 FPU stress is running. So 100mV higher voltage but avarage 7-8°C lower temps. (Though TPU doesn't tell that wich version of WPrime they use, which FFT size, etc.)

Some more infos:
I have a good airflow case, with 6 be Quiet! case fans.
I mounted the cooler 1 year ago (I was careful so I think it should have a good contact with the cpu).
I used Arctic MX-4 thermal paste (one smaller dot than a pea).
All fans are running high speed (nearly 100%) when cpu has high load.
I cannot set Load Line Calibration lower, because it causes instability.

What can be the problem? Why have I so high temps?

 

[P4-630]

I used Arctic MX-4 thermal paste (one smaller dot than a pea).

You could try spreading the TIM out on the CPU, a very thin layer.
What CPU core temps do you have with a CPU intensive game?

 

[RudiSZT3]

You could try spreading the TIM out on the CPU, a very thin layer.
What CPU core temps do you have with a CPU intensive game?

I didn't try to play games at 4.6 GHz.
At 4.5 GHz I have 65-75°C average.

Do you think that application type of the TIM can cause several degrees difference?

https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/a...ication-Techniques-170/#ApplicationTechniques

 

[P4-630]

I didn't try to play games at 4.6 GHz.
At 4.5 GHz I have 65-75°C average.

Do you think that application type of the TIM can cause several degrees difference?

Not sure if your whole CPU HS is covered with that small dot you used...
I always spread a very thin layer on the whole CPU, that's my way of doing it and gives always best results IMO. (I use Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut though)

Do some gaming and check your temps, it's not that you built your rig to run Wprime 24/7 is it?

 

[RudiSZT3]

Not sure if your whole CPU HS is covered with that small dot you used...
I always spread a very thin layer on the whole CPU, that's my way of doing it and gives always best results IMO. (I use Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut though)

Do some gaming and check your temps, it's not that you built your rig to run Wprime 24/7 is it?

Of course not. I know what you mean. I just tried out what my hardware can reach, and I ran into this contradiction with the cooling performance at not very high voltage and clocks.

I'll try to spread out the TIM when I will have time to.

Thank you for the answers!

 

[infrared]

It's pretty normal to get the temps you're seeing. My 6700k was reaching about the same temps you were getting, while on watercooling! The reason being the crappy paste intel uses under the heat spreader. It doesn't matter a huge amount, but 80c on an oc'd 6700k @ 4.5-4.6 is to be expected frankly. De-lidding and re-pasting could potentially drop your temps a fair bit, and possibly allow you another 100mhz.. But it's up to you, the chip is perfectly happy running at 80c and I wouldn't recommend de-lidding unless you really want every last mhz, for very little real world gain.

Definitely try re-mounting the cooler, but I suspect your install is fine so don't fret too much if temps don't come down. Every cpu is different, so they all get to and report different temperatures, that cooler will perform as shown in the review (relative to the over coolers), its just your particular cpu runs warmer.

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

I have 6700k and same issue. I just ordered CLU and am going to delid it this weekend. That is the best bet to get temps lower.

 

[eidairaman1]

Ensure you have no plastic on bottom of hsf

 

[trog100]

yep your tempts are normal... this is getting a bit boring folks thinking tempts are too high when they are not..

trog

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

yep your tempts are normal... this is getting a bit boring folks thinking tempts are too high when they are not..

trog

Normal =/= Acceptable. The normal 6700k crappy IHS paste/glue sucks and could have been improved directly from Intel, now it is up to the consumer to fix if they have the desire. Which OP and myself do...

 

[infrared]

I agree, but 99% of people aren't pushing their OC enough to justify de-lidding, realistically you only get another 100mhz, maybe 200 if you're being harsh with voltage. And also it's perfectly fine for a cpu to spend it's entire life at 80c, it isn't going to die within it's useful lifetime. So there's not many people I'd recommend a de-lid to. I might explain it as an option, informing them of the benefits, but I leave it to the user to decide what they want to do.

And as trog says, it is getting annoying having a continuous stream of new users freaking out over perfectly normal temperatures.

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

And as trog says, it is getting annoying having a continuous stream of new users freaking out over perfectly normal temperatures.

Well it is no fault of the new users because to them those temps aren't normal. Temps in the 60's and low 70's were normal...Skylake changed what Normal temps are now...you see the conundrum here? Yeah those temps are normal for SkyLake but not normal for what people are used to seeing. I sure wasn't considering even all my overclocked systems never pushed into the high 80's and if they did I lowered the OC.

 

[Vario]

Try spread method as described above. I have had the best results with that instead of dot method. I put a pea sized dot then put my finger in a plastic baggy and spread it so there is an even thin layer. I do this for graphics cards too, results are nice and consistent. Ensure that your heatsink is clamped tightly.

 

[Bruno_oc]

As @infrared already said, delid is your answer. Without that, you'll just circle around 1-2C depending on the TIM you use. Delid will give your cores between 10 and 20C (depends on several things) lower temps.

 

[trog100]

the real answer is learn to live with the new hotter "normal". and stop panicking about bugger all..

trog

 

[RudiSZT3]

Try spread method as described above. I have had the best results with that instead of dot method. I put a pea sized dot then put my finger in a plastic baggy and spread it so there is an even thin layer. I do this for graphics cards too, results are nice and consistent. Ensure that your heatsink is clamped tightly.

Thanks for the answers. I tried the spread method, and the results are very similar, maybe 1°C lower. I thought that these temps are too high, because none of my cpu-s had these temps before, only lower 70-s maximum, with even 20% clock increasing.

 

[Vya Domus]

At 4.5 GHz I have 65-75°C average.

Seems about right , do be aware that temperatures don't scale in a linear fashion with higher frequency and voltages.

Not sure if your whole CPU HS is covered with that small dot you used...
I always spread a very thin layer on the whole CPU, that's my way of doing it and gives always best results

Although that makes a difference , it's never so much to cause big changes in temperatures.

 

[P4-630]

Although that makes a difference , it's never so much to cause big changes in temperatures.

Did you try it?

 

[Vya Domus]

Did you try it?

Yep , and with my 125W furnace you'd think the difference would be even more pronounced but it's not. There are also a number of site that have made tests and they also found out that this doesn't make that much of difference.

 

[Vayra86]

Well it is no fault of the new users because to them those temps aren't normal. Temps in the 60's and low 70's were normal...Skylake changed what Normal temps are now...you see the conundrum here? Yeah those temps are normal for SkyLake but not normal for what people are used to seeing. I sure wasn't considering even all my overclocked systems never pushed into the high 80's and if they did I lowered the OC.

To each his own, but 80 C is more than fine for an Intel CPU, whats more relevant to degradation is not temperature but current. You can cool whatever you like, if you run your Intel at 1.5V but 60 C it will break fast, while at 1.3 V but at 85 C it will probably outlast your rig.

If you think you need to delid because your CPU will die off temperature, you're completely deluded, I'm sorry. In fact, its even a contradiction of sorts: if you run your CPU cooler, you won't run into temp limitations, but it becomes ever so easy to surpass recommended voltages.

The only real, tangible advantage of a delid is that you need slightly lower voltages at the top-end frequency due to lower leakage. But this is so minor, its not worth voiding warranty for IMO. Its the difference between 5.0 and 5.1 Ghz.

 

[ZenZimZaliben]

To each his own, but 80 C is more than fine for an Intel CPU, whats more relevant to degradation is not temperature but current. You can cool whatever you like, if you run your Intel at 1.5V but 60 C it will break fast, while at 1.3 V but at 85 C it will probably outlast your rig.

If you think you need to delid because your CPU will die off temperature, you're completely deluded, I'm sorry. In fact, its even a contradiction of sorts: if you run your CPU cooler, you won't run into temp limitations, but it becomes ever so easy to surpass recommended voltages.

The only real, tangible advantage of a delid is that you need slightly lower voltages at the top-end frequency due to lower leakage. But this is so minor, its not worth voiding warranty for IMO. Its the difference between 5.0 and 5.1 Ghz.

Unfortunately not everyone gets Cherry 6700k's. 4.8Ghz is considered a pretty good OC. I could hold 4.7 before delid, and bench at 4.8ghz, but temps and power were absurd. Now Im pushing 4.96Ghz with slightly higher voltage than 4.7Ghz and massively lower temps...I peak in the high 70's now...where as I was in the mid 80's at 4.7. So for me it was 100% worth it. And really there isn't much risk it was so easy I would call it nearly trivial.

No delusion here..just wanted more out of my chip.