Alder Lake i5-12400 jumping temperatures. Normal?

[Leoplate25]

Hi! I just adquired an Alder Lake CPU (12400) and i'm seeing very fluctuating temps while gaming, browsing or even at idle. For example, it goes from 20 to 27 and then goes back to 17 degrees C. While gaming it jumps from 30 C to 35 then goes back to 27 C in an instant. I had a Comet Lake processor and it behaved totally different. In terms of temperatures, i'm having excellent temps. I paired the i5 with an ASUS B660-A Strix WiFi D4, 4x8GB Corsair Vengeance RGB 3200MHz, an ASUS Water Cooler (LC II 240 ARGB), an ASUS RTX 3060, 1x WD SN750 SE 500GB, 1x WD SN550 1TB, 1x Samsung EVO 860 1TB, a Seasonic GX-850, 3x ID Cooling ARGB 120mm fans and a TT H550 TG ARGB case. I attached a pic (CB R23) and a video (playing Forza 5). Thanks in advance and cheers!

EDIT: I also noticed that the CPU goes all the way down in terms of voltage and frequency (400MHz). I think it's a power saving feature (correct me if i'm wrong).

CB R23 Pic:

FH5 Video: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/725132340

 

[eazen]

This is all very normal. CPUs constantly change frequency and thus temperature when load on it changes.

 

[Leoplate25]

This is all very normal. CPUs constantly change frequency and thus temperature when load on it changes.

Please, tell me if the temps difference between cores under load are fine and if these temps under load and gaming are good, great, normal?
I never owned an Alder Lake and i don't know if the architecture differs a lot from previous archs. Thanks!

 

[eazen]

Please, tell me if the temps difference between cores under load are fine and if these temps under load and gaming are good, great, normal?
I never owned an Alder Lake and i don't know if the architecture differs a lot from previous archs. Thanks!

The temps are actually really good, very low. This CPU can run at up to 100°C so 40-50 is nothing. Actually the architecture is not that much different compared to older Intel archs, it’s just on 10nm now, and you don’t have one of those that have smaller E cores, so it’s just 6 normal cores.

 

[Leoplate25]

The temps are actually really good, very low. This CPU can run at up to 100°C so 40-50 is nothing. Actually the architecture is not that much different compared to older Intel archs, it’s just on 10nm now, and you don’t have one of those that have smaller E cores, so it’s just 6 normal cores.

I am actually quite surprised with its temps and with the water cooler too.
Thanks for your time and help.

 

[eazen]

I am actually quite surprised with its temps and with the water cooler too.
Thanks for your time and help.

That explains it, I mean a aio for this CPU is kinda overkill, so you really don’t have to worry about the temps. No problem.

 

[Mussels]

normal for modern hardware
they report the hottest core instead of an average, and they report it more often - in other words this behaviour was always there, we just couldnt see it.
It's amplified with physically smaller CPU's, since the heat is focused on such a small area - doesnt matter how big your heatsink is, if the transfer area is so small.


the 5800x is infamous for it, where single threaded you can hit 85C as it keeps boosting and boosting (to 5.05GHz), yet multi threaded might be 65C since the heat isn't so concentrated

 

[Leoplate25]

normal for modern hardware
they report the hottest core instead of an average, and they report it more often - in other words this behaviour was always there, we just couldnt see it.
It's amplified with physically smaller CPU's, since the heat is focused on such a small area - doesnt matter how big your heatsink is, if the transfer area is so small.


the 5800x is infamous for it, where single threaded you can hit 85C as it keeps boosting and boosting (to 5.05GHz), yet multi threaded might be 65C since the heat isn't so concentrated

Hi. Thanks for the explanation. I understand it better now. With core temp i see all cores temps but msi afterburner shows you the hottest core (or maybe the package). Cheers.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Those temperature swings are NOT normal - they are actually less than normal and that's a good thing!

It is important to note that a CPU can go from cool to overheated in just a few clock cycles. And that CPU operates up to 4.4 billion cycles per second!

I think it's a power saving feature (correct me if i'm wrong).

Yes power, but perhaps more importantly, as eazen noted, to keep temperatures down - or at least from building up.

HOWEVER - I note you have just entered your winter down in Argentina - hence your 17°C reading indicating your ambient (room temps) are fairly low (62.6°F). Be sure to keep watch of your temps when your warmer months approach.

With core temp i see all cores temps but msi afterburner shows you the hottest core

With Core Temp, it depends on your Settings. I have my Core Temp set to show only the highest temp of the hottest core so that I don't clutter up my Notification area with a bunch of temperatures. And BTW, verion 1.17.1 of Core Temp is out.

 

[eazen]

Hi. Thanks for the explanation. I understand it better now. With core temp i see all cores temps but msi afterburner shows you the hottest core (or maybe the package). Cheers.

Afterburner shows you all the single cores as well as the hottest.

 

[Leoplate25]

Afterburner shows you all the single cores as well as the hottest.

I know, you can choose all 12 cores and cpu temp (i think that is the package temp).

Those temperature swings are NOT normal - they are actually less than normal and that's a good thing!

It is important to note that a CPU can go from cool to overheated in just a few clock cycles. And that CPU operates up to 4.4 billion cycles per second!

Yes power, but perhaps more importantly, as eazen noted, to keep temperatures down - or at least from building up.

HOWEVER - I note you have just entered your winter down in Argentina - hence your 17°C reading indicating your ambient (room temps) are fairly low (62.6°F). Be sure to keep watch of your temps when your warmer months approach.

With Core Temp, it depends on your Settings. I have my Core Temp set to show only the highest temp of the hottest core so that I don't clutter up my Notification area with a bunch of temperatures. And BTW, verion 1.17.1 of Core Temp is out.

Hi. Thanks for your explanation. Less than normal is a good thing? Can you tell me a little more about it?
I have an air conditioner for summer. Last CPU was 3 or 4 degrees hotter.
I will download the new version of core temp as soon as i get home.
Cheers.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Can you tell me a little more about it?

There is really nothing more to tell. It is normal for CPU temps to constantly vary because the load (tasks being performed) are constantly changing.

Maybe I should have said "typical" instead of "normal". That is, wider temperature swings are typical.

You cannot go by your last CPU. They are all different. There are just to many variables - to include which task is being performed that instant, case cooling, CPU cooling and more.

If you look at the specs for your CPU here, you can see the max T-junction temp allowed it 100°C. You are no where close.

 

[Leoplate25]

There is really nothing more to tell. It is normal for CPU temps to constantly vary because the load (tasks being performed) are constantly changing.

Maybe I should have said "typical" instead of "normal". That is, wider temperature swings are typical.

You cannot go by your last CPU. They are all different. There are just to many variables - to include which task is being performed that instant, case cooling, CPU cooling and more.

If you look at the specs for your CPU here, you can see the max T-junction temp allowed it 100°C. You are no where close.

Well, everything is fine then. I had a Comet Lake processor and, as you said, it had a different behaviour than this one. I appreciate your help and time. Have a nice day!