CPU at 2 to 5% usage, 99° Celsius

[Kloszard99]

Hello guys,

I unfortunately stumbled on a huge problem since today's morning. I booted my pc, at a certain point (let's say 10 minutes into using the browser) my pc started to work really slowly, laggy.
I checked the usage and it was at 2%.
I then proceeded to check the temperature and i saw it was reaching 97-99.5° Celsius.
I bought a thermal paste and applied it. Nothing has really changed since.
I thought, maybe it's a problem with my water cooling, but every fan works perfectly fine on it.
I checked the voltage with CPU-Z and it jumps from 0.640V to 1.230V all the time.
I took out one of the RAMS to see if anything changes, but no.
I reset the BIOS by taking out the battery.
I also did a factory reset on the whole PC.
The motherboard doesn't have any visible damage to it.

Anything is pretty much unusable on the pc at the moment, any ideas what could it be? Which programs could i use to test all the other hardware?

The PC parts that i'm using are:
PSU: Corsair CX750F RGB
CPU Intel I5 13600KF
GPU RTX 2060
RAM Kingston DDR5 6000 32GB
Motherboard Z790 PG RIPTIDE

 

[A Computer Guy]

Did you remember to check for and remove the plastic that sometimes covers the CPU cooler cold plate?

And what are you using for water cooling?

 

[Kloszard99]

Did you remember to check for and remove the plastic that sometimes covers the CPU cooler cold plate?

Yes it’s not a new cooler, the problem appeared after 2-3 years of using it.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Yes it’s not a new cooler, the problem appeared after 2-3 years of using it.

Do you have a flow indicator. Do you know if your pump is working?

 

[Bill_Bright]

I unfortunately stumbled on a huge problem since today's morning

Yeah, it sounds like the impeller has seized or the pump stopped working.

 

[Kloszard99]

It's the old version of X63 Kraken, i don't think that it has a flow indicator.

Do you have a flow indicator. Do you know if your pump is working?

Yeah, it sounds like the impeller has seized or the pump stopped working.

So you think it's only the cooling? The Voltage jumping between 0.640V and 1.230V is not something to worry about? Or can the cooling be the reason for it?

Do you have a flow indicator. Do you know if your pump is working?

Also i don't know if it's a bug or something but my BIOS doesn't show a single CPU Fan, which is weird since they're working and are connected to the CPU_FAN1.

 

[Bill_Bright]

The core voltage will jump around. Mine does too. Just because you are idle does not mean Windows is.

 

[Dragam1337]

Very bad cooler mount, or dead pump as the others said.

 

[Kloszard99]

Very bad cooler mount, or dead pump as the others said.

It’s been mounted the same way for more than 2 years and never had any problems. So probably pump.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Can you hear the pump? This is not conclusive because the pump can run but the impellor may not be spinning.

 

[Kloszard99]

Can you hear the pump? This is not conclusive because the pump can run but the impellor may not be spinning.

I could never hear the pump since the fans were so loud

 

[Bill_Bright]

Well, I guess you are just going to have to remove the water system and put in a traditional air cooler and see what happens.

 

[Kloszard99]

Well, I guess you are just going to have to remove the water system and put in a traditional air cooler and see what happens.

Will try that soon, idk if i will have the 1700 mount for my old cooling, it’s already on its way though so let’s hope it fits.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Keep us posted.

 

[Macro Device]

remove the water system and put in a traditional air cooler and see what happens.

I'm happy to be the one who never needs extreme CPU performance so I can get away with box coolers. The heatsinks in those can't "die" since they have no heatpipes or whatever spicy in them, and when the fan dies it's kinda obvious what to do. Dirt cheap, too.

Can't add anything though. It really seems to be the bricked pump situation.

 

[Bill_Bright]

The heatsinks in those can't "die" since they have no heatpipes or whatever spicy in them

Umm, many air coolers use heatsinks with heatpipes, like this one:



What they don't have is moving parts and liquids running through them.

 

[Macro Device]

Umm, many air coolers use heatsinks with heatpipes, like this one:

View attachment 342615

What they don't have is moving parts and liquids running through them.

I was specifically referring to box coolers. These do not have heatpipes and all that crazy stuff.

Secondly, heatpipes, believe me or not, contain liquids in themselves so they can become inefficient if holes show up. My homie had a client full of 6800 XTs with leaking heatpipes because this dude was storing them on the balcony in -45C (-50F). This alone was enough to make these mammoth-sized coolers incapable of dealing with 80 W of heat, let alone 330 W these GPUs were rated for.

 

[Bill_Bright]

While most do have distilled water or alcohol in the pipes, it does not circulate or "move through them", which is where I was going above - at least not in the sense it would with a circulation pump using moving parts. The liquid does change "states" (from liquid to vapor and back), and there is some movement that way, but no circulation.

I have never heard of an air cooler that had heatpipes develop leaks EXCEPT through abuse/physical damage. I suppose storing them at -45°C on a balcony would qualify as abuse - especially if it used water, which expands when frozen.

I was specifically referring to box coolers.

Well, the definition of a "box" coolers can be left to personal interpretation. There is no "industry standard" for that. In fact, if you search box coolers, you get this. Or if you search box fans, you get these! LOL

But seriously, I have heard many call this AMD Max Wraith a box cooler - because of its shape and orientation (it fires downward). Or there's this CoolerMaster Box cooler.

Either way, it does not matter. You clarified what you meant and I agree with you. Those "OEM" type coolers don't have pipes.

 

[Dr. Dro]

NH-D15S is a great recommendation from me for Raptor Lake. Easy to mount and handles 300W like a champ.

 

[Macro Device]

I suppose storing them at -45°C on a balcony would qualify as abuse

That's rather an understatement.

box fans

Fans are fans, coolers are cooling systems.

I have heard many call this AMD Max Wraith a box cooler - because of its shape and orientation (it fires downward). Or there's this CoolerMaster Box cooler.

Yeah, these are a bit more advanced than those dime cheapos I was talking about but they're definitely box coolers.

Anyhow, I am a huge fan of simplicity and "this can't possibly break" approach in equipment. That's why I prefer low wattage devices over higher speed ones despite electricity bills in my country being hilariously low ($1000 buys me 12 to 18 years worth of electricity bills).

 

[Toothless]

That's rather an understatement.

Fans are fans, coolers are cooling systems.

Yeah, these are a bit more advanced than those dime cheapos I was talking about but they're definitely box coolers.

Anyhow, I am a huge fan of simplicity and "this can't possibly break" approach in equipment. That's why I prefer low wattage devices over higher speed ones despite electricity bills in my country being hilariously low ($1000 buys me 12 to 18 years worth of electricity bills).

Unless you're sticking your cooler outside like the one dude, there is no reason besides either laziness or liking the edgy spikeyness of the stock Intel cooler to not get a cheap tower cooler and say, a 13700k or similar. Heatsinks don't break and if anything does break it'll be the fan just like on what you have.

Sure having a little low power thing is nice but your point is fairly full.

 

[Macro Device]

there is no reason

13700K is more than double the price of 12400.
Cheap tower coolers won't cut it, unless I optimise the CPU.
Appropriate coolers cost double the price of the box cooler.
Motherboards capable of such appetites are also more expensive than those designed for the 12400.

I game at 4K 60 FPS. I will see absolutely no difference, not now, not in 4 years. I'm better off sticking to the most simple cooler design and investing more in a GPU. However, GPUs are power hogs but having one power hog is better than having two.

 

[Toothless]

13700K is more than double the price of 12400.
Cheap tower coolers won't cut it, unless I optimise the CPU.
Appropriate coolers cost double the price of the box cooler.
Motherboards capable of such appetites are also more expensive than those designed for the 12400.

I game at 4K 60 FPS. I will see absolutely no difference, not now, not in 4 years. I'm better off sticking to the most simple cooler design and investing more in a GPU. However, GPUs are power hogs but having one power hog is better than having two.

I've got multiple people running a 12700k on the Peerless Assassin and used a similar cooler for an overclocked 6900k. They're a lot better than you think for the $40 range. Zero issues across the board.

 

[Macro Device]

I've got multiple people running a 12700k on the Peerless Assassin and used a similar cooler for an overclocked 6900k. They're a lot better than you think for the $40 range. Zero issues across the board.

$40 is mid-range.
My cooler cost me 5 bucks, shipping included. I don't feel like overpaying $35 for cooler, $150 for the CPU, and $70 for the motherboard for what's essentially the same experience.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Cheap tower coolers won't cut it, unless I optimise the CPU.
Appropriate coolers cost double the price of the box cooler.

They're a lot better than you think

I agree with toothless.

Cheap (as in low cost) does NOT automatically mean inferior quality or inadequate cooling. Conversely, expensive does NOT automatically mean superior quality or maximum efficiency cooling.

IMO, too much emphasis is place on the CPU cooler itself. Yes, it is a critical cooling component - no denying that.

But achieving the coolest temps is not necessarily better - except for bragging rights.

For example, there is no technical advantage gained with CPU running at 30°C over an identical CPU in an identical setup running at 55°C. The cooler temp does NOT automatically mean better performance, better stability or greater longevity. AS LONG AS the device's temperature is maintained comfortably within its normal operating range, all is good.

What really matters is the transfer of heat from the heat sensitive device and OUT THE CASE! This requires a proper application of TIM (thermal interface material) and adequate air flow through the case. It is the case's responsibility to provide that air flow to expel (and prevent build up of) the heat from inside the case. The CPU cooler need only toss the CPU's heat into that flow so it can quickly be exhausted out of the case.

It does NOT take an expensive, top of the line cooler to do that.

And of course, it is the user's responsibility to ensure a proper application of TIM, as well as ensuring adequate case cooling (without ignoring ambient temps too).

IMO, the primary reason to put a little more into the budget for a more expensive cooler is because the more expensive coolers tend to have quieter fans. This is very important if you are like me, and really hate fan noise.

Are there exceptions? Of course. But exceptions don't make the rule. For sure, I am not talking about extreme overclocking, for example.