CPU overheating under low load?

[MacchiatoLatte]

You would be doing that from within the bios. Have you done such before? It's ok if not. There's a first time for everything and we can help walk you through that too.

I haven't before, no. I'd appreciate the help with getting it done, but I'm afraid it's a little too late in the night to do so, as it's 2:30 in the morning and I have to be up early tomorrow. Thank you so much for being so helpful so far, though! I'll clean out the heatsink and fan when I get back, and if I can't figure out the BIOS I'll try to find a guide somewhere. I'll make sure to post the results tomorrow afternoon, though.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I'll try to find a guide somewhere.

Try this one as it should illustrate everything you need to work your way through your board's BIOS;

Chapter 3: Bios Setup; Knowing Bios - Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 User Manual [Page 73]

Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 Manual Online: chapter 3: bios setup, Knowing Bios. The New Asus Uefi Bios Is A Unified Extensible Interface That Complies With Uefi Architecture, Offering A User-Friendly Interface That Goes Beyond The Traditional Keyboard- Only Bios Controls To Enable A More...

www.manualslib.com

EDIT;
In the Advanced menu, start by disabling the AI Overclock tuner and the AMD Turbo Core Tech and see if this helps.

 

[xvi]

I used AMD Overdrive when I had my FX 8350 and would recommend that over most other options. If you have trouble installing it from this mirror at Guru3D or prefer something else, you'll probably want to use the software included with your motherboard which appears to be ASUS's AI Suite II although I'm having trouble finding a download link for that on ASUS's site. Someone may have another recommendation.

As for the clock speed, do I do that with the same software as the voltage?

Yes, most software used for overclocking that lets you change both. Normally, you'd be increasing CPU frequency and adding voltage for stability but we'd be doing almost the opposite. The main thing we want is to lower voltage to get temps down and as Lex noted, you may need to lower frequencies to keep your computer stable.

Optionally, you can change this all from the BIOS which is considered the best place to make these changes since the changes made via software would revert back to their default settings every time the computer is rebooted. I don't prefer making these changes in the BIOS when experimenting since bad settings can cause the board to fail to boot meaning you have to clear your BIOS and try again.
Once I've ironed out my settings, I'll for sure go into BIOS and apply them there though.

 

[oobymach]

Your mobo looks like it has a vrm cooler which is good, your cpu can go up to 3.9-4.0ghz on stock cooler. I would go into bios and set your cpu clock manually instead of letting it turbo on its own, start at 3.8ghz and around 1.2v and while running Core Temp or similar software to monitor cpu temps run prime95 a minute or 2 and see if it immediately crashes threads, if not you're good, if so bump voltage a bit and try again.

Look for 60 degrees max while running p95. Under that and you're golden. I would invest in a new cpu cooler, zalman cnps 10x or a hyper 612 will work very well with 8350 and will allow for probably 4.4ghz with your board if not more.

 

[MacchiatoLatte]

Try this one as it should illustrate everything you need to work your way through your board's BIOS;

Chapter 3: Bios Setup; Knowing Bios - Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 User Manual [Page 73]

Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 Manual Online: chapter 3: bios setup, Knowing Bios. The New Asus Uefi Bios Is A Unified Extensible Interface That Complies With Uefi Architecture, Offering A User-Friendly Interface That Goes Beyond The Traditional Keyboard- Only Bios Controls To Enable A More...

www.manualslib.com

EDIT;
In the Advanced menu, start by disabling the AI Overclock tuner and the AMD Turbo Core Tech and see if this helps.

I used AMD Overdrive when I had my FX 8350 and would recommend that over most other options. If you have trouble installing it from this mirror at Guru3D or prefer something else, you'll probably want to use the software included with your motherboard which appears to be ASUS's AI Suite II although I'm having trouble finding a download link for that on ASUS's site. Someone may have another recommendation.

Yes, most software used for overclocking that lets you change both. Normally, you'd be increasing CPU frequency and adding voltage for stability but we'd be doing almost the opposite. The main thing we want is to lower voltage to get temps down and as Lex noted, you may need to lower frequencies to keep your computer stable.

Optionally, you can change this all from the BIOS which is considered the best place to make these changes since the changes made via software would revert back to their default settings every time the computer is rebooted. I don't prefer making these changes in the BIOS when experimenting since bad settings can cause the board to fail to boot meaning you have to clear your BIOS and try again.
Once I've ironed out my settings, I'll for sure go into BIOS and apply them there though.

Your mobo looks like it has a vrm cooler which is good, your cpu can go up to 3.9-4.0ghz on stock cooler. I would go into bios and set your cpu clock manually instead of letting it turbo on its own, start at 3.8ghz and around 1.2v and while running Core Temp or similar software to monitor cpu temps run prime95 a minute or 2 and see if it immediately crashes threads, if not you're good, if so bump voltage a bit and try again.

Look for 60 degrees max while running p95. Under that and you're golden. I would invest in a new cpu cooler, zalman cnps 10x or a hyper 612 will work very well with 8350 and will allow for probably 4.4ghz with your board if not more.

I got the voltage down to 1.275 without crashing, and lowered clock speed to 3.4GHz too, and it seems to have dropped the temps by a lot. I probably won't buy any hardware until I've decided whether or not I'm replacing the whole rig right away, but this seems to have given my computer a little more time to let me come to a decision! Sure, performance dropped, but that's to be expected from powering down the CPU.

Thank you all so much, and if there's anything else I've forgotten, please don't hesitate to tell me!

 

[JackCarver]

Did you also clean heatsink and fans?

 

[MacchiatoLatte]

Did you also clean heatsink and fans?

I did, yes.

 

[theonek]

maybe the cpu itself is starting to die already, i remember an old dual core amd's tend to do this overheating problem with no load right before they die completely, so the problem maybe the same here, take in mind that, just look for any other cpu for substitute...

 

[eidairaman1]

maybe the cpu itself is starting to die already, i remember an old dual core amd's tend to do this overheating problem with no load right before they die completely, so the problem maybe the same here, take in mind that, just look for any other cpu for substitute...

Never had that problem

 

[MacchiatoLatte]

maybe the cpu itself is starting to die already, i remember an old dual core amd's tend to do this overheating problem with no load right before they die completely, so the problem maybe the same here, take in mind that, just look for any other cpu for substitute...

As much as I want this to not be the case, it is getting up there in age, so it might be. I'll look into hardware for an upgrade before long.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Never had that problem

I've seen it from time to time. But it also happens with Intel CPU's. Not often, but it does happen.

I got the voltage down to 1.275 without crashing, and lowered clock speed to 3.4GHz too, and it seems to have dropped the temps by a lot. I probably won't buy any hardware until I've decided whether or not I'm replacing the whole rig right away, but this seems to have given my computer a little more time to let me come to a decision! Sure, performance dropped, but that's to be expected from powering down the CPU.

Thank you all so much, and if there's anything else I've forgotten, please don't hesitate to tell me!

Glad you got it under control and stable! The problem is we still don't know what the issue is. It could still be either the CPU or the motherboard.

As much as I want this to not be the case, it is getting up there in age, so it might be. I'll look into hardware for an upgrade before long.

The good side of this is that an upgrade is very easy, and inexpensive. A Ryzen 7 1700, 1700x or 1800X and matching motherboard and ram would be a massive upgrade from what you have. A Ryzen 2700 or 2700x would still be inexpensive as well. If money is not an issue, get yourself some Ryzen 9 3900x goodness. 12 cores at 4.2ghz all core turbo... Oh yeah! Good for gaming and everything else! For the cost, it kicks the crap out of anything Intel has on offer currently. It's what some of us stateside call a sweet-spot CPU.

 

[moproblems99]

12 cores at 4.2ghz all core turbo.

I hope he is lucky enough to get that. I have done a fair amount of tweaking and only get spurts of 4.15ghz all-core. I think the remainder of problem is temp as my ambient is fairly warm.

 

[Vayra86]

Did not read 3 pages. But when I see heat and an FX 8 core CPU my first suggestion is to check and drastically lower VRM/ mosfet temps.

That is how these guys fail. And even on a good board, age will bring out the ugly there.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Did not read 3 pages. But when I see heat and an FX 8 core CPU my first suggestion is to check and drastically lower VRM/ mosfet temps.

That is how these guys fail. And even on a good board, age will bring out the ugly there.

I was thinking that too. However, in the case of the OP's board the VRM's are heatsink'd. Thing is, lowering the voltage and the clocks seems to have worked. That could indicate CPU or motherboard. With the VRM's if even one failed, lowering the voltage would have made no difference. Would be interesting to see what they look like under those heatsinks.

 

[Aquinus]

You know guys, the OP said this:

with my CPU running into high 70s or low 80s (Celsius) before my computer shuts down on its own

This isn't a Ryzen chip. Isn't this chip supposed to be kept at or under ~61°C more like the Phenom chips? It just sounds like the CPU is running mad hot, hence why replacing the cooler first might be the better option.

 

[lexluthermiester]

This isn't a Ryzen chip. Isn't this chip supposed to be kept at or under ~61°C more like the Phenom chips? It just sounds like the CPU is running mad hot, hence why replacing the cooler first might be the better option.

That was true for the first gen FX 8 core CPU's(Zambezi 81xx), but for the refresh(Vishera 83xx/9xxx) they did not declare publicly(AFAIK) the temp threshold for those CPU's. They were thought to be 80C->90C before beginning to throttle themselves. The 9370 and 9590 where 215w TDP parts and those would have had to have high temp tolerances.

 

[biffzinker]

Is it possible the indium solder between the die, and heatspreader has micro fractures causing separation?

 

[MacchiatoLatte]

The good side of this is that an upgrade is very easy, and inexpensive. A Ryzen 7 1700, 1700x or 1800X and matching motherboard and ram would be a massive upgrade from what you have. A Ryzen 2700 or 2700x would still be inexpensive as well. If money is not an issue, get yourself some Ryzen 9 3900x goodness. 12 cores at 4.2ghz all core turbo... Oh yeah! Good for gaming and everything else! For the cost, it kicks the crap out of anything Intel has on offer currently.

Hey, thanks for the suggestions! I added a Ryzen 2700 and compatible MOBO and RAM, along with a Cooler Master CPU cooler to a list of future purchases. All in all it's around $500, which I feel is a fair price for an all-round upgrade, especially since a 2060 Super should last a little while longer without an upgrade. A nice bonus, it solves the issue of whether it's CPU or motherboard-related.

 

[moproblems99]

Is it possible the indium solder between the die, and heatspreader has micro fractures causing separation?

Basically, anything is still on the table because the OP has no way to diagnose. If it were me, I would buy a 212 or something to test it out on. If it fixes it great, if not, throw it in the spare parts bin. If the OP doesn't have the funds for that, then I would use a cheap dvm to actually test the voltages going in as best as I could. If the voltages are where they should be....

 

[eidairaman1]

That was true for the first gen FX 8 core CPU's(Zambezi 81xx), but for the refresh(Vishera 83xx/9xxx) they did not declare publicly(AFAIK) the temp threshold for those CPU's. They were thought to be 80C->90C before beginning to throttle themselves. The 9370 and 9590 where 215w TDP parts and those would have had to have high temp tolerances.

I've had the 8350 at 5.0GHz with my current cooler at 75°C under Ryzen Blender set Vcore is 1.467, under under blender it goes to 1.524. Gaming it is 55°C, Idle it is 40°C

Motherboard is TUF Sabertooth 990FX R2.0.

Did not read 3 pages. But when I see heat and an FX 8 core CPU my first suggestion is to check and drastically lower VRM/ mosfet temps.

That is how these guys fail. And even on a good board, age will bring out the ugly there.

Ambient is like 75°F-85°F