i9 12900k high temperatures

[cphr]

Hey there,

I just got a i9 12900k CPU together with a brand new PC I built last friday.

However the i9 gets at 90-100°C very fast and stays at that level if I start some application which needs a bit more CPU. Even when I start a game like DOTA (which doesn't need that much CPU, it's specs is Dual core from Intel or AMD at 2.8 GHz) I have ~96°C average in the main menu (!). My cooler is made for TDP up to 210W (i9 has 125W TDP).

What I tried:

• undervolting (-0.05V)
• changing the contact frame to this one (the original contact frame had the same bad temps) [1]
• renew the thermal paste

But nothing changed anything - it get's very hot very fast and stays at that level. Even when I start the PC I get 100°C and then after a little time it cools down to ~50°C in desktop mode.

What can I do to lower the temperature? Is this normal for this CPU? I read that this CPU is known for high temperatures, but that high constantly ?

Hope for help!

Best regards,

cy

My specs:

• i9 12900k
• ARCTIC Freezer 34 Esports Duo cooler
• MSI Z790 Gaming PRO WiFi
• MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Ventus 2X Black 16G
• be quiet! STRAIGHT POWER 11 PC ATX 750W
• Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz (overclocked it to make it actually use the 6000MHz)

I use "core-temp" to watch temperatures.

I also set up a smart cooler profile (60°C -> 20%;  75°C- > 50%; 85°C -> 100% - as soon as I start an application it runs at 100% as you can tell by the sound).

[1] https://www.thermal-grizzly.com/produkte/522-cpu-contact-frame-for-12th-gen-intel-by-der8auer

[IsaacQ_Intel]

Hello @cphr,

Thank you for reaching out to the Intel® communities. We're here to assist you, and we'd appreciate your cooperation in resolving your concern.

To facilitate a more thorough understanding of your issue, kindly furnish us with the following information:

1.      Can you provide more details about your PC case and airflow configuration? Proper case airflow can significantly impact CPU temperatures.

2.      Have you checked if the CPU cooler is seated correctly and securely on the CPU, ensuring good thermal contact?

3.      What is the ambient room temperature where your PC is located? High ambient temperatures can contribute to increased CPU temperatures.

4.      Did you encounter any issues during the CPU installation, such as bent pins or damage to the CPU itself?

5.      Are there any overclocking settings applied to the CPU or GPU? Overclocking can lead to higher temperatures, so it's essential to check if any overclocks are active.

6.      Are you running any background processes or applications that could be using CPU resources and causing elevated temperatures even when not gaming or under load?

7.      Have you checked the BIOS settings to ensure that power-saving features like Intel SpeedStep or C-States are enabled? Disabling these features can result in the CPU running at higher temperatures constantly.

8.      What thermal paste did you use, and did you apply it correctly when reseating the cooler? Incorrect application or low-quality thermal paste can affect cooling efficiency.

9.      Have you monitored CPU usage and clock speeds while gaming or running applications? Knowing if the CPU is throttling due to excessive heat could help diagnose the issue.

10.  Are there any software updates or BIOS updates available for your motherboard and CPU that might address temperature-related issues?

11.  Have you considered other cooling solutions, such as upgrading to a more powerful cooler or adding additional case fans to improve airflow?

12.  Have you tried stress testing the CPU using a tool like Prime95 to see if it consistently reaches high temperatures under synthetic loads?

Also please provide us with the following reports:

SSU: Please download and scan your system using our tool, Intel® System Support Utility so we can help check your system info first. Once finished downloading, open the tool, click on scan 'Everything', click next, then save the system information to a .txt file. Please provide the .txt file.

This document will be necessary to check your entire system, in order to find possible errors or incompatibilities.

IPDT: Download and run the **Intel® Processor Diagnostic Tool (IPDT)**. Please provide the actual screenshot of the result (whole page) and the log notes. (Click File > View results file (it will open a notepad) > file then save as (by default file name is TESTRESULTS.TXT)).

We need this file to verify the functionality of an Intel® microprocessor. The diagnostic tool checks for brand identification, verifies the processor operating frequency, tests specific processor features, and performs a stress test on the processor.

XTU: Download and run the CPU Stress Test (5 minutes) using **Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel® XTU)**. Kindly provide the screenshot while the test is ongoing (about 3 minutes) and after the test is finished. Please make sure the whole page is seen including the graphs.

We need this file to monitor the performance and the power usage of the CPU.

If possible, provide us with screenshots of the temperatures.

In addition, try the troubleshooting steps in this article and reply with the outcome: Overheating Symptoms and Troubleshooting for Intel® Boxed Processors

Best regards,

Isaac Q. 

Intel Customer Support Technician

[IsaacQ_Intel]

Dear cphr,

I trust you are well.

Have you had an opportunity to review the preceding post? Kindly respond to our inquiries, furnish us with the IPDT and XTU data, share the temperature screenshots, and confirm if you have adhered to the guidelines outlined in the overheating article.

Should you still require assistance, please do not hesitate to inform us. Otherwise, we will proceed to close the discussion.

Warm regards,

Isaac Q.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[cphr]

Dear Isaac,

thank you for your help! I will try and respond this weekend.

Best regards,

cy

[IsaacQ_Intel]

Dear @cphr,

We appreciate your prompt response.

We eagerly await the information and the corresponding results.

Sincerely,

Isaac Q.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[IsaacQ_Intel]

Hello cphr

I trust this message finds you well.

We kindly request your prompt attention to our inquiries. Please provide us with the IPDT and XTU data, share the temperature screenshots, and confirm your adherence to the guidelines as detailed in the overheating article.

Should you still require our assistance, please do not hesitate to inform us. Otherwise, we will proceed to conclude this discussion.

Your prompt response is greatly appreciated. Should you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to reach out.

Best regards,

Isaac Q.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[cphr]

Dear Isaac,

1.      Can you provide more details about your PC case and airflow configuration? Proper case airflow can significantly impact CPU temperatures.

- I checked airflow and changed direction of the fan. It did help like 1-3 degrees, but the overall problem wasn't solved.

2.      Have you checked if the CPU cooler is seated correctly and securely on the CPU, ensuring good thermal contact?

- yes two times

3.      What is the ambient room temperature where your PC is located? High ambient temperatures can contribute to increased CPU temperatures.

- not too hight..maybe 20°C

4.      Did you encounter any issues during the CPU installation, such as bent pins or damage to the CPU itself?

- no, I also bought a special frame for this CPU by grizzly to minimize possible problems

5.      Are there any overclocking settings applied to the CPU or GPU? Overclocking can lead to higher temperatures, so it's essential to check if any overclocks are active.

- CPU as I said undervolted. GPU no overclocking. DDR5 RAM was at 6000Mhz (XMP), but without overclocking RAM I had the same temperatures.

6.      Are you running any background processes or applications that could be using CPU resources and causing elevated temperatures even when not gaming or under load?

- no

7.      Have you checked the BIOS settings to ensure that power-saving features like Intel SpeedStep or C-States are enabled? Disabling these features can result in the CPU running at higher temperatures constantly.

- no didn't check that

8.      What thermal paste did you use, and did you apply it correctly when reseating the cooler? Incorrect application or low-quality thermal paste can affect cooling efficiency.

- tried two different, think this is not the problem

9.      Have you monitored CPU usage and clock speeds while gaming or running applications? Knowing if the CPU is throttling due to excessive heat could help diagnose the issue.

- yes as I said, it went immediately hot to 95-100°C, even without load (3-15%)

10.  Are there any software updates or BIOS updates available for your motherboard and CPU that might address temperature-related issues?

- didn't check it yet, but the motherboard is new and I think it auto-checks for updates (MSI Z790)

11.  Have you considered other cooling solutions, such as upgrading to a more powerful cooler or adding additional case fans to improve airflow?

- yes. Last weekend I bought a water-cooler (360mm) and it completely solved my problem! I'm happy to announce that I have ~20°C on boot and in apps with higher cpu load 20-50°C.  So I'm writing this only for other readers who ran into similiar issues. This CPU is not for air coolers.

12.  Have you tried stress testing the CPU using a tool like Prime95 to see if it consistently reaches high temperatures under synthetic loads?

- no

Thanks Isaac. You may close this topic of leave it open, it's up to you.

cheers

[IsaacQ_Intel]

Dear @cphr,

We are pleased to hear that upgrading your cooling system has effectively resolved the overheating issue you were experiencing. Your willingness to address my inquiries and share the resulting outcome is greatly appreciated.

We would like to express our gratitude for your cooperation, and we trust that your computer will continue to perform reliably in the long term.

As the matter in question has been resolved, we will proceed to close this thread. Should you require any further assistance or information, please feel free to initiate a new inquiry, as this particular thread will no longer be actively monitored.

Best regards,

Isaac Q.

Intel Customer Support Technician