Core i5 6600K 100°c temp -thermal throttling & 100% Usage. Please help.

[freestyler24]

Hello All, 

 

My i5 6600k temp idles around 44° C to 49° C and with load (playing game-cs go, using video editing tool-filmora) it shoots to 100° C within 30 seconds. Also when I did a stress test with intel extreme tuning utility same thing 30 seconds into the test it shoots to 100°C. Also my CPU usage idles at 1-5% while 100% under the same load as above. After a lot of research I finally figured that I might need to change my thermal paste and I have ordered it. As I am waiting for it I would like to know what are the other optimizations that I could do within my BIOS and windows setting to reduce this extreme temperature and usage. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

*background apps while doing the test: Nvidia graphics software, AI suite 3 (asus motherboard software), Bitdefender (Total Security software), Volume Controller, 

My Specs:

CPU: Intel i5 6600k 3.5 Ghz - currently running at base clock
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Motherboard: Asus z170 pro gaming
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RAM: G.SKILL Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 3200Mhz RGB Series Memory - F43200C16D16GTZR - AMP enabled
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GPU: Zotac RTX 2060 Super 8 GB
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PSU: Corsair RM1000X
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CPU Cooler: CM liquid lite 120
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Storage:
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Primary: Samsung Evo 850 Plus 250GB M.2 Nvme (PCIE)
Other: Samsung Evo 850 250GB SSD
Other: Samsung Evo 850 1TB SSD
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Monitor: Benq XL2430T
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Mid Tower: NZXT Noctis 450 

CPU-Z- Image: CPU-Z Info

Speccy Image: Speccy Info

Extreme Tuning Utility: Info  (cpu fan at full speed while stress test)

AIDA System Stability Test: Info (cpu fan at full speed while stress test)

AIDA Statistics after test: Info

[Fasauceome]

5 minutes ago, freestyler24 said:

After a lot of research I finally figured that I might need to change my thermal paste and I have ordered it. As I am waiting for it I would like to know what are the other optimizations that I could do within my BIOS and windows setting to reduce this extreme temperature and usage

the best bet is to undo any overclocks you may have applied, and reduce voltage as much as you can so that the CPU is stable. 

 

I highly doubt that this will fully solve the problem though, bad thermal paste tends to be a works/doesn't work situation

[freestyler24]

2 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

the best bet is to undo any overclocks you may have applied, and reduce voltage as much as you can so that the CPU is stable. 

 

I highly doubt that this will fully solve the problem though, bad thermal paste tends to be a works/doesn't work situation

I have never overclocked my system till date.

 

"I highly doubt that this will fully solve the problem though, bad thermal paste tends to be a works/doesn't work situation" - I am sorry I didn't follow this. You mean to say even a thermal paste wouldn't help?

[Fasauceome]

4 minutes ago, freestyler24 said:

I highly doubt that this will fully solve the problem though, bad thermal paste tends to be a works/doesn't work situation" - I am sorry I didn't follow this. You mean to say even a thermal paste wouldn't help?

I mean that until you get the new thermal paste, you are probably looking at a thermal throttle situation regardless of what you do, because bad thermal transfer usually can only be fixed directly and not indirectly.

[freestyler24]

1 minute ago, Fasauceome said:

I mean that until you get the new thermal paste, you are probably looking at a thermal throttle situation regardless of what you do, because bad thermal transfer usually can only be fixed directly and not indirectly.

@FasauceomeThank you so much for this much needed information.

Ok.. so I should wait until then I guess.

What would be the optimized voltage for this processor? I mean if I have to reduce the voltage. Is there a definitive guide for optimizing the processor in the BIOS?

[Fasauceome]

25 minutes ago, freestyler24 said:

What would be the optimized voltage for this processor? I mean if I have to reduce the voltage. Is there a definitive guide for optimizing the processor in the BIOS?

there are lots of useful overclocking guides on youtube, just do the opposite. instead of increasing the voltage, decrease it.

 

every processor is different so the trick is to do multiple tests and see how low you can get away with until your PC crashes, except unlike overclocking, you can't damage your CPU with too little voltage so it's a very safe process.

[Kilrah]

For it to be that bad that AIO is probably not operating correctly.

[freestyler24]

19 minutes ago, Fasauceome said:

there are lots of useful overclocking guides on youtube, just do the opposite. instead of increasing the voltage, decrease it.

 

every processor is different so the trick is to do multiple tests and see how low you can get away with until your PC crashes, except unlike overclocking, you can't damage your CPU with too little voltage so it's a very safe process.

That is a brilliant idea. I would do that and check the results and update here soon. Thank you 

[freestyler24]

19 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

For it to be that bad that AIO is probably not operating correctly.

@Kilrah Thank you for helping me here with your suggestion. I happened to try identifying if the AIO is faulty but me with below average pc knowledge I couldn't come up with a conclusive answer to it. As there is no software for this AIO model I wouldn't know any fault with it, all I know is the fan is working fine with 2300 RPM in standard mode.

 

Setup of AIO is something like this: Rear fan(1*140)<<motherboard<<AIO Fan(1*120)<< Radiator<<Front Panel Fans (3*120). << is the indicative of the airflow. no other fans apart from the mentioned. Also AIO pipes are attached at the bottom of the radiator in the vertical mode.

 

Is there a way to find out identify issues with AIO? Thank you.

[Kilrah]

Also check the pump is running. 

Even if it is the AIO could be gunked up. If it's 4-ish years old then that's about what you can expect as life expenctancy for an AIO.

[freestyler24]

Hello Guys, Thank you all for helping me out. I figured out the exact issue with my temps reaching 100°.. 

1. When I checked the AIO orientation/positioning, it was mounted like this:

<<airflow<<Back Fan 140*1 <<airflow<< Motherboard ??airflow?? Radiator fan>>airflow>>Radiator>><<airflow<<Front Fans 120*3

 

If you look at the above airflow indicator radiator fan was installed incorrectly by the pc builder who assembled the pc and since then I was using it like this. There was a tension between the airflow though the radiator which was mounted vertically with the pipes at the bottom. So I strongly felt maybe that's the issue and removed the radiator and the fan and installed it on top of the case lie this:

Top-<<airflow<<case<<radiator<<airflow<<Fan*120-Bottom (vertically).

 

After the above setup the temps were down to 40°-50° while idle and during AIDA64 stress test (all tests selected), the temps did touch the thermal throttle with 100° but as compared to before(30sec) it hit the throttle in about 5 minutes. This made me confident that the AIO is working but there is some kind of connectivity issues between the AIO and the CPU. Also found an old stock thermal paste that came with the AIO in my nzxt case box.

 

2. When I finally opened my AIO Block, I was raged to see the plastic sticker that comes on the AIO block out of the box still on the block! The genius who assembled the PC did not remove it before placing it on top of CPU. If you see the images you can see the thermal paste on it. Thermal paste was like a thick layer of paint stuck on the processor. With a lot of patience and time it came off with ISO PROPYL ALCOHOL 99% and the cloth. But not as easily as Linus shows in his video. It took a good 20-30mins to remove it. I didn't wanted to brick it.

 

Now with the stock CM thermal paste and block with out the plastic cover it is idling at 30-31° on average and with AIDA64 stress test(all selected tests) it is reaching a max temps of 50-51° during an hour test. 

 

Only thing now to figure out is to fix my CPU usage at 100% during the stress test. Is it normal to have 100% usage while gaming or stress test?

 

[Kilrah]

Wow...