Cinebench score lower after AIO installation?

[jhawk2122]

I've been tinkering around with my 5600x seeing what settings affect my Cinebench R23 score.  With the stock cooler, was consistently getting about 11350 multi core.  But my cpu would settle in around 4.4 ghz (slowly decreasing during the course of the run) and a temp of around 95C. After I installed my new H115i Pro XT, my score decreased to about 10000 flat, even though I'm now consistently clocked around 4.6ghz and temps around 70C.  

 

Why would my score decrease when the clock frequency and temps improve?

 

BTW, the iCUE software is complete trash.  Opening it up causes my whole system to become unresponsive, and I have to hard reboot.  I had to uninstall it.  So perhaps that is required to optimize the AIO settings?  I'm probably going to return this to Microcenter and get a Kraken x63. 

[Letgomyleghoe]

Icue software running in the background? everytime you run a benchmark, try and kill every background process you don't need

[Cyracus]

Are ram settings the same? Or could be some other bios setting out of wack, reseting to optimized defaults may help...

[jhawk2122]

58 minutes ago, Letgomyleghoe said:

Icue software running in the background? everytime you run a benchmark, try and kill every background process you don't need

 

I uninstalled that garbage immediately.  Nothing running in the background.  I did a separate run to obtain clock speed and temp numbers. 

 

54 minutes ago, Cyracus said:

Are ram settings the same? Or could be some other bios setting out of wack, reseting to optimized defaults may help...

yeah, BIOS settings were the same.  

 

I installed the stock cooler again and will re-test. 

[jhawk2122]

Yup.  Put the stock cooler back on and got 11490 multi core.  I left the BIOS to all defaults, but with PBO enabled in Ryzen Master. 

 

Maybe it was a chipset cooling issue?  I don't have the system in a case, and when the AIO was installed I didn't have any fan blowing on the motherboard (though there is a ceiling fan in the room, so it's not totally stagnant air). 

[Cyracus]

1 hour ago, jhawk2122 said:

Maybe it was a chipset cooling issue?  I don't have the system in a case

Reasonable theory, got a desk fan or something you can put right on it?

E:What mobo are you using?

[jhawk2122]

8 hours ago, Cyracus said:

E:What mobo are you using?

Gigabyte B550I Aorus Pro AX.  

 

I won't be able to test with the Corsair AIO because I've already taken it off and have a Kraken x63 being delivered on Tuesday.  That's supposed to fit better in the NR200 anyhow.  Will update when I have the opportunity to test with the Kraken to see if it recreates the issue.  

 

On a possibly related note, when removing the AIO and wiping clean the thermal paste, I discovered what appears to be little scratches and blotches on the IHS and AIO cold plate.  I didn't think too much of it, but then googled for scratching cold plates, and apparently it's a known issue with some batches of Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut thermal paste.  IDK if that would have a huge impact on thermals, and my thermals were improved anyhow.  But seeing the damage to the cold plate and IHS definitely added to the frustration of the night!

[freeagent]

Sounds like the stock cooler is making better contact. There was a guy who posted his H100 something and it was pretty convex. Almost extremely.