I need help cooling the CPU

[jholbrook182]

HI everyone. I built my computer recently with a 9 9900x and a 5070. The problem I am running into is cooling. My CPU stays around 80-85 while gaming, which I understand isn't a problem for the cpu, but I am also positive it is being thermally bottlenecked as that is around 20% utilization most of the time.  I currently have a noctua NH=U14S. I just bought the DH-15 just to find out that it is too large for my motherboard and covers my PCIE slot. My case only supports up to 240mm AIO, and I was looking at the  artic liquid freezer 3 240 and wondering if it would make any significant perfomance difference, or what AIO should I go with?

[Natural_Artichoke]

[leclod]

1 hour ago, jholbrook182 said:

I just bought the DH-15 just to find out that it is too large for my motherboard and covers my PCIE slot.

I never heard of a cooler doing that.

I thought all motherboards to be equal in that dimension's regard.

Did you try rotating the cooler ? (My cooler only fits in one direction)

Edited July 27, 2025 by leclod

[RockstarArthur]

I don't see the problem here. Those temperatures while gaming are completely fine and the CPU utilisation is probably lower because you are gaming at 2k or 4k and offloading all the work to the GPU which should be closer to 100% utilisation. 

[PDifolco]

1 hour ago, jholbrook182 said:

HI everyone. I built my computer recently with a 9 9900x and a 5070. The problem I am running into is cooling. My CPU stays around 80-85 while gaming, which I understand isn't a problem for the cpu, but I am also positive it is being thermally bottlenecked as that is around 20% utilization most of the time.  I currently have a noctua NH=U14S. I just bought the DH-15 just to find out that it is too large for my motherboard and covers my PCIE slot. My case only supports up to 240mm AIO, and I was looking at the  artic liquid freezer 3 240 and wondering if it would make any significant perfomance difference, or what AIO should I go with?

You're NOT CPU bottlenecked

CPU usage is 20% just because a game can't use more than a few threads 

Your cooler is fine 

Maybe undervolt your CPU with co

[Poinkachu]

3 hours ago, jholbrook182 said:

gaming, around 20% utilization most of the time.

 

As @PDifolco said above, most games out there only uses some of the threads.

Some uses more than others.

 

Here's my 9800x3D with 360AIO

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, 1440p

 

Me, I think I'd rather buy a good air cooler than a 240 AIO.

Like that NH-D15 you bought.

Unless it's SFF build or aesthetic matters lot, or somethin

 

3 hours ago, jholbrook182 said:

I just bought the DH-15 just to find out that it is too large for my motherboard and covers my PCIE slot

That's weird, first I heard about it tbh.

You sure you installed it right ?

 

[freeagent]

This CPU is capable of 300w with PBO, you should probably use an AIO if you want peak performance.

[jholbrook182]

4 hours ago, leclod said:

I never heard of a cooler doing that.

I thought all motherboards to be equal in that dimension's regard.

Did you try rotating the cooler ? (My cooler only fits in one direction)

I followed all the instructions according to the manual.  It might fit if I dont offset it but I dont know if there are any downsides with that.

[jholbrook182]

2 hours ago, Poinkachu said:

 

As @PDifolco said above, most games out there only uses some of the threads.

Some uses more than others.

 

Here's my 9800x3D with 360AIO

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, 1440p

 

Me, I think I'd rather buy a good air cooler than a 240 AIO.

Like that NH-D15 you bought.

Unless it's SFF build or aesthetic matters lot, or somethin

 

That's weird, first I heard about it tbh.

You sure you installed it right ?

 

I would also prefer an air cooler,  but my motherboard (x870 wifi 6) gets it's first pcie slot covered when I install the NH-D15 heatsink  

[leclod]

4 hours ago, jholbrook182 said:

It might fit if I dont offset it but I dont know if there are any downsides with that.

Well, offsetting is an optional improvement, if that's the only way then of course I'd do without 

Found this in the manual :

On other AM4 CPUs, or if there are any compatibility issues
in the offset position (e.g. clearance with motherboard
heatsinks), please choose the standard position (0).

Edited July 27, 2025 by leclod

[Poinkachu]

23 minutes ago, jholbrook182 said:

I would also prefer an air cooler,  but my motherboard (x870 wifi 6) gets it's first pcie slot covered when I install the NH-D15 heatsink  

I see.

 

Seems Gigabyte being weird and switch the placement of 1st pcie slot and 1st nvme slot

[Pusbucket]

This would be the one you need for your motherboard;
https://noctua.at/en/nh-d15s

 

https://ncc.noctua.at/

compatibility lists

 

[freeagent]

Thermalright does not need offset mounts, I would run a PS120 EVO on the CPU.

[Dedayog]

8 hours ago, jholbrook182 said:

HI everyone. I built my computer recently with a 9 9900x and a 5070. The problem I am running into is cooling. My CPU stays around 80-85 while gaming, which I understand isn't a problem for the cpu, but I am also positive it is being thermally bottlenecked as that is around 20% utilization most of the time.  I currently have a noctua NH=U14S. I just bought the DH-15 just to find out that it is too large for my motherboard and covers my PCIE slot. My case only supports up to 240mm AIO, and I was looking at the  artic liquid freezer 3 240 and wondering if it would make any significant perfomance difference, or what AIO should I go with?

You're not being thermally throttled.  The CPU is simply not using all its cores/threads, per the instructions of the game.

 

A CPU/Windows doesn't dictate fully how the CPU is used.  The game engine has to be able to take advantage of the additional cores.

 

That's why we recommend 6 and 8 core CPUs for gaming still. 

 

You're about to spend money on a non-issue, and after you do... nothing will have changed for you.

[leclod]

39 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

You're not being thermally throttled

But 82° at 20% load would still be an issue

Edited July 27, 2025 by leclod

[Dedayog]

4 minutes ago, leclod said:

But 82° at 20% load would still be an issue

Depends on the load. Is something pegging 1 core?