I just got a secondhand PC with an i7 9700K and a water cooling system. While it’s not the most high-end setup, it’s what I could afford. I’ve noticed that the CPU temperature spikes to 80 degrees Celsius when I’m installing a game and watching YouTube simultaneously. Is that normal? What should I be concerned about? I checked Open Hardware Monitor, and it shows the maximum temperature for the CPU core is 87.5 degrees, but there are five different temperatures displayed. Also, the coolant hasn’t been changed in over a year. Do I need anything specific for the change, or is plain filtered water okay?
1 Answer
80 degrees isn’t a huge issue, but it’s on the higher side! You might want to start by checking for dust buildup in your case, especially around the AIO radiator and fans. Make sure those are clean. Also, if the thermal paste hasn’t been changed in a while, it could be dried out; it’s worth replacing it with something like Arctic MX6, which is pretty affordable. That can help bring those temps down a bit!
So is it running too hot? It has 64GB of RAM and a 980ti alongside the i7.