New i7 4770k with high core voltage and temperatures

[PSchn3]

Hello,

i just recently received my new PC components including an i7 4770k. Sadly my CPU seems to have a strange voltage and thermal behavior.

Under heavy load (Prime95, Games ...), CPU-Z reads 1.187V as my Core Voltage (with a Clock Freq. of 3691MHz in Prime95). Any voltage settings in the BIOS of my Gigabyte Z87X-D3H are set to AUTO (just in case i already performed a BIOS reset).

At the same time, my CPU also runs fairly hot, given that im using a massive aftermarket cooler (Silver Arrow IB-E). Temperatures range from 50°C in less demanding games like Dota2 to 63°C in the cpu demanding Total War Rome 2. Prime95 (Bend, Default Settings) increases this even further with a max temperature of 76°C after just 1h of torture test.

When i posted my concern on another board people told me to immediately get in contact with you as the temperature is apparently way too high given that i do have a CPU with high stock core voltage.

Im really concerned since my CPU runs both at a high core voltage as well as a high temperature, which seems like the perfect recipe for short CPU lifespan.

Im also sad that my expensive high-performance cooler (which also needs to run at higher RPM) barely compensates the heat issues. I dont even dare to install the stock cooler.

Therefore i'd like to know if this is a sign of a faulty CPU and which further steps i should take to resolve my issue.

(I also already reseated my cooler including the backplate and reapplied thermal compound using the pea and spread techniques without any noticeable difference. Also updated the BIOS Version of my MB from F7 to F8. Opening my case barely affects temperatures of the CPU at all. Additionally ran the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool, however it fails the PCH Test).

I really hope that you are able to help me

[Kevin_M_Intel]

Hi Invoker,

Let me help you with this.

There are some steps I want you to try based on the description you have provided. First of all, I recommend you resetting the BIOS to factory settings in case a change was made and could be affecting the performance.

It is important to say that the normal temperature of a processor can go from 25c to 55C when in normal conditions and it can go up to 83 when running stress tests so I the temperatures the processor is reaching seems to be normal so far.

In case you are in doubt of the performance or functionality of the unit, you can run the Intel® Processor Diagnostic Tool. This software runs a test on the processor and will diagnose every single component inside the processor reporting bad sectors if necessary.

Here you can download it:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=19792 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=19792

[PSchn3]

Hi kevin, thanks for your help

When i run the Diagnostic Tool it ends with Test Status FAIL due to the PCH Test failing. Sadly the Help-Document doesn't provide any information on this matter. What could cause this test to fail? With the PCH Test disabled all other tests pass.

I resetted my BIOS once again and double checked the settings. Everything is set to their default values according to the MB Manual.

I kind of agree that these temperatures don't sound high by themselves but only because my aftermarket heatsink seems to be able to keep them within these normal temperature ranges. Such a heavy investment however should not be required to run a CPU at temperatures slightly below the upper end of what would be considered normal. If i were to install the stock HS, should my CPU still not exceed 83°C when running a stress test? This is probably the only thing i havent tried so far.

[Kevin_M_Intel]

Invoker,

If the test fails just make sure you are using default setting at the BIOS level to avoid any inconvenience during the test.

IF the processor is running under default settings the stock thermal cooling solution should be working fine but due to the Fail status on this test, I recommend you contacting your local Intel® support for them to check it and replace it if necessary.

http://www.Intel.com/Chat www.Intel.com/Chat