Are these temps good? H115i + I7 8700K 3.7 Ghz

Hi guys!

First of all, sorry if my english is not very good, it isnt my first language :).

I have this PC since 1 year and few months, and I hadnt had any issue, but since the beginning I cared about temps of cooling.

My specs are:

- Motherboard: Gygabite GA Z370 Aeorus Gaming

- Proc: I7 8700k 3.7 Ghz (not OC)

- Case: NZXT H440 USB 3.0

- AIO: Corsair H115i

My temps (h115i) in idle (1-3% CPU load) are about: 32-35ºC (I've seen a lot of your examples and post and were about 20-25...). With some games (the division 2, civilization VI, sometimes I got some freezings (very little) and I dont really know if they are caused by temps (about 48-55ºC), or by other causes...It seems a little high for me, seeing your posts...

By default, my voltage (Vcore) is set as automatic and with 1.135 value.

When I received the PC, I set in Corsair link a quiet profile, it worked well in idle or working, but with games When it reached a temperature of 45 ° the fans were put to 100%, and i had to establish a custom profile.

These temperatures are good for you? Have i to worried for anything? Can you recommend some modifications?

Thanks in advance.

Those are low temps..... whats the issue here? 48-55 under load is stellar, like REALLY good.

You basically have a perfectly fine system with no issue. Its like bringing your car to the dealer because you thought you heard something.

But 48-55 h115i temp, not CPU.

I was not sure if these temps are good enough or not, my knowledge about hardware is limited in this case :D

Thanks for your answer!

No, 48-55C H115i Temp or coolant temperature is not good and suggests a problem. Most people will have idle coolant temperature of around +4-6C above their room temp with variations for cpu type and case layout. Load temp for a standard clocked 8700K should only be +4-5C above that. Unless your room temperature is near 30C, you should not reach 40C coolant temperature on your system.

Can you change the pump speed to the higher setting? This won’t cure anything, but a noticeable drop in temperature may suggest there is a flow problem. How do the tubes feel? About the same? Or one hot and one cold. Also, when the coolant temp is 50C, then radiator exhaust temp will also be near 50C. That would be disturbingly warm on your skin. If the coolant temperature reads 40C plus but the radiator exhaust is cool, fluid and heat are not circulating.

Hi Markus90,

Sorry about the rough temperatures.

I would take a look at the pump in iCUE or your BIOS and make sure you are getting flow.

Hi Markus90,

 

Sorry about the rough temperatures.

 

I would take a look at the pump in iCUE or your BIOS and make sure you are getting flow.

When I go home, I'll install iCUE to check it (I hope it isnt difficult to use). If you need more info ask for it guys.

My room temperature is about 25ºC, but I'll check it too.

Water temperature in idle: 31-32ºC (watching a movie, 33,5º)

After playing a game: 48ºC and sometimes around 52ºC.

and CPU with games is normal, not very hot, about 50-60ºC.

Thanks for your answers!

I have to say that my PC works really good (except some random freezings with games), I havent got any problem, but I thought that these temperatures are not really good after seeing some post here.

If you don’t already have iCUE installed, how are you measuring water temperature? If you are using Link, installing iCUE won’t change anything. If neither, than you need to get an accurate reading using one or the other.

With Link. I usually see all temps there.

But I only see the temps, I dont know how to check the flow or anything else :S

No, 48-55C H115i Temp or coolant temperature is not good and suggests a problem. Most people will have idle coolant temperature of around +4-6C above their room temp with variations for cpu type and case layout. Load temp for a standard clocked 8700K should only be +4-5C above that. Unless your room temperature is near 30C, you should not reach 40C coolant temperature on your system.

 

Can you change the pump speed to the higher setting? This won’t cure anything, but a noticeable drop in temperature may suggest there is a flow problem. How do the tubes feel? About the same? Or one hot and one cold. Also, when the coolant temp is 50C, then radiator exhaust temp will also be near 50C. That would be disturbingly warm on your skin. If the coolant temperature reads 40C plus but the radiator exhaust is cool, fluid and heat are not circulating.

I put the performance profile for some minutes (very noisy :O) and temperature still in the same range.

Tubes feel similar (same temperature).

When I turned on the PC water temperature was at 26.5ºC, after few minutes 32-33ºC with 5-6% load (only watching some videos).

There is no flow meter in the AIO or software, although that would be pretty cool. He meant to confirm you have s positive pump speed and not zero. Quiet mode should be about 1900-2000 rpm. The Performance/Extreme mode around 2900 rpm.

The rise from 26 to 32 after you cold boot or wake is relatively normal. Coolant will start at room temp the moment you power on, but it will go a few degrees above that almost immediately. Unless the blockage is massive or you have a dead pump/zero flow state, it can be hard to detect at idle when the cpu cuts power. So far this checks with your conditions.

Probably time for a cpu only stress test. Power on/wake and let it sit for 10 minutes or if already up and reading this, you’re ready. Take note of the coolant temperature (H115i Temp). Run a mild stress test (Intel XTU, AIDA, oCCT, or even the CPU-Z stressor). Let it run for 10 minutes. Not the change in coolant temperature. It should only be about +4-5C. Also watch the cool down. It should drop 2-3C in 30-60 seconds. The last 2 degrees sometimes takes several minutes longer if you’ve elevated the case temp.

If the coolant temp goes +10C or more, there is likely a problem. If it is as expected, we’ll need to talk about the case layout, radiator location, fan direction, and GPU. Other things that can inhibit the radiator are dust filters or the exhaust blocked or prevented from escaping in some other way.

There is no flow meter in the AIO or software, although that would be pretty cool. He meant to confirm you have s positive pump speed and not zero. Quiet mode should be about 1900-2000 rpm. The Performance/Extreme mode around 2900 rpm.

 

The rise from 26 to 32 after you cold boot or wake is relatively normal. Coolant will start at room temp the moment you power on, but it will go a few degrees above that almost immediately. Unless the blockage is massive or you have a dead pump/zero flow state, it can be hard to detect at idle when the cpu cuts power. So far this checks with your conditions.

 

Probably time for a cpu only stress test. Power on/wake and let it sit for 10 minutes or if already up and reading this, you’re ready. Take note of the coolant temperature (H115i Temp). Run a mild stress test (Intel XTU, AIDA, oCCT, or even the CPU-Z stressor). Let it run for 10 minutes. Not the change in coolant temperature. It should only be about +4-5C. Also watch the cool down. It should drop 2-3C in 30-60 seconds. The last 2 degrees sometimes takes several minutes longer if you’ve elevated the case temp.

 

If the coolant temp goes +10C or more, there is likely a problem. If it is as expected, we’ll need to talk about the case layout, radiator location, fan direction, and GPU. Other things that can inhibit the radiator are dust filters or the exhaust blocked or prevented from escaping in some other way.

Hi, thanks for your answer c-attack,

Tomorrow after work I'll do the stress test.

Anyway I take a screenshot from Corsair Link after playing 2 hours, maybe it can help :D

A friend has 8-9ºC less, but he has other specs (but same h115i), but im not sure if that means something :S (I dont know if I7 8700k is a hot cpu or not).

The post gaming temps will not offer definitive evidence at this point. The GPU adds heat to the case. Warm up the case and the coolant temp goes up with it. It’s usually easy to isolate a failing cooler. Assessing total system performance is more difficult.

Your coolant temperature is definitely warmer than expected. I am starting to think this is a heat management issue, but we can work on that once we’re sure the cooler is working properly. The 440 has caused some people problems in the past.

The post gaming temps will not offer definitive evidence at this point. The GPU adds heat to the case. Warm up the case and the coolant temp goes up with it. It’s usually easy to isolate a failing cooler. Assessing total system performance is more difficult.

 

Your coolant temperature is definitely warmer than expected. I am starting to think this is a heat management issue, but we can work on that once we’re sure the cooler is working properly. The 440 has caused some people problems in the past.

I have to add that my rad is on the top of the case. The fans are under the rad pushing the hot air from inside to outside. I dont know if it is good or not, or if I can change it...

After work I'll do the stress test.

Thanks!

Hi Markus90,

Thanks for posting the pic of Link. It looks like the pump is working. Also the fans mounted to the rad are perfect. How do you have the rest of your case fans mounted?

This might not be the case but I have seen this kind of thing happen when none of the fans are mounted as an intake.

Another option to try is to take off your case's side panel if that significantly drops your temps it might be that the case is too restrictive. That can be caused by dust, fan positioning, a cabinet door ect.

Hi Markus90,

 

Thanks for posting the pic of Link. It looks like the pump is working. Also the fans mounted to the rad are perfect. How do you have the rest of your case fans mounted?

 

This might not be the case but I have seen this kind of thing happen when none of the fans are mounted as an intake.

 

Another option to try is to take off your case's side panel if that significantly drops your temps it might be that the case is too restrictive. That can be caused by dust, fan positioning, a cabinet door ect.

Hi Mike,

I've attached an image with fans. (top arrows are representing the h115i).

So, do you think that I have to proceed with a RMA?.

Thanks a lot for your answers guys.

pd: I couldn't do any stress test, becouse I haven't been at home this weekend.

Not going to know if there is a cooler problem until you are able to run the cpu only stress test and see what happens to the coolant temperature. Your case layout is pretty standard and how most people set it up. Past problems with that model had the solid door panels really choking the fans. Your case does appear warm, but let’s rule out the cooler first.

Hi c-attack, i finally did the stress test with CPU-Z and it has worked as you said days ago.

Temperature climbed from 31.5ºC to 36.2ºC during the 10 mins. After stopped, it decreased 2ºC in the first 30 sec - 1 min, and the other 2-3ºC in the following minutes.

OK, so cooler is good. Onto heat management.

The Link shot you posted shows a lot of high temps, but not all of the Link reported board temps can be trusted. I guess either way you need to approach this from one of two angles.

1) Radiator + fans cannot expel heat through top of the case efficiently. The check for that is to remove the top panel, then do your normal gaming and usual routine. Temps better?

2) GPU is overwhelming the case or otherwise not sufficient air exchange - take the side door off and see if temps improve. This may point the finger at the front panel and that has been the source of past issues on that case. We'll see.

For both, make sure you have that rear exhaust fan turning at a decent clip when gaming. You want the bulk of the GPU heat to go out the rear port rather than through the radiator, heating the coolant on the way. Also if you can give us some kind of idea what fan speeds you normally see on the front and rear fans when gaming. 100-200 rpm makes little difference, but if you have them pinned down at 400 rpm, we know where to start.

Thanks for the pic showing the fan config. I would take a look at what c-attack said and give that a shot. He raises a good point it might be fan curves.

I would at least submit a ticket and start the conversation with tech support. They would be able to walk you though trouble shooting your system and if a RMA is required they would be able to process that.

Corsair.com/support

I have to add that my rad is on the top of the case. The fans are under the rad pushing the hot air from inside to outside. I dont know if it is good or not, or if I can change it...

After work I'll do the stress test.

Thanks!

If you can, then I would advise moving your rad to the front of the case, so that it pulls in cool air from outside. This can make a big difference to the cooler temp. You may need to compensate with some additional exhaust fans at the top to keep the rest of the mobo cool. You could, consider a push/pull config, which is perfect for a case like the Fractal Define R6.

Also, check that you have a solid / tight cooler head to CPU connection. Add additional paste if necessary.

Incidentally, if you are not too fussed about LED, then the Corsair ML fans are almost silent at low speeds and are currently extremely good VFM as twin-packs on Amazon. My case is packed with them!

I'm sorry I didn't read the rest of the thread, but I did look at your pic.

If you have the radiator at the top of the case with the fans blowing out through the radiator, you are using your graphics card to essentially heat the CPU. A far better plan is to reverse the direction of the fans so they are drawing air in through the radiator. Don't worry that you are going against the natural flow, it will significantly drop the temperature of the CPU. Because you also have the front fans as intakes you have a balance of air from the radiator and the outside so you shouldn't see too much impact on everything else. You then have four fans blowing in to the case ( assuming you have two at the front ) you don't need one fan blowing out so you can remove the back fan. I would also use iCUE to ramp up the front fans in accordance with the GPU temp.

The 8700K is usually pretty warm. I mean I used to run mine with a h115i and it never went below about 34 degrees, as opposed to the 9700K witch is a much cooler CPU.

Oh and in passing, if you want an extra boost with the h115i I would also consider the rather expensive step of replacing the fans with ML Pro's. The ML's pros are fantastic fans and really boost the performance of the h115i. Not only are they better, they are quieter too. Just something to consider if you can't achieve the performance you want. I mean you shouldn't have to run the h115i at anything other than near silent mode to cool an 8700K.

Oh and in passing, if you want an extra boost with the h115i I would also consider the rather expensive step of replacing the fans with ML Pro's. The ML's pros are fantastic fans and really boost the performance of the h115i. Not only are they better, they are quieter too. Just something to consider if you can't achieve the performance you want. I mean you shouldn't have to run the h115i at anything other than near silent mode to cool an 8700K.

Note that the H115i will not drive replacement ML fans any faster than the slower stock ones, I know, as I have experimented with this myself. I get round this by using the pump PWM to drive the stock fans and the mobo CPUOPT PWM to drive the faster fans in a push/pull config at the front of the case. Heat rises, so I'm not keen on trying to fight against that, although your radiator placement options are ultimately dictated by the case design.

If you can, then I would advise moving your rad to the front of the case, so that it pulls in cool air from outside. This can make a big difference to the cooler temp. You may need to compensate with some additional exhaust fans at the top to keep the rest of the mobo cool. You could, consider a push/pull config, which is perfect for a case like the Fractal Define R6.

 

I'm sorry I didn't read the rest of the thread, but I did look at your pic.

 

If would be better to let the original poster report back first before making blind suggestions. He's not in a R6, but H440 and the front door design does not offer easy straight through flow. This case has proved challenging for this in the past. It appears the total case environment is reaching the 45C neighborhood, so it is not just about CPU cooling. The CPU heat contribution is negligible compared to what appears to be a combination GPU heat, overall airflow issue. So while moving the 280mm radiator to the front might offer better CPU temps in a CPU load environment, the goal is better total system temperatures in a mixed load environment. It's not exactly clear yet why so much heat is being retained inside the case and too early to start moving hardware around.

Definitevely, my case sucks a bit :D.

Removing the top panel (and front panel), the temperature has reduced about 8ºC...in idle 25-26º, 28º with Word, webs, spotify, and 35-36 while playing...

So this is the problem. I will consider to change the case soon (when I can, becouse now I am studying too, and I need the pc to work...), any recommendations?.

pd: i think i cant change the distribution of rad + fans, I watched a lot of videos, and always thry are mounted in the same way as mine.

Thanks a lot for your help guys!