I just overclocked my i7 4790k with a noctua nh-d15 cooler at idle I run around 30-35c is this to hot? I have only over clocked to 4.6GHZ but I have not changed the voltage. How hot should it get when I play games and stuff? 70C??? 60C?? IDK. I have ample air flow in a nzxt phantom 530 case. my room temp is around 20C I really dont want my CPU to fry so please help. I really dont mind if I downclock to like 4.5 or something. My motherboard is an asus z97-a and it working like a charm.
ok thanks so much for the reply you have really relaxed me because I ran nova bench and it got up to 67C :D
Anything <80c is fine. Its only around the 95c mark that throttling starts to occur.
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@hagridoneil Don't worry, your temps are extremely good. I have a H100i cooling my 4790k @4.5GHz and mine idles between 30 and 45 degrees depending on the ambient temperature of the room. Your CPU will be fine even up to something like 85 degrees as long as its not there all the time, and even then you are only making it wear out a little sooner (which might not mean it WILL wear out). Modern CPU's will throttle their speeds anyways if your temps get into the 90's to prevent them from popping so you wont incur a sudden failure like that.
Another thing to remember is that a synthetic benchmark will run your CPU at 100% constantly. Real programs wont usually do this, it'll be more like quick jumps up to 100% or dotting around 100%. Basically, you find that your CPU wont get as hot at 100% usage in the real world as with a synthetic benchmark. Try Prime95 vs AIDA64 and you will see a difference even between synthetics.
You should ideally keep the CPU below 60 Celsius for lifetimes sake however.. Not that every CPU is binned a bit different.. So they throttle sooner or later than others but not by large margins.. Also notice tj max is 100 C... That's the point where the CPU actually begins to break down... And damage will occur.. Never ever get to that point and I'd you can help its.. set the computer to shutdown at 85 Celsius.. Well before that threshold
I have the same cpu and when coin mining its at 75C. You are fine. Personally I don't like to go near 70+ but it is fine.
If you're really concerned about temps, there's the de-lid option but I'd only attempt this if:
A.) you can afford to possibly replace your CPU should something go wrong.
B.) you feel comfortable doing it.
C.) You've got/ordered some Coollaboratroy's Liquid Pro/Ultra
There's many video's on how to it. I did it on my 4770k and couldn't be happier. I went from 90c+ on Small FFT's in Prime95 to low to mid 60's. As others have already said, synthetic benchmarks like Prime95 and Aida64 are all about 100% torture test's that don't mimic real world CPU loads (for 99% of us at least).
It's simple to find out how hot any modern CPU should be able to get before it is bad.
What you need to do is make sure that you have CPUZ installed if you are on windows and write a .BAT file to open automatically when you start up your computer. Next step is to shut down your computer and remove the heat sink from the CPU. Then restart your computer. Now if your PC is fast enough it should be able to start and remain running for long enough for CPU-Z to launch at which point you will then take the readings of the current temperature of the CPU up until thermal throttling kicks in and forces the system to shut down.
Anything below the temperature which your computer crashed at should be fine. For older systems the principal still generally applies although most old systems won't have an automatic cut off point.
In this case you will have to take off the side panel and listen real hard while keeping an eye on the temps. You should hear something similar to a high pitch whistle or someone screaming very faintly. Do not be alarmed. It is not a leprechaun or something stuck inside the computer, its just the soul's of the VRM's screaming in agony as they get hotter and hotter (but its okay right cause computers don't have feelings). If you don't hear anything then maybe wait until you start to see the magic smoke come out or just until you start to smell something burning.
Either way I have been using the method for many years now and have only killed a few computers using this method, but its generally fool proof.
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temps are great.
As far as intel temps goes, as long as you stay below 90C you will be fine.
35C idle is totaly fine.
Just a little less hot than your girlfriend...