Erratic idle temps

[ali_83]

Put together a system for my brother the other day using a spec I was debating before I changed my mind.

The CPU temps seem to be really erratic, shooting up and down between 40C and 65C when just sat on the desktop. Temps seem to jump rather than increase and then fall back down before jumping back up again.

Originally I thought it was the cooler so I tried my Phanteks TC14 but that gets the same results. He bought a H100i for it.

I've installed a couple of games and it seems to get up to mid 70s but no higher.

I am using HWMonitor and AMD Overdrive to monitor temps and both are giving the same results (although obviously its the thermal margin with AMD Overdrive).

CPU is a AMD 860K on a MSI A88XM Gaming motherboard.

Any ideas what could be causing these odd temps?

 

[ali_83]

Its been running at stock speeds and still getting erratic temps, the voltages are also all over the place. I turned off AMD cool and quiet as I read on another forum that that can sometimes give erratic temps so the voltage was set by the MB at 1.438v, but according to CPUz its jumping between 1.2v and 1.350v.

I've used a fresh coat of paste on the H100i as a reseated it and a fresh coat in the air cooler too. I use a small amount and spread it evenly over the lid of the CPU (read a few posts on here about over application of paste).

EDIT - Temps seem to be stable when under load.

 

[ali_83]

Update - Just put a different CPU in (one that was bought for bios flashing purposes) and its idle temps are fine, sitting at 35C at idle with no erratic jumps.

Think its time to RMA the 860K.

 

[ali_83]

Yeah the noise difference between the two is insane, no longer does my room sound like the main runway at Heathrow...shame my brother will be getting the H100i instead

Ive reset the bios back to stock and it seems to have calmed down a lot, now moving between 35C and 45C