PC Processors

[anastrom]

Myself, many users, and reviewers are seeing temperatures reaching and persisting in excess of 80 degrees C when under sustained full loads, this with both water and air cooling. https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/ehesmy/3970x_owners_what_temperatures_are_you_seeing/

AMD's states that the maximum recommend temperature of the 3960x and 3970x is 68 degrees C, but there is some disagreement about what that figure means.

Some are saying AMD's 68C temperature removes a 27C TCTL offset, which would place the actual max thermal limit at 95 degrees.  

Reviewers like Linus Tech Tips noted 82C thermals when running under sustained loads.  AMD clearly isn’t tired of winning yet… - Threadripper 3970X/3960X Review - YouTube (See at 5:53 in the video)

Questions:

- Does AMD's 68C recommendation remove a 27 degree offset? (Is it actually 95C?)

- Are temperatures in excess of 80C potentially damaging to the CPU?

- At what temperature does the chip throttle?

- Are there any air coolers able to keep the 3960x within AMD's recommended thermal limits?

[misterj]

Please, anastrom and all your friends, forget all about the 27C offset or any offsets.  Please see this post especially the bottom.  The real problem here is AMD is on holiday.  When the real drivers get back into the seat, we may see a change, but as of now, the official word is the maximum temperature for the 3960X and the 3970X is 95C as Ryzen Master (RM) is showing.  All Threadrippers, up to now, are Max Temps of 68C.  I can only answer your first question.  I do not know (I am a user and this is a user forum) about damage.  I have tried and failed to determine a throttling or shut down temperature - doubt AMD will tell us.  I would never run this chip on an Air cooler, even AMD recommends water.  Since AMD has a significant ERROR in documentation/RM, when the dust clears, I think we will all be OK.  I just received my 3970X yesterday and will run it less that 68C because I am paranoid!  I do not and cannot speak for AMD.  We almost never see an AMD employee here even though all moderators are AMD employees.  You can read my thoughts in the linked post.  I would love to hear any comments on this!  Thanks and enjoy, John.

[anastrom]

Thank for the information.

So AMD has confirmed that 95C is the correct thermal limit?  Why then do they say 68 degrees in their documentation?

Reviewer after reviewer are seeing higher temps than that, even with the liquid cooler that AMD supplied to them.

When running Prime95 torture test, was seeing temps reach 91C within a few minutes.  At which point the system was clearly throttling.

Went with air cooling only after Noctua support specifically confirmed that the NH-U14 TR4-SP3 is "capable of keeping both new 3rd gen threadrippers well within their thermal limits under sustained full load".  They have also listed it as "compatible without turbo/overclocking headroom" with just a single fan.  It can additionally be upgraded to dual fans, which my system has had from the start.

https://noctua.at/en/cpu/AMD_Ryzen_Threadripper_3960X 

https://noctua.at/en/cpu/AMD_Ryzen_Threadripper_3970X 

All settings were stock, but disabled PBO in BIOS after some other recommendations.  That stopped the instantaneous spikes in excess of 80C, but in less than 4 minutes temperatures reached 91C, at which point the test was stopped.

So water cooling then?  But there are no reliable AIO liquid coolers that cover the entire die.   For 24/7 production systems like mine, the unreliability of water is a real worry.

[misterj]

Thanks, anastrom .

"So AMD has confirmed that 95C is the correct thermal limit?  Why then do they say 68 degrees in their documentation?"  Cannot say - I have asked them to update the specifications and expect it will be done when holidays are ended. 

Of  course, you use whatever CPU cooler you wish, I am only saying AMD recommends water and I went to water several generations ago and have no intention to go back.  "But there are no reliable AIO liquid coolers that cover the entire die."   I would say dies - plural.  I use EnerMax LIQTECH-TR4 on my 1950X and 2990WX and before I bought, I checked and EnerMax assured me that all chips were covered by the cold bloc.  I checked again before I ordered the 3970X (sitting in other room awaiting an MB) and was again assured ALL chips were covered on it also.  I should point out that several users have had trouble with the LIQTECH-TR4 with gunky coolant.  I run my pump on 12 Volts and have never had any problems.  I think your statement "...are no reliable...that cover..." is not correct.  I feel strongly users/buyers of coolers should check with the vendor.  I think there are several Vendors offering full coverage AIOs for all TRs.  Thanks and enjoy, John.

[anastrom]

The Enerma Liqtech does not seem to qualify as "reliable".  There have been detailed press reports investigating  the issues plaguing that model.

And yes, Enermax claimed to have fixed the issues, but there has been considerable push back on those claims. 

There is no question that the Enermax product was unreliable.  The only issue up for debate is whether the current products remain unreliable.  And building evidence suggests it is not reliable without considerable end-user remediation.

Consider that when AMD sent out 2060x and 2070x review kits, an Enermax cooler was not a part of those kits.  AMD sent out Asetek derived coolers with a plate that covers perhaps half of the chip face.

But this is really aside from the critical point.  Some clarity on the recommended temperatures and cooling peripherals are all that's being asked for.

What is the recommend temperature?  What is a safe temperature?  What is the throttling temperature?  Are there any recommended air coolers? What are the recommended liquid coolers?

[misterj]

Thanks, anastrom.  All your words about EnerMax is why I told my story.  I recommended it here a few weeks ago and got jerked through a knothole.  Please see here.  Notice EnerMax is not mentioned.  Thanks and enjoy, John. 

[anastrom]

AMD support has responded to my inquiry.

"We have received some reports about the issue and the max temperature is 95C for Ryzen Threadripper processor. Running at 80C do not cause any issue to the processor."

But they did not answer any of the other questions, most importantly, at what temperature does the processor throttle.  Though in my limited testing, it is definitely throttling at 85C, and perhaps a bit below.

[misterj]

anastrom, based on my experience, AMD may well not tell you the throttling temperature.  My knowledge and experience is that when any of the four meters in Ryzen Master (RM) turn RED the processor is throttling.  The four are temperature, PPT, TDC or EDC.  The last three sometime can be extended by raising the limits specified but when the temperature goes RED you are finished.  I have seen everything RED except for temperature.  When any go YELLOW then throttling is getting close.  Have you seen any yellow or red meters?  The only treatment for red temperature is a better CPU cooler and/or better ventilation. I have commented many times that I run all my fans and pump on 12 Volts from the power supply.  Thanks and enjoy, John.

[anastrom]

They did respond.

AMD says the throttling temperature is ~85C.

[misterj]

Thanks, anastrom.  Great, enjoy, John.