PC Processors

[ldavies]

My son has been using with no issues a PC I built for him 18 months ago. Yesterday while using Zwift (in 4K) on one screen and watching YouTube on another (also in 4K) it suffered a BSOD because it overheated. I turned it back on and it shut down a couple of minutes later (with no apps running) due to overheating. I left it a day, opened up the case, replaced the thermal paste on the CPU thinking that might be the culprit, got rid of all the dust in the system (there was not much) and turned it back on again while the box was totally open. The CPU cooler fan turned on and immediately the CPU started getting hot and another BSOD within 2 minutes - all while ambient temp was about 25Celsuis. This happened a couple more times before I managed to capture some data from HWMonitor about the system.

Unfortunately I am totally stuck as I have no clue how to identify a fix for the overheating problem. Is it the CPU malfunctioning and needs replacing, something to do with the motherboard, the NZXT integrated CPU cooler or what??? Please help.

PC info is as follows:
Case: NZXT H1 case (w/ integrated power supply and 140mm AIO liquid cooler
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix X570-I MoBo
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2x16GB) 3200MHz C16 DDR4 DRAM Memory Kit – Black (CMK32GX4M2B3200C16)
Graphics Card: EVGA 08G-P4-3071-KR GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming, 8GB GDDR6
Hard drive: Sabrent 1TB Rocket NVMe 4.0 Gen4 PCIe M.2 Internal SSD Extreme Performance Solid State Drive (SB-ROCKET-NVMe4-1TB)

[elstaci]

What you are describing is a defective AIO. Either the pump broke and not circulating liquid thus the CPU is overheating very quickly or there is a leak or one of the AIO Hoses is blocked preventing circulation from occurring.

If you install a Air CPU Cooler and the processor doesn't overheat then you know that your AIO went bad and is defective.

When you purchased the 3600x  it should have come bundled with a AMD Wraith Spire CPU Cooler. You can install that temporarily until you get your NZXT Liquid CPU Cooler replaced or repaired.

EDIT: If you install temporarily a Air CPU Cooler you need one with a minimum TDP of 95 Watts which is what your processor is rated for.

The Maximum Operating Temperature of your processor is 95C. So once the temperature starts to reach or reaches  95c the processor will automatically start to throttle, slow down, to maintain the temperature at or below 95c.

[ldavies]

Thanks.  Unfortunately I got rid of the cooler that came with the CPU so now I am a bit stuck.  I also cannot find a replacement AIO 140mm cooler.  Some 120mm ones but not 140mm.  Hmmmmmmm....  Wondering what to do.

[elstaci]

Have you checked to see if your NZXT computer case is still under Warranty?  I noticed that their pre-built PC has a 2 year Warranty so most likely your computer case has a One year Warranty. But I would still check anyways.

You can purchase a cheap Air CPU Cooler but it seems you will need to have a low profile or Small Form Factor CPU Cooler since you seem to have a Mini-Computer case which is th H1.

At PCPARTPICKER it shows all the compatible Air and AIO for your 3600X. See which one will fit inside your computer case: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/cpu-cooler/?compatible_with=FCprxr

You also can open a NZXT Support ticket and ask them if they sell the AIO that is part of your computer case. They have a "CHAT NOW" feature where you can get instant Tech Support.

Did you use NZXT software to see if the AIO pump was working or not? You can check by feeling the hoses on top of the processor.

The input hose should be slightly cooler than the output hose plus you should feel a little bit of vibration as the fluid circulates in the system.

Most Monitoring Software will show the Pumps RPM. That is one way to see if the pump is working or not.

Is the Radiator Fan working at full RPM? Is the Fan's Air flow obstructed in any way?

By you explanation it sounds like the AIO isn't removing heat from the processor and it overheats very quickly. That is why I believe it is defective. 

Good luck.

[elstaci]

Found out that your H1 Computer Case was  recalled due to being a fire hazard and all sales were cancelled in the past. But NZXT seemed to have fixed the safety issue and is again selling the H1 computer cases: https://gamingdope.com/is-nzxt-h1-discontinued-why-are-orders-getting-canceled/

If you purchased the H1 a year and half ago you might have the unsafe version. NZXT will send you a free repair kit. Here is the NZXT Recall website: https://info.nzxt.com/h1-safety-notice/

Here is are instructions from NZXT Website on removing the AIO from your computer case: https://support.nzxt.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260800194449-Replacing-your-NZXT-H1-AIO

Found this article about replacing the AIO in your H1 computer case. It will be very difficult mainly due to the AIO hoses won't fit properly inside the case: https://www.windowscentral.com/can-you-replace-pre-installed-aio-inside-nzxt-h1

Corsair sells a 140MM Radiator but you will need to purchase the hoses and pump for it. Unless the Hoses from the NZXT will fit in the Radiator ports: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Custom-Cooling/Radiators/Hydro-X-Series-XR5-Water-...

Most likely the pump is what is defective. see if you can replace the AIO Pump which will be easier.