VRM Area Thermals and CPU Temperatures

VRM Area Thermals

Lately, it has been requested if we could list VRM temperatures. We could hook into sensors and start measuring. Now a good way really is to look at the VRM area with a thermal camera. This way you can detect hot-spots and/or worrying stuff. We run the FPU and CPU torture test in AIDA. The chart plot shows the maximum VRM temperature measured at thermal sensor level. The VRM temperatures you see listed in the chart are not based upon the thermal image, but the max temp reported by the thermal sensors at the VRM stages. 

The thermal image is there for visualization of heat bleed, not measurement as most part of the VRM is covered by heatsinks.

• System setup: normal conditions / default settings / 100% CPU load on all cores

We see no frivolity that concerns us.

CPU Temperatures

We don't compare temperature data since we'd have to apply identical cooling to all platforms over and over. Furthermore, coolers (RPM) respond differently to TDP and variables set in your motherboard BIOS. As a result, we simply do a temperature stress test. We utilize a 280mm LCS cooler (Asus Ryujin II 360), and the processor operates at ~85c under all-core stress. This is at the maximum Wattage settings on the processor.

We can see small spikes hitting 90-100 Degrees at times. This will highly depend on your motherboard configuration as mobo manufacturers can allow the highest PL2 state available. The CPU will clock down and adapt once it overheats though. LCS for the 13900K we will is recommended. Intel has set a margin running towards 100 Degrees C before throttling occurs. Nothing terrible will happen at these temps with the processor.  The 13600K did not have this problem btw.