How Do Cpus Handle Heat Kill Switches Now?

I have a AMD Ryzen 9 5900X in my system, with plenty of air-flow and four case fans. This thing runs out, which I've accepted. When rendering videos, I've hit as high as 90C. But according to this article on PC Gamer, AMD is fine with that and considers "typical and by design" according to them (their words not mine).

My question is this...

I checked my bios and the thermal throttle is set to auto, but I always assume that at 90C, the desktop would kick off. That's what used to happen on my old computers back in the day.

Is 90C no longer the danger threshold for cut the system off, and is it just throttling down now as the new heat-management method? And at what point will it just shut down, if not at 90C?

 

Thermal Throttling does not shut down your PC, it slows down the speed of the CPU to help it stay within an acceptable limit.

 

First, 90°C is NOT an industry standard value. Different CPUs (even within the same brand and line) may/will be different. The Tjmax (maximum operating temperature) value for your specific AMD CPU is 90°C.

Back in the day, systems had little to know thermal protection features. Shutting down was actually by design to prevent the device from getting even hotter and then damaging itself.

The problem with sudden shutdowns is, if lucky, you only lose the work you currently were working on. If unlucky, it might corrupt the boot drive and result in an unbootable computer.

Mobile CPUs - those designed for laptops where the first to really implement advanced thermal protection features. This is because notebook cases, due to their sizes are prone to heat issue. Consider the fact you have a PC with a PC case and 4 case fans and your system still get hot. It is no wonder a notebook case is challenged.

A1phaG33k is correct and the CPU will throttle back, slow down to [hopefully] prevent it from over heating. That's a good thing - but it also means performance is compromised.

HOWEVER, the CPU is not the only device that is sensitive to overheating issues. The VRMs, RAM, GPU, and PSU are too and they can cause a system to suddenly crash if they overheat.

I personally would not like my CPU to hit and stay at 90°C for more than a few seconds at a time.

You have 4 case fans. Are they all working in concert to create a good "flow" of cool air through the case? The typical arrangement is for front fans to intake cool air and rear fans to exhaust heated air. They should not be fighting each other. And if you have a side firing CPU cooler, it should be pointing (more or less) in the direction of the case air flow too.

Look at your cable management to ensure cables are interfering with that flow of air as little as possible. And of course, make sure the case interior if free of heat trapping dust.

Also, I note the spec sheet for your CPU, says, "Liquid cooler recommended for optimal performance". If using an air cooler, you might consider going liquid. However, when using liquid, it is important to remember the components surrounding the CPU socket need an adequate supply of flowing air too. So extra attention to case cooling may be required - to include adding another case fan, or replacing current fans with fans that create more CFM of flow.

 

Thanks for all that detailed info. I only hit 90C momentarily, just for a second. At max load I'm usually not above mid 80s. so I think I'm fairly comfortable with that, until I may decide to go the water cooled route. Thanks again.

 

I would suggest reapplying some new thermal paste to see if the temps come down with the air cooler. if not then liquid cooling is the way to go with that cpu.