How do I make my FX-8350 stop throttling at 64ºC?

Question

If my AMD FX-8350 reaches 64-65ºC it kinda resets to lower the temperature, then starts going up again, reaches 64ºC and goes down again.

Here's a picture of it happening:

The second dip is because I stopped prime95, but the first one was after reaching this max temperature, I lowered my CPU fan speed to check if it was really the temperature, the same thing happened, but way faster.

Can anyone tell me why? I believe the CPU could go a little hotter without having to slow down.

Solution

AMD notes the max temperature of the FX8350 is 61C. You've topped that.

From here: http://products.amd.com/en-us/search/CPU/AMD-FX-Series/AMD-FX-8-Core-Black-Edition/FX-8350/92

Whether the MoBo is initiating throttling or the CPU is, they area acting to protect the CPU, which is running at extremely high temperatures which are very likely to cause damage over time to the CPU. The CPU is most likely acting to preserve its own life.

If you're running Prime95 to benchmark, you've found your benchmark. It you're running it for actual mathematical reasons, tone it down so it won't kill your CPU.

Your BIOS may have settings that speed up the fans earlier in the load cycle to help slow the temperature climb and give you more usable time at full load. But, most normal computer programs, processes, and workloads do not fully load the CPU, and if you're trying to run high-CPU load workloads, AMD isn't known for making the most thermally stable CPUs.

-OR-

Get a different cooler that will cool the CPU enough so that it can better handle the loads you're throwing at it

Comments

[Ramhound]

"i believe it could go a little hotter without having to slow down." - Your CPU is running at, 145.4 Fahrenheit, what is the thermal limits of your particular CPU?

[Daedalus]

It may help to know what motherboard you are using, if you have tweaked BIOS or any settings in the OS, if you're using the stock cooler and if you have PWM fans or a custom profile. Additionally, is this FX CPU overclocked at all beyond its normal turbo core boost?

[joao pedro]

i have a Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 Bios v2501, i have not changed the bios at all, the cpu is not overclocked, im not using stock fan, the fan runs at 1700 rpm always.

[joao pedro]

i mean, i have probably been using it like this but just now realised how easy it is to get to this state, i happens when i Play GRID 2 for example, i just bought a new cpu cooler to get of the stock one, and honestly i didnt make a difference, the stock was smaller but ran at like 5000 rpm and got the same temperatures, the only upside is the noise really, with this new cooler.

[joao pedro]

and honestly, i did not realize the official max temp was that low, that was my bad, i had a bad gpu that could get to 100ºC and still work, so i guess that got me a wrong impression with hardware temps.

[GiantTree]

@joaopedro Intel (mobile) CPUs usually have a maximum temperature of 105°C. AMD's FX CPUs just have low maximum temperatures...

[joao pedro]

maybe i should mention the actual temperature here, im from sao paulo, brazil, and today we have 31ºC/88ºF.

[Ravindra Bawane]

Sounds beautiful @joaopedro. I'm in the US Northwest and we're barely getting past 0C. Yes, Intel CPUs are known to run cooler, and to handle higher temps better. AMD has long been more temp sensitive, and part of the fix was to apparently lower the max temperature on their CPUs as a protection measure. Throttling and other protection methods will kick in at lower temps on AMD chips, basically.

[Ravindra Bawane]

One option would be to install a water cooling system. These aren't silver bullets, but they've been much more user-friendly in the past few years, and not terribly expensive for a simple loop setup either. They'll generally do a much better job of keeping your temps stable and low.

[joao pedro]

i'm already considering getting an aio watercooler, but im also building a custom "case" for my pc (i.gyazo.com/5ccdc05b3b2dabb91fa3945f5869a2bf.png) and i alredy built the fans part, so if im going for a watercooler, i would like to have a 240mm one, so it doesnt look weird, 1 120mm fan and 1 120mm radiator with fan.

[Ravindra Bawane]

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