Windows 7: Cpu at 50 degrees when virtually idle

I have noticed that my cpu wasn't always as cool as it use to be, but I have now noticed (since I installed my ram, whether that's coincidence or cause and effect I don't know) that the CPU is running at 50 degrees Celsius with a load of only 1-5%. It is an Intel i7 2600k with the stock cooler. Any suggestions? Is this normal? Because it use to be closer to 35 degrees at idle.



Thanks

50 is certainly high at near idle, assuming you are in a room with ordinary temps.

But it isn't alarming and would probably run for many years at 50.

What happens at say 70% load?

I would wonder why it had changed.

Have you tried another monitoring application? Have you checked fans speeds? What about temps other than CPU?

The stock cooler is plenty good enough if you are not overclocking.

I also think that's on the warm side. Tcase Max for the cpu is 72.6C. I think Tcore would translate to ~80 C (??).
I wasn't happy with the stock cooler and used a Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus. Relatively cheap and it made a big difference. But it is a little fiddly to fit and you need to check it fits your case.
With it and artic silver 5 applied according to artic silver's instructions I idle below or around 30C (core temp) on a warm day with a well cooled case. Prime 95 or Handbrake video encoding can push the maximum of the 4 cores to ~60C (core temp).

Other non stock coolers should improve the situation.

Note: I am not overclocking.

I will try encoding a video, that normally puts it under full load, then let you know what it gets to.



Ok so a fluctuating load of between 60 and 80% for each core translates (According to core-temp each core is fluctuating between these amounts of load) to a temp of about 75 degrees, when I have had it under full load in the past it would reach the 80s. Is there a good, free cpu bench marker out there I could use to put it under a set load? I cant use anything else to obtain a constant load.

Given that it is already on the warm side, I would not put it under unnecessary stress. Better to first find the cause of the heat problem. Three things come to mind

1. dirt around the unit - especially in the fan blades
2. the cooler may have come loose and is not seated correctly
3. the paste dried out and should be replaced

Tomha:

I know you have been experimenting with RAM settings and maybe overclocking.

Are you sure that you are now running at stock settings??

What are your fans speeds and voltages?

I wouldn't worry about putting a load on it now.

You say you were at 35 idle and are now at 50. Assuming those numbers are correct, there has to be a reason.

Ok, so say I removed the cooler to clean it of dust and such, it will become detached from the cooling paste, at which point I can check the state of it, but is it then safe to put it back on as-is? Or should I re-apply the cooling paste?

The ONLY thing I have done to alter the speeds of any part of my computer, is put my RAM into its XMP profile, I do not plan on any sort of over clock (I don't consider putting my ram into XMP an over clock, just making it run at stock settings) until I get a much better cooler. My case has 2 antec Tri Cool fans, both on medium, other than that I have not altered cooling in anyway, everything should be at stock voltage/speeds. My processor of course does alter its own voltage/speeds according to intels instructions, e.g. downclocks to 1.6 ghz when completely idle, overclocks 1 core to 3.8 if its the only one being used. I have noticed sometimes the core frequencies can be a little odd, I recall all 4 cores running at around 3.6 once at roughly 40% load.

There is little to no chance that dust is suddenly going to make idle temps jump 15 degrees. Dust is much more likely to occur gradually.

What is your CPU fan speed? Your case fan speeds? Your voltages? Your overclocking status????????????????

If you did remove the cooler, you would have to clean it and reinstall paste, but there is only a slight chance that is the issue if you had good temps recently.

Download HWinfo32 and check all fans speeds.

It's odd that CPUZ shows 3492 for your CPU at the time of the screenshot.

Were you idling then?? If so, I would expect a number near 1600 as per my pic below.

Are your PSU and case fans operating??

Ok, so here is what I can gather:

Case fans:

-Top fan, 140mm, 1100rpm, 66.8 cfm, 2.4W

-Back fan, 120mm, 1600rpm, 56 cfm, 2.4W

PSU fan:

Working, at lower speed due to power usage

CPU fan:

Hard to tell, speed fan suggests its running at about 1400rpm

As I said before, the only alteration I have made personally to the clock speeds of any part of my computer is putting the RAM into XMP. I know that my cpu does downclock to 1.6ghz like there, I havent checked recently to see. According to both cpu-z and core temp, my cpu is currently at 3.5 ghz with minimal load. I have not knowingly done anything to set it there.