I just replaced my 9800X3D with another one (same model), and kept everything else in my rig exactly the same—same cooler, same case, same airflow.
With the old chip:
- BIOS temps were around 39–42°C
- Stress tests peaked at 86–87°C
Now with the new one:
- BIOS temps sit at 60°C
- Just browsing in Windows, HWInfo shows spikes of 90–92°C
I've already:
- Applied a -30mV Curve Optimizer
- Reapplied thermal paste twice, using proper technique
This feels off. Could I be dealing with a defective CPU? Or is there something else I should be checking?