A few years back, I bought myself an NZXT pre-built PC that has served me well. Recently, I went away for a few days and returned to my NZXT’s CPU constantly overheating. Noted quickly by the fact the NZXT’s loud fans were constantly running.
After searching for the right solution for weeks (and almost ruining my PC in the effort), I finally found out what was happening. Thankfully, it was a very simple solution.
This article will go over why your NZXT CPU might be overheating and some of the different solutions I found. I’ll try to make these in order of simplicity.
What Are Normal Temps for CPUs?
First off, you need to recognize what normal CPU temps are before you end up overreacting. Here are the common temps for your CPU:
- 30-45C when idle
- 50-80C when the computer is running
- 90C+ means the computer is overheating
Don’t worry if your CPU temp is slightly out of range. For example, if your temp is 50 degrees when idle. You should be worried about when it is 20 or more degrees off. That’s when you have a real problem.
First Solution: Clean Insides & Remove Dust
The very first solution is the simplest: you need to clean the inside of your PC. Dust and debris can accumulate inside your case and cause performance degradation in your PC components.
Dust causes your PC parts to retain more heat, therefore making fans less efficient at dissipating heat. A simple can of canned air is all you really need to get rid of all the dust in your system!
I just used this one from Amazon.
Second Solution: Flick the Tubes
So this solution is almost exclusively for NZXT AIO cooling users. Apparently, NZXT AIO coolers have a common issue where an air bubble will start blocking the tubes and prevent the water from being pushed through.
The very simple solution that NZXT even promotes is to take the pump out and shake it. Me, being incredibly lazy, decided to just flick the tubes lightly (or tap), and that seemed to do the trick.
This was the solution for my CPU overheating issue personally. However, I also cleaned up all the dust inside my PC.
Solution #3: Reapply Thermal Paste
At some point, your CPU is likely going to need to have its thermal paste replaced. The older your PC gets, the more likely you’ll have to replace the thermal paste.
For the most part, you never reach this point because you should only replace thermal paste every 5-10 years. So, you’ll have likely moved on by then. But, if your CPU is old enough, you might need to.
Also, if you remove the heat sink, you should replace your thermal paste.
Solution #4: Make Sure Everything is Plugged In
Sometimes, not everything is properly plugged in or attached correctly, especially with pre-builts. Check all the wires and cables to ensure they are all correctly inserted.
A loosely plugged-in cable could be the problem.
Solution #5: Return the PC
NZXT’s decent PC warranty allows you to return and replace faulty parts. If you can’t find an answer to your solution, it might be best to return your CPU.
Depending on how long ago you purchased the PC from NZXT, you could pay next to nothing for a brand-new part. If you have just purchased the PC brand new, definitely make sure to try everything else first, but you should be able to get everything replaced for free.
