That’s a lot of gradients for heat to travel through.
If you really want to solve your thermal problem without bottlenecking your performance, de-lid the CPU and replace the Indium Solder with liquid metal. The tools available nowadays make the procedure accessible to people with no prior experience.
“But my warranty!”
Yeaaaa yeaaahh… valid point. Undervolt the CPU and limit your power draw to 200W, problem solved. The 12900K is unlikely to be the bottleneck anyway so this is the more sensible thing to do. Just realize your CPU’s effective lifespan will be shorter as better and better GPU’s are released in combination with newer and more demanding titles.
The problem is NOT heat saturation (which is what a 360mm rad solves for)
The real problem is the efficiency of heat transfer between the multiple gradients in your cooling system.
You could use a water cooler the size of an olympic pool (as Linus Tech Tips has done lol) but it still wouldn’t solve your high package temp.
Cores (Heat source) —>Indium Solder ——->IHS ————->Thermal Paste ——————>Cold Plate ———————-> Cooling Liquid —————————>Airflow through Radiator
That’s a lot of gradients for heat to travel through.
If you really want to solve your thermal problem without bottlenecking your performance, de-lid the CPU and replace the Indium Solder with liquid metal. The tools available nowadays make the procedure accessible to people with no prior experience.
“But my warranty!”
Yeaaaa yeaaahh… valid point. Undervolt the CPU and limit your power draw to 200W, problem solved. The 12900K is unlikely to be the bottleneck anyway so this is the more sensible thing to do. Just realize your CPU’s effective lifespan will be shorter as better and better GPU’s are released in combination with newer and more demanding titles.
The choice is yours!