I currently have a Ryzen 5 7600X processor. Since I plan on upgrading to an X3D chip soon, I decided to invest in a liquid cooler and picked up the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 while it was on sale. After completing the installation, I started stress testing.
In the OCCT CPU test (default settings), the temperature hit a constant 95°C. During the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Thread test, it hovered between 84-86°C. Thinking I might have made a mounting error, I reseated the cooler, reapplied thermal paste, and performed the installation again.
Additionally, while I initially used the single-connector cable, during the second install, I switched to the 3-way splitter cable to control the pump and fans independently. I set the pump to full speed and configured the fans according to Arctic’s recommended curves (though they already ramp up to full speed during these tests anyway).
Despite all this, I am still getting the same results. I don't feel these temperatures are normal for this CPU, especially when I see people getting a maximum of 72°C even on high-end chips like the 9950X3D.
Do you think my unit is defective, or am I missing something?