ASUS H270F ROG STRIX CPU LED Sometimes light up when gaming

[lawrenerc]

Dear all, Recently i have built a PC for gaming. Everything runs great and i am getting good performance from my machine. But Sometimes i notice my H270F motherboard's CPU LED lights up and goes away for just a few seconds. It is not a usual occurrence and only happens very rarely. E.g. today i was playing Forza Horizon 3 and the red LED lit up for maybe 2 seconds and went away in my 2 hour gaming session.
The performance was however not affected whatsoever. I am just wondering if there is anything i need to troubleshoot or if this is common for CPU under load. The ASUS manual mentioned only of LED staying on during POST until problem is resolved. But it didn't mention anything about coming on and off during normal operation.
Is this normal for asus 270 series boards? Maybe some form of thermal throttling indicator?

This happens very rarely, but it bothers me that i might have done something wrong during the building.

Specs:

ASUS H270F ROG STRIX MOBO with default out of box bios
Intel core i7 7700 (non unlocked)
stock intel CPU cooler (included with CPU)
16 GB corsair LPX @ 2400 MHZ
Zotac GTX 1080 amp extreme
CORSAIR CX750M
Thanks

 

[EarthDog]

Not normal i dont think... you sure its the cpu led? Id ask asus honestly. Report back with what they say.

 

[trents]

Could this indicate a thermal limit has been exceeded? I notice you are using stock cooling.

I would also remove the CPU and check for bent socket pins. Use a bright light and move it around at different angles. If there is a bent pin the pin pattern will be show as disrupted under the light. This is a very common problem on Intel sockets. Even just a little fumbling of the CPU when laying it in the socket can cause this. Those pins are very delicate.

 

[lawrenerc]

I have contacted the customer support, Will update here with any information. Hopefully assist fellow builders who face my same predicament.

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Could this indicate a thermal limit has been exceeded? I notice you are using stock cooling.

This is currently what I suspect to be the case. The CPU is not the overclocking model, however the fan does get loud sometimes. I live is a warm country and sometimes do not turn on the AC. But i can't figure out what could be the cause. The CPU is seated firmly in place, and the cpu fan is working properly. It is hard to document the occurence because it happens very rarely.

If i had to describe it, it was like in 2 hours of normal gaming condition the red LED will turn on for 1 or 2 second then go away. I can't seem to figure out what causes the LED to light up.

 

[trents]

See my update in the previous post about bent pins.

You might also try removing the cover or side panel to the case to give it better ventilation to test the thermal theory.

 

[lawrenerc]

See my update in the previous post about bent pins.

You might also try removing the cover or side panel to the case to give it better ventilation to test the thermal theory.

I did a check with the pins, but to my naked eyes they all seem fine and dandy. Is there anyway to check if the pins are making contact with the CPU with a software or diagnostic tool?

Thank You trents.

 

[trents]

Not that I know of. I doubt that is the problem if they seem fine upon visual inspection.

Could also be a power deficiency issue but your PSU should be more than enough for the system you outline. I'm guessing it's a thermal issue. I would be tempted to pickup a better cooler and see if the light goes away. I'm guessing you will not get much cooperation from Asus if you try an RMA. The problem is too intermittent.

Have you actually done any temp monitoring during gaming with say, HWMonitor?

 

[trents]

Also, do you have the latest bios installed?

 

[lawrenerc]

Also, do you have the latest bios installed?

Yea, that is very likely the case. What entry level CPU coolers do you reccommend? I don't think this Rig will be doing any overclocking seeing as I have a locked CPU.

I have not updated by BIOs, This is kinda embarassing but I don't really know my way around updating the bios. I'm worried about bricking my mobo. But I'll try and look up some tutorials .

 

[lawrenerc]

I'll run some test with the HWmonitor to see if i can pinpoint exactly whether or not temperature is the cause.

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Trents, I think You've got a Bullseye with the temperature theory. My Max Temp Was 95 degree on HWmonitor under gaming load. And was 40 degrees idle. Is this an expected temperature?

 

[trents]

95c is too high. I would not run it that hot for long periods of time. Technically, speaking it is a little below the thermal throttling temp of the CPU but many motherboards also have their own thermal protection mechanisms whose default is set lower than that of the CPU itself. 85c is common for that motherboard default setting.

As far as recommending a cooler, I would need to know the dimensions of your case in order to make a recommendation as many aftermarket coolers are tall and present clearance problems with the case side panel. What is the make and model of your case? You shouldn't need to shell out a lot of cash to get a good enough cooler to get those temps under control since you are not overclocking. But again, what is the make and model of your case? Where do you live and what is your budget for purchasing a cooler? Would you be purchasing it local or online? If online, please provide some links to vendors you would use. Prices and availability of components vary tremendously from one region of the world to another.

Updating the bios is very easy to do. You just download the bios update from Asus and unpack it to a USB flash drive. Plug the flash drive into a port and then reboot into bios. Go to the "Tools" section of the bios and you will see choices of how to flash the bios, including doing it in Windows and directly from the net. Choose the one that looks appropriate for doing it from the flash drive. The flash tool will automatically find the update file on the flash drive. Give it permission to go ahead with the update and that's pretty much it. Flashing from the bios with a USB stick is safer than doing it in Windows or from the net.

I would take care of your cooling issue first before flashing the bios. Even if temps are not causing the red light your temps are too high and you need to upgrade the cooling anyway. If it fixes the issue, no need to try a bios flash. There is always at least a remote possibility that flashing a bios can go haywire and brick the board. Not likely if you do it correctly but possible.

 

[trents]

The cooler I often recommend that fits most mid tower cases, gives excellent performance and is at a good price point (where I live) is the Cryorig H7. But again not sure if it is available to your or how it is priced in your geo eco context.

I'm going to be away from my computer now for several hours.

 

[lawrenerc]

95c is too high. I would not run it that hot for long periods of time. Technically, speaking it is a little below the thermal throttling temp of the CPU but many motherboards also have their own thermal protection mechanisms whose default is set lower than that of the CPU itself. 85c is common for that motherboard default setting.

As far as recommending a cooler, I would need to know the dimensions of your case in order to make a recommendation as many aftermarket coolers are tall and present clearance problems with the case side panel. What is the make and model of your case? You shouldn't need to shell out a lot of cash to get a good enough cooler to get those temps under control since you are not overclocking. But again, what is the make and model of your case? Where do you live and what is your budget for purchasing a cooler? Would you be purchasing it local or online? If online, please provide some links to vendors you would use. Prices and availability of components vary tremendously from one region of the world to another.

Updating the bios is very easy to do. You just download the bios update from Asus and unpack it to a USB flash drive. Plug the flash drive into a port and then reboot into bios. Go to the "Tools" section of the bios and you will see choices of how to flash the bios, including doing it in Windows and directly from the net. Choose the one that looks appropriate for doing it from the flash drive. The flash tool will automatically find the update file on the flash drive. Give it permission to go ahead with the update and that's pretty much it. Flashing from the bios with a USB stick is safer than doing it in Windows or from the net.

I would take care of your cooling issue first before flashing the bios. Even if temps are not causing the red light your temps are too high and you need to upgrade the cooling anyway. If it fixes the issue, no need to try a bios flash. There is always at least a remote possibility that flashing a bios can go haywire and brick the board. Not likely if you do it correctly but possible.

I guess the Intel Stock Cooler was pretty much useless for the 7700. I am using an NZXT S340 Elite case which is quite limited in space. I am conflicted as most air-cooled options are very space demanding. But I have never tried liquid cooling, and is unsure about the long-term viability of such an option. To be honest, my Case was designed to work better with liquid cooling than air-cooling.

Back when i built my first PC in 2005, liquid cooling was complicated, requiring a lot of skill and custom work.

Are the AIO coolers in the market nowadays able to provide the same hassle-free experience as an air-cooler would? And is the installation process as easy-to-understand?

 

[trents]

Absolutely do not be afraid to use an all in one (AOI) liquid cooling solution. They are very simple to install and very effective. Don't listen to all those horror stories about leaks frying motherboards and pumps dying that fry CPUs. Those things almost never happen in real life with AIO systems. Modern CPUs have such good thermal protection technology that it is difficult to fry them. Even when the pump is not working there is still enough cooling effect to generally keep that from happening.

I too have a very small mini itx cube case and recently installed the Corsair H55. I have a "delidded" I5 7600k overclocked to 4.8 ghz and my max stress testing temps are 72c. Now that is with a push pull fan setup. I had a low profile air cooler installed before that but there was only about 12mm clearance between its fan and the bottom of the PSU, so it was starved for air and didn't perform well. If i had it to do over again I would probably have moved up to the Corsair H60 because the pump mounting mechanism is much easier to work with.

 

[EarthDog]

I'll run some test with the HWmonitor to see if i can pinpoint exactly whether or not temperature is the cause.

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Trents, I think You've got a Bullseye with the temperature theory. My Max Temp Was 95 degree on HWmonitor under gaming load. And was 40 degrees idle. Is this an expected temperature?

We suggest to keep it under 90c. The cpu will throttle around 100c. It will nkt be damaged running there. However, cooler is better. But if that is only gaming loads.. a stress test will easily push it there. Get a better cooling solution.

 

[lawrenerc]

Absolutely do not be afraid to use an all in one (AOI) liquid cooling solution. They are very simple to install and very effective. Don't listen to all those horror stories about leaks frying motherboards and pumps dying that fry CPUs. Those things almost never happen in real life with AIO systems. Modern CPUs have such good thermal protection technology that it is difficult to fry them. Even when the pump is not working there is still enough cooling effect to generally keep that from happening.

I too have a very small mini itx cube case and recently installed the Corsair H55. I have a "delidded" I5 7600k overclocked to 4.8 ghz and my max stress testing temps are 72c. Now that is with a push pull fan setup. I had a low profile air cooler installed before that but there was only about 12mm clearance between its fan and the bottom of the PSU, so it was starved for air and didn't perform well. If i had it to do over again I would probably have moved up to the Corsair H60 because the pump mounting mechanism is much easier to work with.

Woah, your words are very reassuring to a beginner like me. Thank You very much.

My main reason for considering an AIO is because my case is already starved for space and air as it is. Also, it seemed like a much easier to install component than air coolers requiring me to unmount my motherboard to install custom braces at the back.



I still have some questions. Since i won't be doing any overclocking with the current CPU I have, Would you recommend the Corsair H55 for my usage? Currently another option i am looking at is the Kraken X42. Although a Kraken X62 would fit my case nicely, do i need the additional cooling power without doing any overclocking?

For AIO units, do i need to perform any additional maintenance during its lifespan ? e.g. topping up coolants.
Compared to air-cooling, what are the disadvantages?

Also, What type of fan should i use for AIO setups.



Thank You Trent, You've been an amazing help to me.

 

[EarthDog]

Get more airflow.. water or air cooling need air to cool the cpu off...

You will get better temps with aio due to rad being larger, but try to get more airflow too.. better fans, cable management, etc...

Remember, the stock cooler is DESIGNED to keep a stock cpu cool. So its either an improper mount, or lack of airfow....or both.

Also, what are your room temps (in Celsius)?

 

[lawrenerc]

Get more airflow.. water or air cooling need air to cool the cpu off...

You will get better temps with aio due to rad being larger, but try to get more airflow too.. better fans, cable management, etc...

Thank you EarthDog, this is also an interesting question for me. Currently i am running 2x 120mm corsair SP120 static pressure fans at the front for intake and 2 exhaust fans at the rear and top that came with the NZXT S340 Elite.

However, If i do use the AIO with the radiator hogging the intake in front. Would my Graphics card and other components be struggling for air with only exhaust drawing their heat out ?

 

[EarthDog]

It will be warmer, sure...

But seeing as how you have that airflow setup, im almost betting that stock cooler isnt mounted right....or your ambiemt is 30C+...

 

[lawrenerc]

It will be warmer, sure...

But seeing as how you have that airflow setup, im almost betting that stock cooler isnt mounted right....or your ambiemt is 30C+...

The ambient room temp in my region is around 30 degree celcius.

Maybe i could try to reseat the cpu cooler again. It's snapped in all 4 corners and holds firmly to the motherboard, but the temperatures are still too high. 40c at idle and 95c at load. I've also tried adjusting the CPU fan at Bios. Could be a faulty cooler, maybe?