How to stop CPU overheating with Thermalright PA120 SE in Metaphor?

During a four-hour gaming session, I noticed my CPU temps slowly creeping up until they were idling around 88-92℃. The Thermalright PA120 SE is a beast, but the default 'silent' curve is way too slow to react to sudden spikes, letting the core heat up instantly. I tried increasing the case airflow, but that only dropped the temp by 2℃—totally useless against a bad fan curve. I went into the BIOS fan control and cranked the 60℃-80℃ range from 40% up to 75%, adding a 3-second step-up delay to stop the fans from ramping up and down constantly. Under load, the peak temp stayed between 76-82℃, and frequency swings dropped from 400MHz to just 100MHz. The fans were a bit too loud at first, but I dropped the sub-50℃ speed to 30% to keep it quiet. Core delta is now 5-8℃. CPU-Z stress tests for 30 minutes confirm it's stable.
Category:Hardware Peripherals Last updated:May 3, 2026 10:10 AM