A PC is considered overheating when the CPU cooler is unable to keep the PC within a safe operating temperature.  PC components do get noticeably hot when used, reaching upwards of 100°C and higher depending on the specs of the part when performance is needed.

In most situations of a PC overheating, we mostly look at if the CPU is overheating.

When a CPU overheats it will begin a process known as thermal throttling where voltage and performance are reduced to bring the system back to a safe operating temperature.  This can be triggered for a few reasons, including but not limited to:

• The CPU cooler does not have sufficient cooling capacity (i.e. using a smaller size radiator such as a Kraken 120 or M22 on a high-performance part such as an AMD Ryzen™ 9 or Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 Processor.
• Air is not flowing properly through the radiator due to dust or debris.
• A component of the cooler has failed, such as the fan(s) or pump.

If thermal throttling does not resolve the issue in a timely manner, the system may trigger Over-temperature Protection (OTP) to protect the CPU and other components from potential damage.

What are safe operating temperatures?

Safe operating temperatures will vary based on the processor, however the best measurement for this is based on the Thermal Junction Maximum (TJMAXX) of the CPU.

Data above provided by AMD and Intel from official product pages as of 11 November 2025.

How do I check if my PC is overheating?

A good way to check if your PC is overheating is to check the idle temperature in the UEFI/BIOS, as this will have the CPU under minimal load.  For most motherboards, the UEFI/BIOS can be accessed by pressing the Delete key at the startup splash.

Example:  System idle temperature is 31°C indicating the system is properly cooled.

Normal idle temperatures will vary between configurations, but a common sign of an overheating CPU is a much higher than normal (70°C+) idle temperature on startup.  If you see a higher than normal startup temperature, there is likely a hardware issue with the cooler.

If you are experiencing CPU overheating and have a Kraken series cooler, we would recommend checking out our troubleshooting guide:  Is my Kraken cooler failing?

Note:  If your PC is still within warranty, please reach out to our Customer Support team before removing the cooler from your PC.  All NZXT Gaming PCs carry a standard 2-year limited warranty.

Can other components overheat?

Other components such as the Graphics Card, Storage, and even the Power Supply can overheat, however overheats on these components may not manifest in a way that is immediately obvious like with a CPU.

These types of overheats are incredibly uncommon and may require replacement in order to confirm an issue.  If your PC is still within warranty and you suspect one of these parts may be overheating, please reach out to our Customer Support team for further assistance.