[kokada]

This is more how I think too: using a cooler that supports your CPU TDP is generally fine because most people will not run a CPU 100% for an extended amount of time. But in this case they seem to be running the CPU 100% for an extended amount of time AND are using an under-spec'ed cooler (even if it is just by 5W).

You don't even need to change the actual cooler since for AMD CPUs you can pretty much customize the TDP whatever way you want, and by default they run well above their efficiency curve. For example, my 7600X has a default TDP of 105W but I run it in Eco Mode (65W) with undervolt and I barely lose any performance. Even if I did no undervolt, running the CPU in Eco Mode is generally preferable since the performance loss is still negligible (~5%).

[bayindirh]

For a general purpose system, this line of thinking makes sense. However, the desktop system in question was built to be daily driven and support some high performance code research, so it had to endure some serious loads for a desktop computer.

I went the other way and overspecced the CPU cooler and added some silent but high CFM capable fans on the system. The motherboard I got was able to adjust all fans depending on the system temps, so it scaled from a very silent desktop to a low-key space heater automatically under load.

Instead of undervolting the processor, I was using a tweaked on-demand governor on the system which stuck to lower power levels more than usual, so unless I was doing software development and testing things, it stayed cool and silent.

BTW, by 100%, I'm talking about completely saturating the CPU pipeline. Not pseudo 100% where CPU reports saturation but most of the load is iowait.