AMD is not freaking out about the latest generation of Zen 3 processors recording higher temperatures than users are used to or comfortable with based on the thermal characteristics of previous generation CPUs. 90°C or 95°C in some cases, but this is "by typical design," according to AMD.

Nevertheless, if the idle temperature is in the 90°C range or close to it, there is likely a cooling issue. But at full load," for Zen 3, it's just another day at the beach.

In a Reddit post (via HardwareTimes), a user posted an exchange he had with Robert Hallock, AMD's director of technical marketing, regarding CPU temperatures associated with the Ryzen 5000 series. The post is a few weeks old and has not been brought to our attention until now, but is still relevant and interesting (especially since the major focus right now is actually finding Ryzen 5000 CPU inventory).

A user asked Hallock if our understanding of what is "good" and what is "desirable" regarding Zen 3 CPU temperatures should be changed. In short, the answer is yes. However, Hallock provided a longer answer, 90°C is normal at full load for the Ryzen 9 5950X (16°C/32T, up to 4.9GHz), Ryzen 9 5900X (12°C/24T, up to 4.8GHz), and Ryzen 7 5800X (8°C/16T, up to 4.7GHz), He explained that 95°C is normal for Ryzen 5 5600X (6°C/12T, up to 4.6 GHz) at full load. [AMD considers up to 90°C (5800X/5900X/5950X) and 95°C (5600X) as typical design temperatures at full load. The higher maximum temperatures supported by the silicon and firmware allow the CPU to pursue higher and longer boost performance before the algorithms pull back for thermal reasons," said Hallock

.

"Is it the same as Zen 2 or the competition? These parts are working as designed and producing the performance results we intend," Hallock continued.

AMD is positive on this point, even if the Ryzen 5000 CPU's temperature profile has not received much attention; one of AMD's slides shows the same temperatures. See:

AMD breaks this down by cooler type. Of the Ryzen 5000 CPUs released so far, only the Ryzen 5 5600X comes with a stock cooling solution. If you take the plunge and purchase an "entry-level cooler" (with roughly the same TDP rating as the CPU), temperatures at full load could be around 80-95°C. Some all-in-one liquid coolers can also reach 85°C, which would be normal in AMD's eyes.

"No user intervention is required," says AMD's slide.

None of this necessarily means that temperatures will spike above 90°C. It peaked at 81°C, about the same as the Ryzen 9 3900XT. This is a comparable temperature to the Ryzen 9 3900XT

. However, it is definitely something to keep in mind if you are building a PC around a Ryzen 5000 series CPU (and if you are lucky enough to find one that you can actually afford).