CPU reaches 100°C+ and triggers emergency thermal shutdown
The central processor hits its maximum junction temperature (TjMax 100-105°C) and cuts power instantly to prevent silicon damage.
Internal desktop parts run on harmless 12V DC voltage and cannot shock you. Simply unplug the wall power cable first, then touch the unpainted metal case frame to ground static electricity.
Common Symptoms & Tells
- PC abruptly shuts off with no blue screen during gaming or video rendering
- System refuses to power back on for 2-3 minutes until the CPU cools down
- warning on next boot: 'CPU Over Temperature Error!'
Interactive Fix Checklist
0 of 5 steps completedSafety power-off and discharge
Shut down the PC, turn off the power supply rocker switch (O), and unplug the AC power cord from the wall outlet. Press the front power button once while unplugged to discharge residual capacitor energy before touching any internal components.
Verify CPU cooler fan and pump are running
Look inside the chassis when powering on. Ensure CPU cooler fans are spinning. If using an AIO liquid cooler, place two fingers on the pump block to feel for vibration.
Inspect cooler mounting pressure and bracket alignment
Remove the cooler. Ensure all four mounting standoffs are fully threaded and tension screws are tightened diagonally in an X-pattern until they bottom out.
Remove factory plastic protective peel sticker
Check the copper contact base of the heatsink. Leaving the transparent 'Warning: Remove before installation' film intact is the most common reason for 100°C temperatures on new builds.
Disable aggressive motherboard overclocking defaults
In , turn off 'Multi-Core Enhancement' (ASUS), 'Enhanced Turbo' (MSI), or set Intel baseline power limits (PL1=125W, PL2=253W) to prevent dangerous over-volting.
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