For your entertainment: I am an idiot.

Recently, I saw the requirements for Doom: the Dark Ages and it made me sad.

So, I figured I'd future proof what future was left for me to proof with an AM4.

I already have a 3080, but I didn't figure my 3700X was up to the task. I found a 5700X3D nearby for a steal. Sweet.

I got it all put together and gamed a bit. Worked great! Maxed at 80 and occasionally bounced around there. Stock cooler from the 3700. Effective, but not great. The internet tells me the Wraith is adequate but barely for that chip. So I got a massive tower cooler.

Got it assembled, buttoned it all back up. Tmax 90! And it was hanging out there, not just a spike. Well that makes no sense. Maybe I did a piss poor job of applying the paste.

Took it all back apart. Nope. The paste was nice and even.

Especially on the REMOVE FIRST!!!! piece of plastic on the bottom of the cooler.

God dann it.

It maxes at 70 now. Honestly I'm impressed how well it worked with that plastic on there...

I didn't post this in the first build mistake thread, because this is not my first build.

tl;dr an upgraded cooler for an upgraded CPU doesn't work great if you leave the plastic on. Not. At. All.