After reading the whole thread, and also having the same issue, I tried to test the cpu in a different way and also using a different software to monitor what is happening. A few thing were actually surprising. Also please note I am using the stock cooler. I will have my water cooling running once I get my video card back from RMA.
Here is some info on my build :
OS: Windows 7 64-bit
MB: Asus Maximus VII Gene (latest bios from asus)
CPU: Core i7-4790K stock cooler
RAM: 8GB (2 x 4GB) G-Skill Trident X Series DDR3 2400 mhz (running at 2133 and 1.65v)
GPU: Asus GTX Titan
Now, same as everyone else, cpu was running very hot on idle when I first booted up. Avg of 50c on idle in windows and in the bios. All settings in bios was on auto. Tried a few games, OCCT and Intel burn test. Games were running at around 75c to 85c depending on load. OCCT and intel burn test would just shoot the temp at 100c in seconds. I was using Core temp and CPU-Z to monitor the vcore. Core temps was showing between 1.25v to 1.30v depending on load. CPU-Z was showing 1.8v all the time, wich scared me the first time I saw it, so I stopped using it since it was (hopefully) wrong.
After some tweaking in the bios, I set the vcore to 1.142v, set the boost to 4.2ghz for all cores and left everything on auto(Hyperthreading on). Now on idle, temps are around 40c. In games, it ranges from 60c to 75c. But still unable to runs OCCT or intel burn test as the temp will shoot to 100c in seconds.
I then decided to try the Asus AI suite to monitor the cpu. It gives the power draw of the cpu wich other programs I was using could not provide and it also suppose to give more accurate info since it's made to work with the specific board.
The first thing I noticed, were the temps. On idle, the AI suite, gives a temp of 33c compare to 40c on core temp. The Vcore are pretty much the same. I then loaded some games and also some Folding, since it uses 100% and can push the cpu pretty hard. Here are some results. All numbers are avg. and all test were running for about 1 hour.
World of warcraft - cpu load 20% - power draw : 26w - temp on asus ai : 55c - Core temp : 63c
Battlefield 4 - cpu load 50% - power draw : 45w - temp on asus ai : 65c - core temp : 75c
Folding@home - cpu load 100% - power draw 89w - temp on asus ai : 87c - core temp : 100c
OCCT - cpu load 100% - power draw : 135w - temp on asus ai : 100c - core temp : 117c (all this happens in a couples of sec, I then shut it off right away to prevent damage)
intel burn test - cpu load 100% - power draw : 135w - temp on asus ai : 100c - core temp : 117c (all this happens in a couples of sec, I then shut it off right away to prevent damage)
The temps for games, seems alright for using the stock cooler. Same with the Folding. My old 2600k under water when Folding had an avg temp of 70c and it was using a much higher power draw and vcore(was running at 4.8 ghz, 1.4vcore, avg powerdraw of 150w at 100% load). For the benchmark software, well I have to idea what is happening. And all of this was achieved if some settings were manualy set.
Two things seems wierd here. The difference in temps between the 2 software. The higher the temps, the higher the difference. Now the Asus AI suite is "suppose" to be more accurate. How much to rely on it more then the others is hard to say at this point since the difference went as high as 17c. Vcore was still about the same. 1.153v on Asus AI and 1.141 on core temp.
Then, the power draw. Those cpus are made with a TDP of 88w, so how come it draws so much power "135w"????? The setting in my bios are set on auto, wich means the cpu should run at stock specs, but still draw all this power.
After all this, I am at lost. Do we blame Intel for bad cpus? The benchmark software? The boards? The bios? Plus, from what I can see, aint much left for overclocking wich I was hoping for.
Hopefully this will help some folks at bringing there temps lower and give more info to Intel to find a solution.