That's definitely inline with engineering. Cache is supposed to be the major source of heat, taking up most of the transistors.

On another note, I tested and not entirely good news. Seems there is still a mishap with reading temps.

Setup


Idle, maximum fanspeed (check the system wattage, 47W DC, less than 3W on the 8-pin 2x 12V rails)


Socket ambient is 22-23C, CPU current is negligible (12V1, 12V2):


95C reached, still no PROCHOT# asserted (TjMax not reached):


The millisecond 100C was topped, PROCHOT# was asserted:


113C, no shutdown yet (no THERMTRIP# assertion):


Now my hottest core, core0, after 94C is always around 6C hotter than core1. This is what happened when I let it go past 120C, bugged out:


What you're seeing is, the second either core reaches 120C, it bugs out to 0C readings and 100C from Tjunction_max values. That's 120-121C, a jump up from 118C, and it shuts down if I leave it 2 steps more. Knowing my increases are in 2-4C steps after 94C, the shutdown was most likely at 124C twice repeated today.

It was smelling and making "fizzing" sounds this time round... damn I don't want to lose a 4.26G stock HSF CPU now do I.