CPU Temps

[Hi Ho]

This has been bugging me for a while. On these boards recommended good CPU temps are generally as follows; AMD = 40 - 60 C, Intel = 30's to mid 50's. Now, why is that? AMD recommends staying below 90 C. As long as it's running fine why does it matter if it's at 73 C or even 80 C? My CPU runs anywhere from 55 to 70 depending on ambient temperature and load. It works fine. It never locks up or reboots. Why do people worry so much about heat? It's different for Intel of course because they will underclock automatically if they get too hot and it is obvious. As long as a CPU is under the manufacturers max operating temperature why does it matter if it's not "normal"? I'm willing to sacrifice a few degrees of "coolness" in order to have a much quieter PC that still runs solid as a rock. That's how my PC is. It runs "hot", solid, and very quiet.

[mjkovis]

I cannot say that my answer will be everyone's response, but I do know what I think. I have used an AMD processor for quite sometime now and been quite pleased. But I have noticed with my build right now how much temperature matters. I have very good air flow within my case, but when the ambient room temp rises I do notice that my comp tends to run unstable. Once the temps get up around 60C or so. Right now I think I stay around 51C normal operation and within games it get up to 55-57C. I guess it all depends on the system. I dont have everyone's answer, but that is mine...

[Hi Ho]

Well here are the specs from AMD. Athlon XP. For some reason they only give max case temps for Athlon 64's.

[mjkovis]

They have to be using a certain setup to get temps like that and still run stable. Who knows? I certainly dont know that answer! :-D

[Tin]

the core will last up to 90C, but i dont think the PCB will. i have had a chip running in the 70s, pulled it out, and the bottom of the PCB under the core was "tattooed" a molten image approximately the same surface area and dimensions of the core. this happened to me with my barton when i was new to OCing, got careless with the stock heatsink. even after that incident...when i got a better heatsink, the barton still OCed pretty darn good. the t-breds and bartons are especially susceptible to heat damage, more so than palominos. the palomino is made on a ceramic PCB, which is why it can withstand so much more heat. the bartons and t-breds are on a PCB that more or less resembles plastic, so they get damaged by higher temps. the temp threshold of a palomino is 95C. t-breds are 90C, and bartons are 85C. the mobile has the best at 100C. intel processors suffer from "sudden northwood death syndrome" simply because the PCB cant take high amounts of voltage. northwoods are built on a 6 layer PCB, whereas XPs are built on an 8 layer...the reason why they can take more voltage. the same rule also applies to memory. most generic memory is built on 4 layers, whereas good memory is built on 6 layers...whcih is why you can give memory such as BH5 very large amounts of voltage, because most memory makers put good ICs on good PCBs.

[FLG]

Lower temps will equal a higher life span for your proc. Also unless your getting readings right from the core, the temp is off by about 5-10c. So a 70c reading from the temp sensor under the proc is more like 75-80c in the core.

And its not just the proc you should worry about but as tin pointed out the board can get damaged with high temps.

[Hi Ho]

I'm looking at the CPU diode sensor not the motherboard sensor.

[Tin]

the norm for a diode reading is 10C higher than mobo temps.

[kram 2.0]

Originally Posted by FLG Lower temps will equal a higher life span for your proc. Also unless your getting readings right from the core, the temp is off by about 5-10c. So a 70c reading from the temp sensor under the proc is more like 75-80c in the core. And its not just the proc you should worry about but as tin pointed out the board can get damaged with high temps.

Exactly what I was about to say - it will last under certain temperature, however, it's the life of the Processor you're supposed to worry about. You're stealing words from my mouth .

kram

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by kram8806 it's the life of the Processor you're supposed to worry about.

Yeah, but when they talk about processor lifespan, they're talking about decades, not years or months or weeks. So even if you were running your CPU near the max temps, you'll upgrade or build a whole new computer way before the processor is about to die. Aside from CPUs that are faulty or DOA right from the start (or fried from overvolting when overclocking, but that's another matter), I've never seen a CPU that has died from normal use.

Cricket

[mjkovis]

Well thank for the answer everyone... I am kinda embarrassed though, cause I remember all of that now since you all just explained it! LOL

[Redfallon]

Ride 'er till she bucks ya, or don't ride 'er at all. . .and that was with the AC on

[Tin]

Originally Posted by Redfallon Ride 'er till she bucks ya, or don't ride 'er at all. . .and that was with the AC on

hey Red...wanna do me a favor and cook me up a filet mignon? medium well please .

[Redfallon]

Originally Posted by Tin Canary hey Red...wanna do me a favor and cook me up a filet mignon? medium well please .

No doubt! I am seriously considering a delve into the wonderful world of WCing. . .thinking about the new polarFLO line of stuff. . .cpu/gpu/northbridge(maybe) blocks, mainly for the UV dye in the water, but what the heck, can't hurt that furnace I've got. My room was cold last winter, I think this winter I'll keep that puppy cranking and shut the heat off totally to my room

[kram 2.0]

You should get the machine programmed so that the colder the room gets, the higher it will clock itself - who needs a heater when you have a Prescott Processor

kram