Good PC Temp

[Helltech]

Whats a good temp for a PC to be running at, mine is currently at 84F.

[chrisbliss18]

Computer temperatures are usually talked about in Celcius. This helps keep things simpler. 84F is approximately 28C. This is a very cool temperature, so I imagine that this temperature refers to your system temperature (the temperature of the air that is in the case) and not the temperature of the CPU. I noticed in the pic that you had in the other thread that it did say CPU 84F, but just because it says, doesn't mean that it is accurate. How was the thermal probe (the temperature sensor) installed? If it wasn't installed properly or wasn't installed on the chip at all, it isn't measuring the CPU temperature. If you want to confirm the CPU temp, get Speedfan. This program will access the temperature monitoring chips inside your CPU and motherboard and give temp readouts.

Hardly anyone agrees what temperature a CPU should run at (other than cooler is better that is). I find a range of 40-50C to be acceptable for my system. The important thing is to not allow your chip to get too hot. Different chips have different thermal tolerances. I believe that your chip (AMD Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego) has a maximum thermal tolerance of 80C. This means that damage can occur to your chip if you run over that rated tolerance. In that case, I would recommend never letting your chip exceed 60-65C.

[Helltech]

Computer temperatures are usually talked about in Celcius. This helps keep things simpler. 84F is approximately 28C. This is a very cool temperature, so I imagine that this temperature refers to your system temperature (the temperature of the air that is in the case) and not the temperature of the CPU. I noticed in the pic that you had in the other thread that it did say CPU 84F, but just because it says, doesn't mean that it is accurate. How was the thermal probe (the temperature sensor) installed? If it wasn't installed properly or wasn't installed on the chip at all, it isn't measuring the CPU temperature. If you want to confirm the CPU temp, get Speedfan. This program will access the temperature monitoring chips inside your CPU and motherboard and give temp readouts.

Hardly anyone agrees what temperature a CPU should run at (other than cooler is better that is). I find a range of 40-50C to be acceptable for my system. The important thing is to not allow your chip to get too hot. Different chips have different thermal tolerances. I believe that your chip (AMD Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego) has a maximum thermal tolerance of 80C. This means that damage can occur to your chip if you run over that rated tolerance. In that case, I would recommend never letting your chip exceed 60-65C.

Its at 26 Celcius - I changed the temp from celcius, but changed it back. And yea thats part of the Cool'N'Quit Technology, its connected directly to the CPU ...

[chrisbliss18]

You're not reading what I post. AMD's Cool'n'Quiet tech has nothing to do with what you are talking about.

Just because the readout says 26C or 84F or whatever other number next to text that says CPU doesn't mean that it is accurate. If you want to know what your temps truely are (AMD chips have thermal sensors built into the chip itself), download and run Speedfan. If the thermal probe was improperly installed or the readout is defective, the temperature that the display is showing will not be accurate. I know about this since I have built machines that have those readouts, so please trust my experience.

FYI: The reason I believe that the readout isn't accurate is that 26C is way too cool to be reporting your CPU temperature unless your system is watercooled or your room is a freezer.

[Helltech]

Just ran Speedfan. And this is what it says.

Temp 1 - 30C
Temp 2 - 26 C
Temp 3 - 27 C
Local - 33 C
Remote - 37 C
Local - 33 C
Remote - 45C

Temp says 117 C. Is that temp of the whole PC? Thats over boilings O_O.

[arsesq]

What's a good upper limit for a Pentium IV laptop CPU chip (you said 60-65C for Athlon). Both my fans have quit, and I'm trying to get away with an external fan platform). I have an old Presario 2500.

--arsesq

[caperjack]

many different p4 chips ,scroll down to see intel chips see if you find yours .
http://users.erols.com/chare/elec.htm

[Odie1978]

nice programme that speedfan... but geez internal heat is at 99c.... while others alr between 30-35

hmmmm my CPU it won't show and I deff have an AMD CPU

Im not really satisfied with this programme to be honest... and well it has overclocking mode in it... so I recommend only experienced users to use it!

[arsesq]

Thanks, Odie. I'm aware of the limitations and I've stayed far away from overclocking.

[GrimJack]

Just for reference (using asusprobe), my temps are:
cpu - 35
mb - 19
Using speedfan:
temp1 - 20
temp2 - 36
temp3 - 26
temp - 126
temp - 126
hd0 - 27
hd1 - 28
core - 39
core - 43 I find the 126C temps interesting. I will have to dig around to see what that is trying to read. - Oh - just a couple of unknowns. The second core is my graphics card, the first is cpu - kool program, thanks for pointing it out

[Prometheus12345]

All AMD processors are rated at a limit of 100°C safe operating limit. Keep below 80°C for optimal performance and useful life. If you are reaching temps of 90°C or greater, your cooling is insufficient, and you should check to see that the heatsink is clear, and the fan is running at peak efficiency. CPU fan RPM should exceed 3200RPM as an average, below that, there may be a problem.

Motherboard temps should be less than 40°C for optimal performance. 40°C is their rated maximum ambient (surrounding) temperature. If you are nearing that limit, you need to install/upgrade your chassis fans for more airflow. Alternately, run your machine "open-case", just be sure to stay ahead of dust buildup. Many will advise against an "open-case" setup, but being attentive and caring of your computer negates the arguments, such as dusting regularly.

HDD's should not exceed 100°C either, to be safe. Many can handle 130°C, but is still not adviseable. Keep chassis temp as cool as possible. The trade-off with airflow is increased dust collection, in a "sealed" system.

Simply put, keep all components as cool as possible. CPU comes first, hard-drives second, and motherboard third. CPU heats up most rapidly, but hard drives collect and generate more heat than anything. Motherboard temps are a direct reflection of global case-cooling.

Ideal ambient temps are:

CPU -35°C
Motherboard -10°C
hard-drives +25°C
RAM -20°C

Most cannot achieve these specs, so simply-put, just keep things as cool as possible. The most important thing with computers is to limit temperature change as much as possible. The enemy of semiconductors is not just overheating, it is variances of temperature, due to physical expansion/contraction. Keep hard drives cool, but don't overcool them to extremes. Warm-to-the-touch is healthy and proper for a hard drive, but not burning hot.

For semiconductors such as the MB, RAM, and CPU, cool to excess, as you want to limit their temperature rise for optimal performance. You cannot overcool a semiconductor, unless it's hot already. The cooler the relative ambient temperature of a semiconductor, the better it performs, and the less it needs for heat dissipation devices. The cooler a semiconductor gets, the closer to a superconductor it gets. Although air cooling is far limited in this respect, it always helps, which is why it's implemented in the first place.

Always opt for overcooling whenever possible, at the least it will keep temperatures more stable and within lower tolerances, which increases the life of the component dramatically. Overclocking only works efficiently when you overcool the CPU, so treat a factory-clocked CPU like an over-clocked one, and it'll last a lot longer. Treat an over-clocked CPU as a "super-clocked" CPU (no, not possible to the average bank-account), and all will be good for a long time.

Although I despise the use of "over-clocking" a CPU as it reduces efficiency and stability, it is essential if you choose this route. The famous last words are, "Gee, it's running kinda hot"....and then seconds later the whole system fails. I should know from personal experience. It's no fun to limp a crippled machine back to the shop, if you get my meaning,....

Keep your temps as close to room temperature as you can (20-30°C) with minimal temperature rise, and you will be safe and happy in your specs. I run my machine "open-case" to eliminate heat buildup from the "TEFC" (totally-Enclosed, Fan-Cooled) design.

Hope this is helpful....It works for me, maybe it might work for you too....

[arsesq]

Wonderful little essay. Thanks so much. I'm running Speedfan habitually now. If it isn't accurate as to absolute temperatures, still it can reflect changes, and all my temps are stable.

As it turns out, my problem wasn't overheating, it had to do with a bad optical drive.