How hot is OK?

[LesD]

I run Speedfan coded by Alfredo Milani Comparetti and very good it is. 
I obtained it from: here.

I use it to monitor my CPU and HDD temperatures.

While surfing, reading and posting here, sending and receiving email the CPU temperatures ambles along in the upper thirties C but run a bit of video and it will hit 45 C. Master a DVD and it goes over 50 C!

The machine spec. that forms my signature on some forums is this:

Intel Pentium 4 640 3.2GHz 800 FSB LGA 775 CPU 2 MB Cache
Gigabyte P4 Titan Motherboard GA-8S661FXM-775 Rev: 1.1
2 GB PC3200 DDR 400 CL3 Memory
AOpen NVIDA GeForce FX5600 256 MB DDR AGP 8x Graphics Card
Samsung SM206BW 20" flat panel wide screen display
2Wire 2700HGV Single SSID ADSL Modem/Router
Microsoft XP Pro SP3

I have asked this question in other venues but have yet to obtain a definite answer that I have confidence in. 

My instinct is that the CPU temperature should stay below 60 C and so far it has.

I have a big old relatively empty case with a big case fan at the back running to extract air and this one according the Speedfan runs between 4000 and 4500 rpm while the CPU fan is under Speedfans automatic control, which sees it idle round 1300 rpm but go up to 2500 rpm as the temperature rise through the forties.

As the Subject lines says, "How hot is OK?"

Nothing like a picture so here's one or two:


[attachment deleted by admin]

[kinmel]

Here is what INTEL thinks

[Sebby]

Those temperatures are certainly nothing to be concerned about, Les.

[LesD]

Here is what INTEL thinks

Thanks Alan, I have seen this or something very much like it before and the max. case temperature quoted for the 3.2 GHz Processor is 70 C. I have put the relevant bit into Excel and attached it.

This is where my idea of keeping below 60 stems from but is the CPU temperature I get out of Speedfan the Case temperature or something else? 

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[vitriol]

If you need a good case / cooling solution I can really recommend the Antec 900.  It's quite big but the fans on it offer excellent cooling,


2 x 120mm fans on the front
1 x 120mm fan at the back
1 x 200mm fan on the top

It really shifts loads of air through the case, the fans themselves have three speed settings, low, med and high.  On low it is virtually silent!

Can get a little dusty though, easily solved with a squirt of compressed air once a month.

[Glenn]

I use an Antec case too, a 182B I would throughly recommend it.

[LesD]

the max. case temperature quoted for the 3.2 GHz Processor is 70 C.

but is the CPU temperature I get out of Speedfan the Case temperature or something else? 

Thanks for the heads up on the Antec cases guys a recommendation by those that have them is always good to have. The "case temperature" referred to above I believe is the processor's case, the "tin" can round the P4 its self! The question in my mind is just where the temperature sensor on the mobo is and if are they calibrated to represent the temperature of the silicon chip or the "tin" case it is in. There will be a temperature gradient from the case to the chip inside it but how significant this gradient is, is the issue for me.

[Glenn]

Les, I believe there is a temp probe(s) in the chip itself, connected to a couple of pins to give each CPU temp, and another on the motherboard too. Combined they report the CPU temps and the case temp.

I would be very surprised in the case temp got 70C, you would not be able to touch it, maybe the CPU temp. Speedfan, normally reports the CPU and Chassis temps, with the later the temp in the case.

[Steve]

Les
I agree with Glenn, as far as I am aware speedfan is able to read the code from the internal cpu temparature sensor whether it then gives the correct reading is another question. If mother board bios updates are anything to go by I have seen tremendous variations in the cpu temps reported by different versions.

I am currently using a Lian Li full tower, loads of room,good build quality and very quiet.The Antec 182 I had previously was also excellent except I found it a bit on the heavy side.