Average Rated Highest Temperatures for CPUs

[gamer007]

Hey everyone, since it's very close to summer, and here near Vancouver is getting real hot (30 degrees for the last 2 days!), I'm wondering what's the average max temperature for CPUs before something serious happens. Yesterday my CPU (Athlon XP 1700+ @ 1.4GHz) was running around 62 degrees Celsius, hottest it's been. After several months of non-stop running (with constant BSODs for the last 2 weeks), I finally shut down the computer for the night. This unfortunately limits my participation in the BOINC competition slightly. :(

What would you say would be a "problematic" temperature for a CPU that is many years old? I don't want this CPU to die even though my dad is giving me his computer at the end of June as this current comp goes to my brother.

[AMDave]

I guess you'll really enjoy this page
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/DevelopWithAMD/0,,30_2252_739_3748,00.html

[taters]

http://users.erols.com/chare/elec.htm#amd
Here is a list of maximum acceptable temps. Says your CPU can sustain up to
90C... well, before burning out that is.
I'd say it's best to keep it under 50C, 60C for heavily overclocked on air in a really hot room.
Try dusting your computer, and check if all your fans work right. You could also get a new heatsink + fan. Thermalright and Zalman make some nice ones.

[mitro]

I'd say regardless of type of core, that 62C is pushing it. Whether thats a Palomino or T-bred, they like to put out the heat (especially the Pally) and these are the chips that gave AMD the bad rep of running hot for a little while. Clean out the dust (like taters said), maybe remove the heatsink and clean and re-apply thermal compound, and then see where you are. If thats running a stock heatsink from that processor, it may be a good idea to upgrade to a newer heatsink, but nothing fancy. The ones from back then were awefully small for their heat output.

[gamer007]

Thanks guys. I thought 62 degrees is a bit too hot. It's just that my room's real hot. Even with the fan, it's almost unbearable. There is dust in the fan, but we don't have any pressured-air cans. And we don't have any thermal compound. Even with the side-panel out it's hot.

I should be fine until the end of June. Thanks again for the tips guys. :)

[taters]

I do believe newegg.com will ship to Canada.
You can get Arctic Silver 5 for about $9 shipped, and I bet you can find some pressurized air in a local retail store that sells general office supplies.
Good idea to take off the side cover - even on my computer, which idles pretty low at 33C in a 23C room (overclocked) I can get it down to about 29C without the side cover.

[gamer007]

I read on wikipedia newegg.com won't ship to Canada yet. They planned around 2-4 years ago, I don't think they ever got to it yet. But I'll check.

[mitro]

From what I've read the best source for computer parts in canada is www.ncix.com

Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound:
http://search.ncix.com/displayproductdetail.php?sku=10715&vpn=AS5-3.5&manufacture=ARCTIC%20SILVER

Lots of other goodies there as well.

[Nflight]

This is directly from the Ultimate Source:

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_9485_9487%5E10272,00.html

Quoted from the Brief "AMD's Cool'n'Quiet™ technology is an innovative solution available on AMD Athlon™ 64 processor-based systems that can effectively lower the power consumption and enable a quieter-running system"