CPU Maximum Temperatures
Following on from the cooling article we look at the maximum temperatures of CPU's. Even though we use fans and heat
sinks CPU temperatures can still raise if they are being used at full power for a long period of time. Using CPU's at high temperatures can lower cause system
crashes in the short term and in the long term cause the life of your CPU to be greatly reduced. In extreme cases your CPU could burn out or melt onto the
motherboard. This usually happens when a fan breaks down and goes unnoticed. Today's motherboards come with temperature monitoring software and hardware which
actually shuts the computer off the CPU temperature gets too hot. Even these however are not 100% fail proof. The only way to be sure is to check your fans and
other cooling equipment regularly and also use CPU thermometers to check your CPU temperature is stable and not raising over time. CPU's have a rated maximum
temperature sometimes called a critical temperature. What this boils down to is what the manufacturer states is the maximum temperature the CPU will operate at.
This is not to say you want your CPU to operate at this temperature as it will be borderline between working and burning out. Always try to keep at least 20C
below this value if you can. Below is a table showing you the critical temperatures for most of the CPU's we use today.
Please be aware that as faster models are released even under the same name the thermal requirements may change. this table is meant for a guide only and
Critical temperature is often referred as Critical Case temperature as CPU core temperatures are difficult to report accurately. |
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