What Could be the Maximum CPU Temperature ?

Many of us want to know about the maximum temperature processors (CPUs) can work at, seeing that all processors currently heat up a lot and many coolers available on the market are unable to cool them down correctly.

To start off, the temperature of a processor can be gauged via a sensor on the motherboard, under the processor. Almost every motherboard comes with a program for reading this sensor; you can find on the Internet many programs for this purpose, such as Motherboard Monitor and Hardware Sensors Monitor.

Motherboard Monitor is really neat not only because it stays on the system tray but because you can set up alarms on it, i.e. if your CPU reaches a certain trigger temperature you set the software will warn you. It also monitors the system's fans and the power supply voltage. If you play with overclocking this software is a must, since processors tend to heat more when they are overclocked.

Another way of checking the CPU temperature is thru the motherboard setup, under a menu called "System Health", "Sensors" or similar. You can also setup an alarm for the CPU temperature (whenever the CPU reaches a trigger temperature the system will sound an alarm) and also for the fans (if the CPU fan stops the system will sound an alarm).

Setup option is not so good because while setup is running your CPU is doing nothing, so its temperature won't be at its maximum. So the preferance is for a software solution.

The maximum temperature acceptable by the processor is usually stamped on the processor’s body, in a coded form. The processor’s data book (a document that can be downloaded form the processor manufacturer’s website) includes a section explaining the code stamped on the processor’s body, and this code includes its maximum acceptable temperature.

It goes without saying that this figure give the maximum acceptable temperature, that is, the value the processor can withstand without burning out. The lower the working temperature of your processor, the better. Better quality coolers will result in your processor working at a temperature well below the maximum acceptable value. You can test coolers of different makes and models on your computer yourself to see which one provides a lower temperature for your processor, i. e., which is the most efficient.

For instance, the processor like an Athlon XP 2800+, has a maximum temperature rating of 85º C (185º F).

A way you can check up on the internal cooling of your computer is measuring it with a thermometer. Traditionally the case internal temperature should not exceed the room temperature by more than 10º C (18º F). As PCs are designed to work at a typical room temperature of 35º C (95º F), this means that the case’s internal temperature should not exceed 45º C (113º F). If you find a figure above this value, you must check the computer’s internal cooling, as it is not performing suitably.

These numbers, however, are dated for newer systems, because modern CPUs dissipate a lot more heat than CPUs from the past.