CPU Temp question

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Stillwell

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Hey everyone, glad to be a registered user now :D

I was wondering: In my BIOS, when I check my PC health status, here's what I see:

Current system temp: 47 C
Current CPU Fan Speed: 4800
Current Systen Fan Speed: --------
Current CPU Temp: 60 C

This is what I see, let's say, after I have been browsing the web for 10 to 15 minutes.

I have read A LOT of board discussions about what is the normal AMD Athlon XP 2000+ temperature... And I'm still puzzled. I know that at 90 C this CPU is fried, and some people aim for 50-55 C. I'm just 5 degrees above this.

I'm thinking: This might not be too high. I have had this for 6 months now, and I never experienced major slowdowns or crashes with it. I have to say that I almost never checked before this day to see what the temperature was, but this weekend, I put my hand on the case, and compared to the case of a friend, well, you could feel the heat.

So these are my questions: Should I have any problems with a CPU Temperature of 60 C? (I'm wondering what it is after I play 3d games.)

And why, in my BIOS:
Current Systen Fan Speed: --------
This is what's written? When I open up my case, all my fans are running perfectly, so what's wrong here?

Last question: Since the temp is at 60 C, would it be dangerous to add another HDD drive? (Maxtor 60gb 7800rpm)

Thanks :)
 
Hi Stillwell! Welcome to the forums - new faces are always welcome here :D

I wouldn't worry too much about a 60C temperature, although it is a little high (not too bad at all though). Perhaps cleaning out the dust from your heatsink and around the case would help lower it a little, as well as tidying up loose cables.

As for the Fan speed of ------, that just means that it isn't detecting a reading from the fan, although it is probably working fine :) Not many case fans will give a speed reading, as it costs a little extra to implement for a case manufacturer ;)

There are some windows applications which will monitor the current CPU temperature when in Windows... one of the best known ones is "Motherboard Monitor", which should log temperatures when in games :D

As for the Hard Drive question - it would be perfectly safe to add another one, as long as it has adequate cooling / ventilation.
 
re

Thanks for the quick reply :)

Yes, I have browsed the boards quite a bit before posting, and I have seen users talking about MBM, and here's what I have:

No readings. :rolleyes:

So actually, I'm puzzled about that, too.

So since the temp is at 60 C, would it be dangerous to add another HDD drive? (Maxtor 60gb 7800rpm)

http://www.99vs1.net/extra/dire/1.JPG
 
Although that'll increase the ambient temperature of the case, you shouldn't see much of a difference to your CPU temps. I'd say adding another hard drive wouldn't be a problem at all :)
 
Re: re

Originally posted by Stillwell
Thanks for the quick reply :)

Yes, I have browsed the boards quite a bit before posting, and I have seen users talking about MBM, and here's what I have:

No readings. :rolleyes:

http://www.99vs1.net/extra/dire/1.JPG
Click to expand...

Just out of interest, what sort of motherboard do you have?
 
Unless the system fan is plugged into a motherboard header, it won't show in the system Bios or any software sensor programme. It's most likely plugged into the main PSU via a 4-way molex connector.

I'm assuming the system fan is on the case exhaust?

I'd say 60C CPU temp & 47C case temp at idle is a little too high for comfort, although if everything's running OK, not a biggie.

Must admit, during the recent hot spell, I had CPU temps of 55C and case of 42C, but they're back to normal now.

It may be worth considering a better CPU cooler & fan combination and also using a good heatsink paste such as Arctic Silver 3. And maybe adding another case fan or two, if your case has the facility to add them.

And for monitoring your temps, voltages & fan speeds within your Operating System, may I suggest Motherboard Monitor? It's a freebie Monitoring programme available from Here.

It takes a little setting up but is a good programme.
 
Oh yes, I already mentioned that I had it, but showed nothing... I supplied a screenshot, too. :confused:

By the way, when I play 3d games that demand a lot of CPU processing, I get to 68-69 easily... Is that still okay?
 
Oops, sorry Stillwell, missed your screen shot and also I didn't notice 1nteger had mentioned Motherboard Monitor.

68C is way too hot. I know the ceiling is 90C but those temps will considerably shorten the life of your CPU. I'm surprised you're not experiencing spontaneous reboots.
 
Originally posted by floppybootstomp
Oops, sorry Stillwell, missed your screen shot and also I didn't notice 1nteger had mentioned Motherboard Monitor.
Click to expand...

Moi? I don't think I actually added to this thread...I think it was Ian who mentioned the mobo monitor.:spin:

On the thread itself...
There's a lot of good advice in all the responses. I would be a little concerned at 60C when idle with a 2000+ CPU, but only if you had a really good heatsink fitted...i.e. it should be doing a better job. A bog-standard HSF may perform less well, but either way the first thing I'd do is re-seat the hatsink and use fresh thermal paste as already suggested above.
 
Originally posted by 1nteger
Moi? I don't think I actually added to this thread...I think it was Ian who mentioned the mobo monitor.:spin:

Click to expand...

I think I need my vitamin supplement :crazy: Or a six pack ;)

Would agree with that, reseating heatsink would be a good idea.
 
Thanks for all the good advice, guys.

I've never experienced rebooting, but I could swear my CPU runs waaaay too slow for a 1.6 ghz.
 
I have a 1.4 g TBird that runs around 55 C on normal use durring heavy use it will ride up to about 60 C I have heard that this is bad but have never experienced any reboots or performance issues. How much shorter will the lifespan of the processor be at this temp. I have tried to get it down but cant really get it below 55C.
 
You also need to consider the possibility of your motherboard misreporting CPU temps.

Try touching your heatsink with your finger. If its too hot to touch after a few seconds, youve most probably got yourself a problem.
 
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