Acceptable temperatures

[Zieman]

Just wondering what kind of temperature range for Intel Core2 Duo processor is 'ok', what is 'bad' and what 'good', and likewise for a motherboard with P965/G965 chipset, from idle to several hours high load?

[Whyzman]

I tried to do some searching on the temperature range, but drew blanks...

I did find this, however, which was interesting:

"Intel's stock cooling solution has remained essentially unchanged since the heyday of the Prescott core. Besides slight variations in height, diameter, and the thickness of the copper core, the Core 2 Duo HSF is nothing new. One of the nicest benefits of the Core 2 Duo architecture is its low power draw. The E6400's low TDP of a measly 65w (compared to the Prescott's TDP of over 100w) means that you don't need a massive heat-sink for adequate cooling."

It appeared that you can keep temps around 50C even under full load...

[saphalline]

Max die temp under full load (65W power draw) for any Core 2 Duo is about 60C. The E6600 and E6700 can take up to 60.1C, while the E6300 and E6400 can take up to 61.4C (due to half the L2 cache being disabled). The Core 2 Extreme X6800 has a much higher full load power draw at 75W, but its max die temp is a similar 60.4C.

In any case, you shouldn't get anywhere near these temps if you're competent in the least. Stock cooling at stock speeds in a well-ventilated case at a standard 20C ambient temp should not yield a full load CPU temp in excess of 45C. In fact, given those conditions, I'd expect even the E6700 to be below 40C under a full load.

Keep in mind that the max die temp for any CPU is the point at which the core begins to melt! Staying well below this is required for any semblance of stability!

[Zieman]

Thanks, now I know where I stand with the CPU (new case & extra fans already ordered).

How about the mobo?

[saphalline]

I've never known a chipset that can go higher than 75C. Ideally, it should never go above 50C. I imagine the latest chipset processors are quite sensitive and have a max die temp of around 60C. That's what I think, anyway.