Safe Processor Temperature

[Wayne Conrad]

On Thu, 26 July 2001, "Furmanek, Greg" wrote:

> 
> I would like to turn it off.  It is kind of embarassing
> to have this kind of tail.  Unfortunatelly it is attached
> on the "Exchange Server."  
> 
> It is silly.
> 
> p.s. Any thought on optimal temp for athlon? 

Only thoughts... no real data.  I'd love for someone to pipe up with real data.

The Athlon data sheets say Tdie (maximum die temperature) for 1100 mHz and above is 95C, but that's the die temperature.  What I don't know is where the temperature measurement that your motherboard gives you comes from.  If it's from a thermocouple mounted near the die, the measured temperature will be some amount cooler than the actual die temperature.  In that case, if your motherboard reported 95C, then your die has already melted.  I've heard numbers like 80C as a suggested max as measured by your motherboard, with a strong preference for running much cooler than that.  I think that the motherboard-reported temperature of my Slot-A 700mHz Athlon runs at around 120F, which would be ummmmm around 50C.  I'd be pretty alarmed if I got up past 60C.  Because I don't know how much of a difference there is between the measured temperature and the actual die temperature, I like to leave myself a wide safety margin.
  Wayne