The temperature of computer components is an important issue for professional users and that is why many companies work in the field of processor and graphics card cooling. But in general, what are the criteria for the temperature of other computer components and what should be the ideal temperature? In the following, we will deal with this hot issue.
In general, it is easier to talk about the allowable temperature for the processor and the graphics card, because detailed information is provided in this regard. But since other parts usually do not get too hot, there are no special solutions for them. It should be noted that most RAMs use heatsinks to reduce the temperature, and motherboards that support M.2 SSDs usually provide heatsinks for these memories.
As for the temperature inside the case, as long as the different parts have the right temperature, this will not be a problem. However, sometimes by checking the temperature of the parts you can predict the occurrence of some problems.
Why is the temperature of computer components so important?
When you want to use all the power possible for the components in your computer, their temperature is doubly important. As you probably know, the processor and graphics card generate heat when working, so you should think about controlling the temperature inside the case. Even when a piece gets too hot, the system may shut down, and even in severe cases, it will have a permanent problem due to the high heat.
When the temperature inside the case is right, the processor and graphics card can maintain their current performance for longer and even improve their performance. Of course, the more pressure you put on different parts, the more heat is generated, so you have to take more serious measures to keep it cool. For example, we can mention overclocked systems that use some strange solutions to keep the system cool. One of these solutions is to use liquid nitrogen to keep the processor cool. Professional gamers are always looking to increase the game’s firmware, and to do this, they must use the full power of system components.
But for most users, liquid or conventional coolers can meet their needs well. On the other hand, usually the fans used for the graphics card can lower the temperature of the graphics processor to a good level.
Ideal temperature for computer components
The maximum tolerable temperature for computer components is not the same between them. As Intel processors, they can withstand temperatures as high as 100 degrees Celsius, but the maximum temperature for AMD processors is around 90 degrees. Of course, using a very hot processor is not wise, as this would significantly reduce performance. Therefore, it is recommended that the processor not be hotter than 75 degrees at high pressures. On the other hand, the graphics card can reach 85 degrees when running heavy processing, in which case it will not face any particular problem.
All in all, if you have not overclocked your system and the temperature of these parts often exceeds this limit, it is better to think about replacing the cooler. According to studies, motherboards do not have a problem if they are in a temperature-based environment below 80 degrees. Overall, few people worry about monitors getting hot because they rarely get hot. But if the temperature of this piece rises significantly, you should look elsewhere for its source. In the case of SSDs, their temperature should be below 70 degrees, and ordinary hard drives should perform well at temperatures below 45 degrees.
Fortunately, there are many programs for checking the temperature of computer components. One of these popular programs is called CPUID HWMonitor, which provides a lot of information about the temperature and condition of the motherboard, memory, processor and graphics card. We can also mention Core Temp program for CPU, Radeon Software program for AMD graphics cards and MSI Afterburner program for Nvidia and AMD graphics cards.
When is cooling not enough?
Sometimes, despite the use of powerful coolers, the temperature of the parts may rise higher than expected. In such a situation, you should see if the air flow in the case is well maintained or not. On the other hand, it should be noted that dust has a great impact on system performance. If there is a lot of dust in the fans or the parts themselves, their performance will be affected. Therefore, pay attention to cleaning the parts and parts inside the case.
If there is no dust and you are sure that your system does not have a problem with airflow and cooling, the case fans may not be set correctly and on the other hand we should mention the possibility of a low number of fans. A good way to check this is to remove one of the case walls and then apply a lot of pressure to the system to see if CPU and graphics card performance has improved. If their performance has improved, you may have an airflow problem. Even if their performance is not improved, cooling systems will most likely not be able to meet your expectations.
Temperature inside the case
There is one very important point about the inside of the case; Case temperature is based on many variables and there is only one specific factor in this regard. For example, what is the ambient temperature of your room? Is there an air conditioner or is the window open? What is the position of your computer relative to the air conditioner or window? What is the humidity? How many people are in your room? In general, we can mention several other variables in this field. The bottom line is that there is no set ideal temperature for a computer case. In addition, the temperature inside the case is much less important than the temperature of the processor and graphics card.
However, if you consider the temperature inside the case at different times and days, you can get a good range for its temperature. Therefore, if the temperature of the case exceeds the average for many hours and days, this can be an early sign of various problems.
What do we find out by examining the temperature of the parts?
In order to better investigate this issue, we have examined the temperature of the computer during different days. The computer in question has the NZXT H500 case, which is in good condition in terms of airflow, but not great in this regard. This case has two output fans, one on the top right of the processor and the other on the left. The processor itself is AMD Ryzen 5 2600, for which the Evga CLC 280 liquid cooler is used. The graphics card of this system is called Radeon RX 580, for which a separate cooler is not used. We used the Xiaomi digital thermometer to check the temperature and humidity inside the case, and we also used the Core Temp and Radeon Software programs for the processor and graphics card, respectively.
For this experiment, we first measured the room temperature and then recorded the temperature of the processor and graphics card at the beginning of the activity. Then we did the usual work with the system for 2 hours. No benchmarks have been implemented for the system during this time. After these two hours, we again measured the CPU temperature, graphics card and temperature inside the case.
During this test, we found that the temperature inside the case is about 30 degrees different from the temperature of the processor and graphics card. Some days the temperature was higher and some days it was lower. Then, for the second test, we ran a game for 30 minutes to see how such a change would change the temperature of the parts.
You can see more changes by looking at the chart for the second test. As you can see, unlike normal conditions, in this case, the temperature of the processor has always been lower than the temperature of the graphics card, which, of course, due to the game-related processing, such a change is quite normal. In general, in this test, the temperature of the case is about 40 degrees different from the temperature of the graphics card.
So what are the benefits of this information in practice? If you have similar conditions for your case, you can use these criteria to predict some problems. This means that if the difference between the temperature of the case and the parts in question exceeds the allowable limit, you will probably have to look inside the case to do things like clean it.
However, if the temperature inside the case is rising but the temperature of the parts has not changed much, you do not need to worry too much. In summer, for example, it is perfectly normal for the case to rise in temperature. But in general, it is recommended to keep the case in a relatively cool place so that the temperature inside the case does not cause problems.
