Temperature is a big concern for PC enthusiasts, which is why we see a lot of articles about CPU and graphics card cooling. But what about the rest of the computer? What is the ideal temperature range? Let's dive into this hot topic.
It's easier to talk about the temperature of the CPU and graphics card, since they already define the well-known range. In most cases, other things are usually not too hot because they don't have a well-designed cooling system. However, modern RAM usually comes with a heatsink on the PCB (printed circuit board), and most motherboards include a heatsink for M.2 NVMe SSDs.
As for the air temperature inside the case, as long as your components are cold, that's not a problem. That said, sometimes monitoring the temperature of your computer's case can predict performance issues, although it's not a very necessary thing.
Why computer temperature is so important
When you want to squeeze every ounce of performance out of your computer, temperature is everything. Your computer's CPU and graphics card generate heat when you're in use, so you'll need to cool down each component to control everything. When a computer component overheats, it triggers a system shutdown or, in extreme cases, eventually breaks.
When the chassis stays cool, the CPU and graphics card can maintain their current performance for longer and can also improve performance. However, the higher the performance of the part, the more heat is generated and more cooling is required.
If you witness an extreme overclocking event, you'll see enthusiasts using intense cooling methods, such as pouring liquid nitrogen into a cooling tank above the CPU. Keeping components super cool can boost performance, leading to blazing speeds or incredible frame rates in games.
However, for the rest of us, liquid coolers or solid fans do a good job of keeping the CPU cool, and the graphics card's built-in cooling system is usually good as well. Even when doing some regular overclocking, most of us don't need extra components, because we just want to reach a modest goal of more than 60 frames per second.
What is the optimal temperature of the component
The maximum temperature of the component may vary. For example, the temperature of the processor chip (the actual silicon wafer) of Intel CPUs can usually reach 100 degrees Celsius, and the temperature of AMD CPUs is usually slightly lower around 90 degrees Celsius.
Reaching the maximum is not desirable because the closer you get to the upper limit, the performance will drop significantly. Ideally, the CPU will remain below 75 degrees Celsius under load. At the same time, the GPU may get hotter if it stays below 85 degrees under load.
That doesn't mean you can't exceed these benchmark points, but if you're without overclocking and your PC regularly exceeds these two points, then you may need a better component cooling solution.
At the same time, it is generally believed that if the temperature is below 80 degrees Celsius, the motherboard is fine. However, it's not common to worry about motherboards getting too hot, as they rarely get too hot. If they do get hot, then you may have a problem somewhere else. Storage drives have a lower security range, with a maximum of 70 degrees Celsius for SATA and NVMe SSDs, and preferably below 45 degrees Celsius for HDDs.
It's easy to keep an eye on your components. Most of your components will report their temperatures, enabling various programs to display them. The ever-popular CPUID HWMonitor is a good choice for motherboard, storage, CPU, and graphics card temperature details. Other alternatives include Core Temp for CPUs, as well as Radeon software overlays for AMD graphics cards or MSI Afterburner for AMD and Nvidia cards.
When cooling is insufficient
Sometimes you may find that even with the use of strong cooling, there will be some abnormal situations and the computer will get too hot. When this happens, the first question to ask is whether your computer has enough airflow.
While it may not seem like this, dust can have a big impact on your computer's performance. If any of your fans are full of dust, or your components are full of them, then this is the first thing to look out for, and a little compressed air may be the easy way to solve the problem.
If there's no dust, and you're confident that the cooling components are working, then it's possible that your fan isn't configured correctly, or you don't have enough fans. It could also be because your case lacks adequate airflow because it's not suitable for your purpose.
A good way to test this is to remove the side of the case and run the computer under load to see if the temperature of the CPU and graphics card has increased. If the temperature is raised, then you may have airflow problems. If they don't improve, then it's likely that your cooling equipment won't be up to the task.
Chassis temperature
The question about chassis temperatures is that they can vary depending on many different variables. What is the ambient temperature in your room?Is there air conditioning or is the window open?Where is the location of the computer?What is the humidity?How many people are in your room?What season is it?We can constantly look for variables to consider. The point is that there is no one standard "case temperature" because there will be a lot of variation. In addition, the chassis temperature is far less important than the temperature of the CPU and graphics card.
That said, if you track your case temperature, you can see which temperature range is right for you. If your computer is overheating in the direction of overheating, this could be an early sign that a problem is starting to brew.
What to learn from monitoring temperatures
Here's an example of a test we did on a computer to see what kind of temperature we would find inside the computer. These tests were carried out in the spring, when the outdoor temperature varied considerably, although the indoor temperature remained fairly constant during the week.
The case used for these tests is the NZXT H500, which has good airflow, but not the best. The chassis has two output fans, one directly above the CPU and the other on its left side. The CPU is an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 with a CLC 280 liquid cooler from Evga, and the graphics card is an AMD Radeon RX 580 with no cooling components added. The air temperature is used with a simple Xiaomi temperature and humidity monitor 2. We use Core Temp to monitor CPU temperatures and Radeon software to monitor graphics cards.
For this test, we kept it relatively simple. We measured the ambient air temperature in the room, and then the CPU and GPU at boot up. Then we set the computer to work in normal use for two hours. In this case, "normal use" means writing some documents, using spreadsheets, streaming video, and doing some web browsing.
After two hours of normal use, we measured the temperature of the CPU and GPU again, as well as the ambient air temperature inside the case.
In this test, we found that the air temperature inside the case is usually within 30 degrees of CPU and GPU temperature, with only one day approaching 31 degrees. Some days the weather may be a little cooler, or the temperature will actually be a little bit warmer.
Then in the second test, we played the game for 30 minutes and checked all three temperatures again.
From the post-race temperatures, we have more variation. For the most part, the air temperature is within 40 degrees of the GPU, while the temperature of the CPU fluctuates greatly, but it never comes close to the upper limit of the graphics card.
So, what do we do with this information in practice? If your computer has a similar situation (30 degrees difference in normal use and 40 degrees difference in gaming), you can use this as an early indicator of the problem. When the temperature is outside of these ranges in the direction of more heat, it may be a sign that you need to remove dust from your PC. If you've recently changed your computer's configuration, it could also mean that you're having problems with airflow or cooling.
Still, if your case is getting hotter and hotter, but the component temperature is still staying within the proper temperature range, then you probably don't have that much to worry about. For example, in the summer, you may find that the air temperature in the chassis is much higher. Or, if your computer is in the basement, the contents may get hotter in the winter due to the stove constantly blowing hot air in the house. Still, if the ambient air temperature does rise, it's wise to keep an eye on it and your component temperatures in case of cooling issues.