Acceptable temperature for CPU, GPU and other PC parts

Internal elements of any system unit (processor, graphic cards, hard drives etc) may easily fail when overheated, which should be obvious to any more or less experienced computer user. The higher the system performance is required, the more PC parts are loaded and heated, reaching quite significant temperature values. Cooling in this case is provided by all kinds of coolers. But sometimes computer components are still subjected to overheating, which may lead to some unpleasant consequences.

There are hundreds of different programs that can help you to check the PC parts temperature: AIDA, HW Monitor and many more. During tests you will be able to see the temperatures of your processor, graphic card, hard drive and other parts. But these figures alone will tell you nothing, and within the framework of this article we are going to explain what temperature is acceptable for different PC parts.

---

Table of contents:
1. Operating temperature for PC parts
2. PC overheating symptoms 
3. What should i do if PC parts overheat

---

Operating temperature for pc parts

Each computer part has its own operating temperature limit, which may also vary, depending on the particular model. Let’s give the average figures for the main PC parts:

Motherboard. Motherboard (a chip on it to be precise) is rarely overheated. 35-45 degrees Celsius can be considered a standard operating temperature for this component. In rare situations, it rises to 55 degrees, but this is only possible if we are talking about some highly productive solutions, when two video cards are installed and a resource-intensive task is started. With the standard PC operation – browser, files and office applications – the motherboard chip temperature is not exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

CPU. Calculating temperature that can be considered normal for CPU is much more difficult. We can select several points, average for most processors:

• Up to 50 degrees Celsius. Normal operating temperature of the processor at some average load;
• Up to 65 degrees Celsius. Operating CPU temperature when there are used productive games, video editors and other demanding applications;
• From 65 to 80 degrees Celsius. CPU temperature, close to critical. If the CPU heats up to this temperature, you should check the cooling system. At temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius, throttling may already begin; in other words, the CPU will start to skip cycles, which will cause your PC to slow down.
• Above 80 degrees Celsius. If the CPU is heated to this level, it is better to immediately close all the resource-intensive tasks; otherwise the PC protection system will force your computer to reboot.

It is worth noting that the good cooling system is directly affecting the CPU performance. At low temperatures, your CPU will be coping with its tasks much better. If the CPU overheating became an issue it is good to change the thermal paste immediately.

GPU. Usually graphic cards are divided into 2 types: office ones and gaming ones. Gaming graphic cards are more productive, and they are able to work stably for several hours at a temperature up to 70-75 degrees Celsius. For most office graphics cards, 65 degrees Celsius is considered to be a permissible maximum.

HDD. The average operating temperature of the hard drive is about 30-40 degrees Celsius. If it heats up to more than 50 degrees, you should check the drive.

It should be noted that above we have mentioned only the temperatures of the main PC parts themselves. But we must not forget that they strongly depend on the temperature inside the system unit, which cannot be measured by any programs. It is important that hot air that accumulates in the PC casing can quickly leave it. Several good coolers blowing the hot air out should be quite enough.

PC overheating symptoms

If your computer is working without failures, there is no need to worry about overheating. The following symptoms indicate that one or more PC parts are constantly overheated:

• Your PC reboots itself. Most often this indicates that CPU is overheating;
• Productive programs close spontaneously;
• Your PC turns off by itself. This indicates the PSU or motherboard overheating;
• Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). The error code displayed on the screen helps to determine precisely which PC part is overheated;

Artifacts appear in productive games. This indicates the graphic card overheating or malfunction.

It is important to note that symptoms mentioned above not always indicate PC parts overheating; all these symptoms may appear for some other reasons too.

What should i do if PC parts overheat

Coolers are carrying the main responsibility for the temperature of all PC parts. If they do not cope with their task and the elements of your PC still overheat, it is recommended to:

1. Clean your PC from dust. Experts recommend doing this every 6 months if the system unit is on the table or every 3 months if it is on the floor. Most often, the dust in the radiators under the coolers is the cause of overheating;
2. Reduce temperature in the room where your computer is located. In other words, you can open the window or turn on the air conditioner – it is important to lower the temperature in the room generally. You can also direct air flow from a standard fan to the system unit (but not from the air outlet side of it);
3. Open the computer case. Due to this, hot air can leave the computer faster, but there can be a problem with processor overheating if the computer case provides a separate air outlet from the CPU. Important: Do not leave your computer without a cover for a long time; otherwise its parts will quickly be blocked with dust;
4. Increase the rotational speed of your cooler using special software.

If the tips above did not help you to get rid of the constant PC overheating, you may need to think about installing a more efficient cooling system.